Who are the Real Socialists?

[Anonymous]

Calculations by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and other independent fiscal experts show that the $1.1 trillion cost over the next 10 years of the Medicare prescription drug program, which the Republican-controlled Congress adopted in 2003, by itself would add more to the deficit than the combined costs of the bailout, the stimulus and the health care law.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20spend.html?_r=1&hp

When are you going to learn that the only way to get lower drug costs is for the government to negotiate for them? Too many other countries do it successfully to dismiss it. Right now, we are the drug companies' sole remaining sucker. Well, way to go GOP for expanding the Great Society programs without thinking about how to pay for it. But don't expect us to believe you are really for fiscal restraint now.

[Anonymous]

Coming from France, I know there are no real Socialists in this country. Just Right wing (Democrats) and More Right wing (Republicans).

France has wonderful universal low-cost healthcare and offers many family-friendly social benefits such as extended parental leave and inexpensive subsidized childcare but it won't last because the system is too expensive to be sustainable in the long run.

You can't have everything.

[Anonymous]

A few years back, Harpers Magazine had an article about the disparities in education between European countries and the US. One of the main reasons that US children do not fair as well on tests, is that many students arrive at school hungry without proper medical care, whereas in Europe, children have recieved quality childcare, food and quality heathcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from France, I know there are no real Socialists in this country. Just Right wing (Democrats) and More Right wing (Republicans).

France has wonderful universal low-cost healthcare and offers many family-friendly social benefits such as extended parental leave and inexpensive subsidized childcare but it won't last because the system is too expensive to be sustainable in the long run.

You can't have everything.

Didn't I just see rioting on television (like 15 minutes ago) in Paris because France can no longer pay for its generous social welfare state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from France, I know there are no real Socialists in this country. Just Right wing (Democrats) and More Right wing (Republicans).

France has wonderful universal low-cost healthcare and offers many family-friendly social benefits such as extended parental leave and inexpensive subsidized childcare but it won't last because the system is too expensive to be sustainable in the long run.

You can't have everything.

Didn't I just see rioting on television (like 15 minutes ago) in Paris because France can no longer pay for its generous social welfare state?

Yea, in addition the lazy ass populace is rioting because the gov wants to raise retirement from 60 to 62. This is an entitled society for you.

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute. We have to go to 67 in order to retire with full benefits. Their "broken" system can be fixed by changing the age from 60 to 62. And people are mocking them? Sounds to me like we're the fools. They have it pretty good.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Wait a minute. We have to go to 67 in order to retire with full benefits. Their "broken" system can be fixed by changing the age from 60 to 62. And people are mocking them? Sounds to me like we're the fools. They have it pretty good.

Exactly. Moreover, after the election the deficit commission will likely come out with a recommendation to raise our retirement age even higher and/or cut benefits. The lame duck Congress will rubber stamp the proposal. The best this will elicit from the American populace is a giant yawn, and that's only if the news isn't missed completely because a whale is trapped in ice someplace (or someone has been bitten by a shark). But, we will still be chuckling at the French.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait a minute. We have to go to 67 in order to retire with full benefits. Their "broken" system can be fixed by changing the age from 60 to 62. And people are mocking them? Sounds to me like we're the fools. They have it pretty good.

Exactly. Moreover, after the election the deficit commission will likely come out with a recommendation to raise our retirement age even higher and/or cut benefits. The lame duck Congress will rubber stamp the proposal. The best this will elicit from the American populace is a giant yawn, and that's only if the news isn't missed completely because a whale is trapped in ice someplace (or someone has been bitten by a shark). But, we will still be chuckling at the French.

Believe me, I have lived in Paris. You do not want their problems! The social welfare state's finances makes us look like we are swimming in cash.

I wish they would do something, anything, to fix the mess that is heading in our direction, but they will not. The political third rail, social security, will probably not be addressed as it would take testicular fortitude, which is sorely lacking among our political class.

The economies of Europe are rapidly approaching bankruptcy, mostly due to "free" healthcare, and other "free" government gifts. At least Europe has the fortitude to explain to the populace that SOMETHING has to change.

[Anonymous]

How bad can it be if today you can retire with full benefits at 60? That's like seven extra years of government sponsored vacation.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait a minute. We have to go to 67 in order to retire with full benefits. Their "broken" system can be fixed by changing the age from 60 to 62. And people are mocking them? Sounds to me like we're the fools. They have it pretty good.

Exactly. Moreover, after the election the deficit commission will likely come out with a recommendation to raise our retirement age even higher and/or cut benefits. The lame duck Congress will rubber stamp the proposal. The best this will elicit from the American populace is a giant yawn, and that's only if the news isn't missed completely because a whale is trapped in ice someplace (or someone has been bitten by a shark). But, we will still be chuckling at the French.

What's the problem with raising retirement age? People are living longer than ever and working into their golden years, especially as the economy tanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait a minute. We have to go to 67 in order to retire with full benefits. Their "broken" system can be fixed by changing the age from 60 to 62. And people are mocking them? Sounds to me like we're the fools. They have it pretty good.

Exactly. Moreover, after the election the deficit commission will likely come out with a recommendation to raise our retirement age even higher and/or cut benefits. The lame duck Congress will rubber stamp the proposal. The best this will elicit from the American populace is a giant yawn, and that's only if the news isn't missed completely because a whale is trapped in ice someplace (or someone has been bitten by a shark). But, we will still be chuckling at the French.

What's the problem with raising retirement age? People are living longer than ever and working into their golden years, especially as the economy tanks.

A lot of people look at social security as a promise made to them: this is what you pay in, and this is what you get out. To them, a change in the retirement age is a breaking of that promise. The fact that the plan wasn't well designed does not make them feel any more forgiving toward those who created it.

Also, a lot of jobs are hard to do in your golden years. If you are an accountant, fine. But if you do a job that is physically demanding, you might be forced to retire early because your body can't take it anymore. And after 3+ decades in the workforce, you may be past the point where you could get a white collar job. Air traffic controllers have something of a "desk job", but it's so demanding that they have to retire by 56. They have a federal retirement plan to protect them, but a lot of people don't.