GOP Hopes Elections Will Stall Healthcare

Somebody has to pay for it

>>> We have a previous poster here (ttnewton, below) who claims he gets no benefit

>>> from government military protection, police protection, courts of law, prisons,

>>> fire departments, schools, roads, public landfills, Medicare, Social Security,

>>> regulated utilities, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, or any other social thing

>>> provided or controlled by government.

One important component which defines a socialist program is that one "class" of citizen is defined who is forced to pay for the program, and a different "class" of citizen is defined who is allowed to enjoy the benefits of the program. I don't consider public roads, police protection, national defense, or many other government programs socialist because they do not meet that simple criteria of socialism. To the extent there are benefits to non-socialist government programs, all taxpayers enjoy the generally comparable OPPORTUNITY to utilize and benefit from them.

But taking something we both support - public roads - for example, how would you feel if you were prohibited from driving upon them based upon your economic "class"? To make it particularly distasteful for you, imagine that you could watch people in my economic "class" drive to work down the roads you helped pay for, while you commuted by walking, or maybe flying if you could afford it, so long as you stayed off the "public" roads. Furthermore, to really make it hit home, what if you had paid 50x the taxes that went toward building those roads, than us allowed to drive upon them. Then to top it off, what if we called you arrogant scum as we drove by, because you resented our entitlements. If you will walk a mile in those moccasins, you may begin to understand why socialist programs are an affront to anyone who pays taxes, let alone to anyone who pays far more than their fair share.

I believe all taxpayers of our Country should be afforded "equal OPPORTUNITY" to enjoy the benefits of those collected taxes. So I am fundamentally against special entitlements that legally restrict tax-funded opportunities to only citizens of a particular economic class, race, or gender.

>>> You can believe that whatever taxes you pay are going to support the things you

>>> like in government. ... Or, you can believe your money is going to whatever

>>> government efforts are helpful to the business you're in or helpful to the

>>> customers who support it. ...

I'm not a member of the party that thinks what people are led to believe actually changes reality.

>>> You can load your gun and sit up nights if you want to--waiting to defend against

>>> whomever you think is coming to rob you for health care. I doubt you'll find

>>> anyone to shoot. It sure won't be me.

In fact, when socialist laws are enacted, they will be enforced by the armed law enforcement I pay for more than you - and believe in. (How ironic.) Describing this unjust confiscation as armed robbery by socialists such as yourself is a figure of speech.

Tell you what, ttnewton

You can believe that whatever taxes you pay are going to support the things you like in government. There are lots of choices. For instance, you can earmark your part all for defense and wars if you like. Those efforts need plenty of money to pay for the unfunded efforts of the past 8 years plus whatever we'll need in the future. Or, you can believe your money is going to whatever government efforts are helpful to the business you're in or helpful to the customers who support it. There is public education that needs lots of money, if you believe in that. There are roads and bridges, if you use and like those.

I will choose to believe, as well, that my taxes go to support things I like and believe in. I will also put my vote in things I like and believe in.

You can load your gun and sit up nights if you want to--waiting to defend against whomever you think is coming to rob you for health care. I doubt you'll find anyone to shoot. It sure won't be me.

It's time the US got into the 21st Century

For crying out loud, there's enough money to go around. It isn't anyone's own money unless they hide it in their mattress, in which case it does them no good. Money needs to be cieculating in the system for it to be useful. Every other developed nation has socialized medicare, it's about time the US caught up with the rest of the world. Funny I never hear conservative types complaining about "socialized" defense spending (which it is: government runs it, everybody pays into it). If Americans who don't agree with the war in Iraq have to pay taxes to support the DoD, then Americans who don't agree with healthcare reform can do likewise and fork over some cash. The cold war ended, stop worrying about the socialists taking over and get off the chicken little express. The sky isn't falling. Besides, if the US can come together over healthcare (like every other developed nation has done) it might just scare the terrorists a bit to see America united.