SoutherDem
SoutherDem's JournalMedicare Obama vs. Ryan questions
In the movie And the Band Played on Dr. Curran started his staff meetings with the following statement "What do we think, what do we know, what can we prove". Using the same principal for the two medicare plans I realize I know what I think, but I really know very little and can prove nothing, this will make it very hard to debate the conservatives I live around who will surly vote for Romney/Ryan this November.
I have not heard a single all inclusive explanation of what Obama plans to do. I have heard the Republican criticisms which are all based on a $700M cut. I have heard bits and pieces of the Obama plan and various explanations of the $700M but not a good hard explanation.
What I have heard of the $700M cut are three basic explanations, 1) the $700M is only a shift, that the money taken out of medicare is being applied to the ACA 2) this will be a better way to give the same care to the same people and 3) the part of Medicare which the $700M comes from was a little used and ineffective part of medicare anyway.
What i have heard of the Ryan plan is that it too takes $700M from medicare but rather than shifting the money to other health care options the money goes to the tax cuts wanted by the Republicans. I have also heard that medicare will be changed to a voucher program which will 1) not affect current seniors (thus hoping to not cause a large senior shift to the Democrats), 2) will, at first at least, be an optional program, 3) the vouchers will not be adjusted to inflation of medical cost, so at first it may be a quid pro quo but as time passes will not be sufficient to cover the medical needs of the future seniors.
If what I have heard is true, I don't understand why all of these facts are not combined together and given to the American people in one package.
Does anyone know if what I heard is true or if I am missed anything?
Political Nuclear War
While I think a Romney/Ryan ticket will energize the conservative base, it will only make those who were going to vote for Romney anyway happier about their vote, not sway any away from Obama and may move many from undecided to Obama.
But, this morning I was reminded of some of the nuclear war movies I have seen while thinking of the possibilities of a Romney/Ryan Administration, especially if the Senate went Tea Party.
For those too young to remember them or have chosen to not watch those movies, back in the 80s, during the last saber rattling of the cold war there were several nuclear war movies made, The Day After, Threads and Testament to name a few, all of which showed us the horrors of nuclear war. One thing which most had in common was that the aftermath would be much worst than the actual nuclear war, even to the point of bringing to light that the living may envy the dead. A few like Testament even showed how a suburban community was devastated, even thought it had no effects of the actual nuclear detonations, from the fallout.
A Romney/Ryan Administration I feel would be like a Political Nuclear War. While immediately many would feel the devastation of the war on the poor. Many would loose on day one, heath care would end for the poor, medicaid would be reduced or eliminated, even entire departments such as the EPA may disappear. But, that would be just the actual war, the fallout would still be to come. Just like in Testament many would not feel the utter devastation of the Ryan budget being enacted, the middle class may and without a doubt the rich would get short term boost or be untouched. But, just as in a nuclear war it would be the fallout which all would feel. The Ryan budget actually grows the debt, the current seniors won't feel the devastation from the medicare vouchers with the future medicare users being screwed, pollution would not immediately increase because of the end of the EPA but without check industry would go back to freely polluting the environment.
So, just like in a real nuclear war on day one there would be 100s of 1000s devastated but the real horrors are to come.
Profile Information
Member since: Sat Jan 22, 2011, 01:32 PMNumber of posts: 2,307
