Sunday, November 11, 2012

I don't get it!

I don't get the Republican hatred for Obama, and all the end of the world stuff. I mean, the world was ending way before Obama, and Romney couldn't have stopped it. For some reason, Obama has just become a symbol.

Obama didn't start Medicare or Medicaid or Social Security. He didn't start CHIP. He didn't start food stamps or welfare. He didn't put us into two wars and cut taxes at the same time. He didn't introduce a new Medicare drug benefit without funding it. OK, so he shoved Obamacare down the Republican congress's throat- but it was based upon Republican ideas.

All of these trends- growing dependence upon the government, spending more than we have, out of control deficits- they were decided long before Obama took office. Perhaps it was all settled when we started Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security. What looked quite doable at the time- with changes in demographics and health care costs is now bankrupting the country.

The Republicans argue that we now have more people on government programs than ever before. Well, between an aging population and a recession with a jobless recovery, that is not surprising.

But cutting taxes would not have fixed the budget deficit- it would make it worse. If I thought that Romney could have fixed the budget deficit, I would have voted for him, despite all the things I disagree with him on. Plus, I think that Romney would be more likely to get us into additional military conflicts- again, not paid for- and which would have no good outcome.

I wish there were truth in political advertising. "Candidate A has been a disaster, but Candidate B will be more of a disaster!"

Our country is going bankrupt. I don't think it is fixable. Perhaps if Ron Paul had been elected, but it was probably too late even then. We will probably wind up inflating our way out of our debt at some point. This, of course, will make all the money I have saved for retirement worthless. But if our country is going to go bankrupt, I rather go bankrupt paying for head start and healthcare than more tax cuts.


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