I'm just sitting here, shaking my head, wondering why people do not stop and think. The sky has NOT fallen, despite the claims of the GOP since at least the days of Reagan. The proudly-brandished lies of the great mis-leader (http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/10/14/welfare-queen-myth-must-die/ gives a brief summary of the story of how Reagan created this particular myth) and the fears he flamed have proven . . . meaningless. Despite the decades of political sputum against the people who need the most help, despite warnings of national disintegration at the hands of feminists, minorities, "liberals," etc., we have had only one significant crisis, the Great Recession--and we all know who was responsible for that. As difficult as 9-11 was--and has been--on all Americans, it has had no where near the economic impact of the Mortgage Crisis. (We could quibble about whether or not entering 2 wars at the same time--Afghanistan and Iraq--have a more significant impact b/c of what they have done to the national deficit, but let's not, at least not right now).
Reagan's policies, of course, led to the then-biggest crisis since the Great Depression, the economic collapse of 1987. Funny how no one seems to remember that. But then, we look at the Clinton years--and the balanced budgets of his 4 (I think; I'm too lazy to look it up again right now) final years. So then Obama inherits the Great Depression and all the deficit-expanding decisions of the Bush Administration, and people are again arguing that our tax dollars cannot support the sick, the young, the elderly, and the unemployed? I'm sorry to be crude, but where the fuck is the logic in that?
Sure, everyone--including the elderly--understands that social security can't continue at the current way it is designed; change will have to come, or we all have to agree to die younger. But that is a situation we can plan for, something most of us have some control over, if we fall (blessedly) into the middle class or above. How can anyone, however, justify taking tax dollars away from children, from their health or educational care? How can you talk about leaving people to watch their own children or parents die of treatable diseases because they are earning just enough not to qualify for healthcare?
Reagan's policies, of course, led to the then-biggest crisis since the Great Depression, the economic collapse of 1987. Funny how no one seems to remember that. But then, we look at the Clinton years--and the balanced budgets of his 4 (I think; I'm too lazy to look it up again right now) final years. So then Obama inherits the Great Depression and all the deficit-expanding decisions of the Bush Administration, and people are again arguing that our tax dollars cannot support the sick, the young, the elderly, and the unemployed? I'm sorry to be crude, but where the fuck is the logic in that?
Sure, everyone--including the elderly--understands that social security can't continue at the current way it is designed; change will have to come, or we all have to agree to die younger. But that is a situation we can plan for, something most of us have some control over, if we fall (blessedly) into the middle class or above. How can anyone, however, justify taking tax dollars away from children, from their health or educational care? How can you talk about leaving people to watch their own children or parents die of treatable diseases because they are earning just enough not to qualify for healthcare?
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