American Retired Seniors

The ‘Greatest Generation’ is being duped by main street media and the health insurance industry in opposing health care reform.  These are the same people who enjoyed the benefits of Democrat President Roosevelt implementing Social Security and Democrat President Johnson implementing Medicare.  Now they buy into the fear-mongering of Republicans and health insurance companies to deny other Seniors and hardworking, taxpaying Americans the benefit of life saving health insurance reform.

In many of the mob-like town hall meetings, several Seniors and Boomers demonstrate for television, their rage as they buy into Republicans sponsored lies about ‘death panels’ and ‘euthanasia’ as they either ignore the truth, do not read the facts on proposed legislation or simply are weak-willed and buy into the GOP campaign of fear.  Remember the idiot who said “keep our government hands off his Medicare!”Health care reform means putting middle class Americans before health insurance companies, lowering health care costs and prevents discrimination against people with pre-existing health conditions.

What Seniors and Boomers have failed to see is that the GOP has in decades past and continues to this day, is to eliminate Medicare.  Republicans have in masse voted against Social Security and Medicare and their march continues today. Dick Armey speaking for Republicans says “Medicare is tyranny!” 

As Democrats have been the champion of the rights social justice for Seniors and Boomers for decades, I am disappointed many of these same people appear to be turning their backs on the next generation, believing the fear-mongering of the health care industry and Republicans.  I know change can be difficult and sometimes scary; however Social Security and Medicare were huge changes which resulted in the security of millions of older Americans.

The ‘greatest generation’ many who fought in the ‘big war’, helped establish the middle class in this country and for a generation have enjoyed the benefits of brave American Democrat Presidents, now appear to be weak, easily manipulated and are selling out Americans who have loved and supported them.

Is this an intergenerational issue?  Have Seniors and Boomers ‘gotten theirs’ and now want to ensure the 47 million uninsured Americans do not?  Have they become so jaded they ignore 1.5 million Americans, most with health insurance, who file bankruptcy every year or that 15,238 Americans lose their health insurance every day?

Personally, I don’t get it.  Health care reform will not establish ‘death panels’, it would pay for OPTIONAL end-of-life consultations in preparing living wills, DNRs, etc.

Health care reform will make Medicare more efficient and cut out the waste so more money is available to make Medicare funding more stable and to help those Seniors and Boomers who are having a difficult financial time in their latter years.

President Obama is attempting to pay for health care reform; unlike George W Bush who did pass the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan mostly covering 8 or 9 months per year, yet Bush allowed the pharmaceutical industry to write the bill so they would ensure more profit and he did not pay for the plan, choosing instead to pass the $1.2 trillion dollar tab on to the next generation to fund; just as Republicans did on funding the Iraq war passing on the more than $3 trillion dollar expense into America’s deficit.

I would like to know what Republicans have done to better the lives of America’s Seniors and Boomers?

They continue to fight against Medicare, they refused to regulate nursing home care, they do not want millions of Americans to have health insurance, they only give the greatest tax cuts to 1% of Americas’ wealthiest, they do not want to regulate Wall Street, and they voted against increasing the nation’s minimum wage yet Republicans support CEOs’ multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses.  Can you imagine if Republicans had put your Social Security into the stock market? Thankfully Democrats chose to fight against gambling with this stalwart plan which is the backbone of financial security for Seniors.

As a Vietnam vet, the efforts of the GOP are not the American freedoms I fought for.

Do Seniors and Boomers believe Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other leaders of the Republican Party will stand up for them; history tells us this is not true.

I realize this may be an unpopular view, but in my opinion, it is ridiculous for any American, except those who stand to gain financially, to stand against health care reform, especially given the exceptional record Democrats have in supporting those social policies that have given American Seniors and Boomers the financial and medical security they enjoy today.

Will there be any form of backlash against Seniors and Boomers if health care reform does not pass for the current generation of Americans?  Time will tell as their strongest supporters may turn their backs on what is known as ‘the greatest generation.”  Sometimes Americans must put principle and people over politics, just as President Roosevelt and President Johnson demonstrated.

Filed under: Medicare and Health Insurance