Yup, I’m going to post about politics. It’s a topic I generally avoid because…well…because people get fired up, including me. People argue, including me. My beliefs are my beliefs, and your beliefs are your beliefs. Arguing isn’t going to change either, so why start an argument? Well, tonight, I’m feeling rant-y. I’m feeling feisty. I’m also feeling like one more story about my cats might send every last one of you screaming into the arms of a less boring prettier funnier nicer another blogger, and my attention-seeking self just can’t stand that idea.
So, back to my point. I believe in a good many things. I believe in a woman’s right to make decisions about her body. I believe that a woman who wants an abortion should be able to obtain one. I believe a woman who wants children and cannot conceive them without medical intervention should be able to seek alternatives. I believe that a woman should be able to give her child up for adoption. I do not believe that we should pay for any of these choices via tax dollars.
Which is a nice segue to my next set of beliefs. I believe that we should privatize welfare, if not abolish it altogether. No more food stamps, no more medicaid, no more HUD assistance, etc. etc. etc. Americans are generous people. We help when and where we can. Take a look back at the outpouring of support in the aftermath of 9/11. Take a look at the outpouring of support after Katrina. We will help you, if you need help, so stop stealing from us through our tax dollars.
Now before you shoot off that hate-mail to me, let me clarify - I do not object (much) to the idea of offering a helping hand to those who’ve found themselves in a temporary tight spot. I very, very much object to paying for a mom who’s the 3rd generation in her family to suck the government’s teat. I object to that mom getting a free ride through college while her friend is scraping by on loans and work study and part-time jobs with the only difference between them being that the friend was smart enough to put off parenting.
Speaking of parenting, I’d like very much for the government to stop parenting us. Just. Stop. We can start with all USDA/FDA inspections. Make that a voluntary process. Have businesses choose whether or not to do this and to pay for it themselves. I promise that the businesses who don’t participate won’t stay in business long, as no customers are going to want to risk it. In our capitalist country, the market will take care of things.
Ah, capitalism…that leads me to my next point. National sales tax. How come there are people out there who see this as a bad thing? How is it bad to make the people who spend the most pay the most in taxes? How is it bad to eliminate personal income tax? How is it bad to eliminate a system that spends $265 BILLION per year on compliance oversight and still comes up $350 BILLION short? Come on, people, have we lost all reason? Why are we not clamoring for this to happen RIGHT STINKIN’ NOW?
Another thing we ought to be raising holy hell about? The idea of nationalized healthcare. I’m going to say two things, and then leave it be because I think you can draw the conclusion yourself:
1. Public school v. alternative schooling methods (including private school); and
2. Public defenders v. hiring your own attorney.
Enough said? Yeah, I thought so.
Having brought up healthcare, I feel I should address insurance regulations, but I figure I’ll save that one (and a few other “hot” topics) for another time when I’m feeling like I need a kazillion and two hate mails in my inbox.
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16 responses so far ↓
1 Jean // Feb 1, 2008 at 6:47 am
I know I’m a lousy commenter, but you just know certain statements will bring me out. :::grins::: Those national healthcare analogies - not really fair, IMO. They’d only hold up if the government were to be the ones who treat the patients, run the offices, own the hospitals. If they simply paid the bills, as in a single payer system, we’d have national healthcare and medical freedom of choice, as well. Sure, it would be subjects to the limits of what is “medically necessary,” but seems to me, we have that with our private insurance companies now. Not that I think we’ll even go THAT far yet - I think the first step will be simply getting more of the uninsured to become insured. That said, I’ll end on a happy note - I do agree with you about the national sales tax and the ridiculous waste of money trying to enforce a tax system so complicated that ten different tax preparers will come out with ten different amounts owed.
2 d // Feb 1, 2008 at 9:56 am
I don’t mind welfare, but I do think there should be a time limit on it. Like, lets say a year to get your shit together. I say a year because it can take up to 6 months to find a job, and then you’re getting on your feet and you’ll need that assistance until the paychecks from your job start coming in. But if after a year, cut it off. No point in you using it for life. That’s not fair and sucks ass.
I think nationalized health care is fine because i think everyone deserves some form of health care, but that those that can afford a private or different health care system can choose to go that route. For example, I have the opportunity to send lorna to public school and I don’t have to pay a dime really. Just like nationalized health care would be. However, I still have the choice to pay for a private school, homeschool, whatever.
