if you oppose socialized medicine, sign now to pledge never to use medicare - an interesting perspective.

[cyndromeda]

Okay, here is the deal. If you are attempting to stop healthcare reform for fear of SOCIALISM then I would like you to sign the petition I created to pledge your support to refuse to use the Medicare you already have or to promise to never sign up for it. That's right, Medicare is a government run insurance administered by private insurance (unfortunately) to private doctors and hospitals much like the evil public option in the healthcare bill will be. Not everyone seems to know this as, Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.) told The Washington Post that, at a recent town-hall meeting, a man stood up and told him to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.”

I was once told by a family member who was complaining about his Medicare coverage that he had to sign up for Medicare and couldn't choose private insurance. Not being 65 yet, I took his word on it. I have since done some research and learned (that's right when you are told a fact you can actually take the time to ascertain its correctness) he was wrong. Medicare is entirely voluntary, although you will face a late fee if you sign up for part B or D after you are initially eligible. But since you are opposed to socialized medicine I am sure that you will never ever sign up.

Did you know that most of our medical research is also "publicly funded" i.e. socialized through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? Much of our basic drug research is funded by….the GOVERNMENT! I guess you will also have to swear off using any drugs or receiving any service funded by the NIH, after all you would hate to use SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. If you have employer based insurance you pay your premium pretax which is obviously a form of government subsidization or SOCIALISM. I guess you should also demand the government stop subsidizing employer based health care via tax breaks. (For those not following…imagine if you didn't get the tax break and then when you went to the doctor the government covered portions of your doctor visit up to the amount that would not have been collected by taxes i.e. they are pay for your healthcare). This comes to almost 200 billion a year in government subsidies.
read more @
http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/stop-socialized-medicine-...


this is pretty lengthy, but worth reading. an appeal to intellect, i suppose.

[Daniel Blattenbauer]

I would sure like to know where all those fear mongers are that have been screaming "Socialist" for weeks now. I see them making lots of remarks in other groups but not here for some reason. They want their cake and eat it too if you know what I mean.

[Mark F Lamb]

I guess the consensus is if you do not believe in NHC and are eligible for Medicare you should give it up. Even though you paid for it all your life and without choice. What I believe in is we should help our fellow person when we can but not via the government which takes your dollar and converts it into a dimes worth of help. What government program do any of us know of that actually benefits only those it should benefit without lining the pockets of politicians and runs effectively so as not to give aid to those not requiring the benefit?

My wife has paid into Social Security a good portion of her life. Bit the last nine years of her working life she paid into another plan. All the years and money she paid into Social Security and she is entitled to zilch. Why doesn't the government feel she is entitled to any return on her investment?

I hear a lot of talk about SS, Medicaid and Medicare going broke. That confuses me. Our population continues to grow yet everything is blamed upon the baby-boomers retiring. Aren't there more people now working even with the baby-boomers retiring? And if my wife can be refused SS for lacking three credits(whatever that is) isn't it likely that there are a lot more being refused? Neither of us has Medicaid. I think that is NHC for the poor and we aren't eligible even though we paid into that as well. I am not being a smart-ass or anything else other than being dumb and ignorant but I really do not understand how it is we can pay into a system all of our lives and not expect to be helped. What is the government doing with all this money? It seems to me we already have NHC but aren't allowed to use it. Will the government not only promise that we will have NHC but be able to use it or will there be some kind of Sliding Fee Scale which will prevent us from using it if we earn a living and only the poor and nonworking be able to make use of the services?

Please do not hate me. Educate me that I may understand. Give me solutions and answers that will insure me that more government is the only way America will be a great nation again. I still think America is a great place to live and not the evil degenerate power bent on destroying the world. Show me where I am wrong in thinking this and tell me how we are going to change and make this a better world.

[Daniel Blattenbauer]

Mark, I was suggesting that people who cry "Socialism" all the time should be allowed to draw only what they paid into these programs, not more. There is where the "Socialism" kicks in.

[Whiny Old Bastard]

Do I get interest on what I've paid in for 40 years?

[Daniel Blattenbauer]

The ironic thing about this incident is that the taxpayers were hit with the expense of lowering the walls in the airports there afterward! Darn hypocritic Republicans!

[Whiny Old Bastard]

I'll sign, just give me back all the money that I've paid in with interest, for the last forty years.

[Jillybean]

Ahhh, beautiful! You should be writing Obama's speeches!