3 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 10:01 am
Jean. COME ON. That’s unfair on *your part.
The gov’t doesn’t teach the kids or defend the criminals, either, so the part about treating the patients wasn’t a fair, accurate comparison.
As to running the offices and owning the hospitals, how else would it work? How else would they be able to oversee and manage the cost of healthcare?
And that’s another thing — how would we pay for all of this? I know you live in some magic place where money grows on trees, but here in the real world, how would we pay for it? Now if you’re willing to ditch other welfare programs altogether, you could maybe sway me to your side.
4 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 10:26 am
D - You’re killing me here. :grin:
5 Bill // Feb 1, 2008 at 12:11 pm
The discretionary budget for FY ‘08 for the US Department of Education is $56 Billion. All this money to replicate the work of the states. It seems to me that this money could be better spent supporting private schools that do a better job of teaching the kids anyway. In a Capitalistic society each faction does what they can do best, and teaching our kids is not what the government does best.
6 d // Feb 1, 2008 at 12:15 pm
“…and teaching our kids is not what the government does best.”
Here here! No shit. They fucking suck ass at doing that. Totally agree.
7 Jean // Feb 1, 2008 at 2:57 pm
All I meant is that “paid for publicly” isn’t the same as “run” publicly, that people would still go to private doctors and hospitals, just as they do now, only the reimbursement would be made out of public funds. It would work pretty much the way that traditional Medicare works now, and has worked for over forty years. I know, NOW the numbers aren’t adding up but the fact that it’s worked so well for decades, implies, IMO, that the concept itself is sound. Whether taxpayers will be willing to pay to try it or some other form of universal healthcare is a question that should be answered during the next Presidential term, but it sure seems likely to me, judging from the attention it’s getting from the candidates. Same old discussion we’ve had for years, only now we finally might have a chance to see whether or not it’s possible here.
8 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Jean. Medicare apparently hasn’t “worked so well” for 40 years, else it wouldn’t have undergone a pretty significant overhaul recently, IMO.
Why, oh WHY do you persist in ignoring how nationalized healthcare has “worked” in other countries? Why do you insist that we will find some magical way to make it not become mediocre healthcare for the masses?
Capitalism is what makes our healthcare system one of the best in the world. Socialism produces Canada. FFS.
9 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 3:51 pm
And once the tax dollars are being pumped into private schools, how long before someone comes along and says, “Gee, if this is where our tax money is going, we oughtta know how well it’s working”? Not long, IMO, and suddenly? Those private schools are teaching the test.
Here’s a thought — how about cutting out the US DoE and letting us keep our goddamn money?
10 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 3:52 pm
D - there’s nothing our gov’t can do “best” v. what the private sector can do, in a capitalist country. Just my opinion.
11 d // Feb 1, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I think they suck as far as the school system goes. I mean, public school education was put in place to educate the masses. To give everyone “general” knowledge. I mean, if you look back to when my grandmama was in school, it’s still the fucking same. A teacher in the front, rows of students who don’t give a fuck, with them teaching us nothing fucking useful. I don’t think the government belongs anywhere near the school system.
They don’t know wtf they’re doing.
12 Missy // Feb 1, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I’m with D. Some people really need the assistance of welfare, truly and legitimately. The other 95% of people on welfare that use it for years and years on end need to get cut the fuck off and now. We’re not doing us, them or their kids any favors by carrying them for eternity.
13 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 5:57 pm
No, they don’t. Which is why putting them in charge of healthcare, charity, etc is a bad, bad idea. The gov’t has proven itself inefficient and wasteful and just totally incompetent at managing education — why would they be better at managing anything else?
14 Steph // Feb 1, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Like I told D — I don’t have a huge problem with people who use welfare as a temporary solution. (Although I think private charity would handle it better than the gov’t.) But we’re plugging billions of OUR dollars into a system that gives money to irresponsible assholes who have made shitty decisions and expect other people to fix that. I’m not cool with that.
15 carymc // Feb 9, 2008 at 4:29 pm
“Suck the government teat.” HA HA HA!
Welfare is fun. The best part is watching people buy their groceries with food stamps and their lottery tickets with cash.
16 Steph // Feb 9, 2008 at 5:18 pm
carymc - And how do they always have a wad of effing 20s to buy their Powerball tickets and smokes? I don’t understand.
I’m not saying all of ‘em do it, but the ones buying Lotto and Marlboro while they pay for their milk with food stamps kill me.