Will the AARP bring down the USA like the Unions did to GM?

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Shivetya

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Now for the reality check:
AARP isn't even in the top 5 when it comes to special interests that will keep this future trainwreck on its way to disaster:
1) politicians
2) insurance companies
3) hospitals (for-profit)
4) drug companies
5) other industries that feed directly from the healthcare/SS trough (long-term care facilities)

I disagree, AARP is very high as it constitutes a large number of voters. The others only comprise money. The politicians will buy votes from AARP members using money from your "top 5"



Too many of the OLD feel entitled to the money of the current generation and playing class warfare works to this end.

entitiled? you my friend are so out of touch its pathetic.

 

[nageov3t]

the nice thing about the AARP is that they're old and senile... they didn't even know how to vote correctly in Florida in '00.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: loki8481
the nice thing about the AARP is that they're old and senile... they didn't even know how to vote correctly in Florida in '00.

Unfortunately, neither did Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris or the Supreme Court. :shocked:

 

[JEDI]

with GM saying that wont survive the year (2008) w/o a bailout, i think this is a good time to bump.

New opinions about old people bringing down the USA? Or will Dashel (new proposed HHS head) say no to the most costly of medical. (ie: last 6 months of an old person's life)

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: JEDI
with GM saying that wont survive the year (2008) w/o a bailout, i think this is a good time to bump.

New opinions about old people bringing down the USA? Or will Dashel (new proposed HHS head) say no to the most costly of medical. (ie: last 6 months of an old person's life)

How old are you?

 

[Squisher]

Since the old people have failed I say let them die!!!

Maybe, we can bring in a new breed of foreign old person that is better at aging.

 

[Rainsford]

Blaming the unions for GM's downfall is a red herring...so the entire question of this thread is trying to compare the AARP to an imaginary situation.

 

[Jhhnn]

SS is the biggest cashcow ever for the federal govt. ~$180B of the SS surplus was provided to the general fund last year alone.

And it's not SS that will sink the govt, but rather all of the other higher-priority debt run up by previous admins, mostly when repubs were in charge. If the SS trust were the only govt debt, we'd cope with it easily.

But it's not, of course- Under the leadership of the GWB team, total federal debt will likely double in 8 years, from ~$6T to ~$12T, mostly to fluff up the military and provide taxcuts to people who didn't need 'em and who used them mostly to accelerate offshoring of american jobs...

It's a form of class warfare that amounts to looting...

 

[boomerang]

Edit: I was just talking to an acquaintance that is a nurse at a local hospital. She explained to me how very serious this problem is. She explained in some detail just how much of Medicare's dollars go to support people when their families would never consider spending their own monies for herculean efforts at the end of a person's life. I want to apologize for a post that I now consider to be an over-reaction on my part. I will leave it up in it's entirety below. JEDI, you have a PM.

I just don't remember having the degree of pure selfishness the younger generation appears to have today. Maybe I did, but I just grew out of it. It's totally amazing to me and sometimes makes me angry. How could a generation have been raised to feel that the people that taught them and raised them are somehow not entitled to what they were promised?

I've been paying taxes for 40 years and continue to pay them today. Now I have to be concerned about this arrogant, spoiled and selfish generation playing God and determining when the last 6 months of my life begins? What age is it JEDI? When do those last 6 months begin?

Old guys like me know his name is spelled 'Daschle'.

This me, me, me generation needs to be taken out behind the woodshed.

 

[chess9]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
<blockquote>quote:
Originally posted by: piasabird
You cant blame social security problems on Bush. He is not the one that started stealing all the money. That has been going on for years. Bush wanted to reform Social Security, but the Morons in the House and the Senate are not interested. You cant fix stupid. Blame him for the war but not SS or Medicare. He did not start those programs, he only inherited the mess.

GM's problems are all due to mis-management.</blockquote>

Um, did Bush sign budget bills from 2001 - 2007? If the answer is Yes, then he's part of the problem. Here's an easy 'reform' Bush could have instituted when his party had control of the Congress . . . don't spend the surplus.

As for Medicare, you need to read up on what the MMA of 2003 has done to the long-range forecast for Medicare. Bush/GOP have done the equivalent of running the Titanic into a 2nd iceberg.

Overall, Bush fiscal policies have made the situation worse in both SS and Medicare. He doesn't get credit for starting the problems but only the ignorant deny his complicity.

The AARP pushed the MMA because they got a big chunk from Humana for co-sponsoring the plans. Basicly, the AARP sold out seniors so Humana and the other insurors could coup an average $800 a month per medicare patient. This is something Obama has promised to axe during his first term. I have Humana, but think it's a goldmine for the insurors, especially for people like me who never get sick, or haven't yet.

By the way, I cancelled my AARP membership when they supported the bill.

Regarding health care for seniors, it should be part and parcel of a national health care service. It's time to remove the insurors and save billions of dollars each year. Our health care is many times more expensive as a result than the averages for all other industrialized nations, yet we rank something like 17th in QUALITY of healthcare worldwide. Our system is expensive and modestly effective. We can do better.

The OP is clueless, btw.

-Robert

 

[Ozoned]

Originally posted by: JEDI




The 2 obvious solutions is to curb payments and/or raise the elibility age. The AARP is fighting to prevent this.

How about a means test? It is a social tax to fund a social program, not an entitlement.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: boomerang
I just don't remember having the degree of pure selfishness the younger generation appears to have today. Maybe I did, but I just grew out of it. It's totally amazing to me and sometimes makes me angry. How could a generation have been raised to feel that the people that taught them and raised them are somehow not entitled to what they were promised?

I've been paying taxes for 40 years and continue to pay them today. Now I have to be concerned about this arrogant, spoiled and selfish generation playing God and determining when the last 6 months of my life begins? What age is it JEDI? When do those last 6 months begin?

Old guys like me know his name is spelled 'Daschle'.

This me, me, me generation needs to be taken out behind the woodshed.

To be fair, I think the problem originated with the baby boomer generation. If ever there was a generation of "entitlement", it was those folks...and they sure as hell passed on the ideas of non-responsibility to their kids. My parents, members of that generation, freely admit as much...and while I think my generation leaves a lot to be desired, I think the boomers started it.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: boomerang
I just don't remember having the degree of pure selfishness the younger generation appears to have today. Maybe I did, but I just grew out of it. It's totally amazing to me and sometimes makes me angry. How could a generation have been raised to feel that the people that taught them and raised them are somehow not entitled to what they were promised?

I've been paying taxes for 40 years and continue to pay them today. Now I have to be concerned about this arrogant, spoiled and selfish generation playing God and determining when the last 6 months of my life begins? What age is it JEDI? When do those last 6 months begin?

Old guys like me know his name is spelled 'Daschle'.

This me, me, me generation needs to be taken out behind the woodshed.

To be fair, I think the problem originated with the baby boomer generation. If ever there was a generation of "entitlement", it was those folks...and they sure as hell passed on the ideas of non-responsibility to their kids. My parents, members of that generation, freely admit as much...and while I think my generation leaves a lot to be desired, I think the boomers started it.

They've certainly done the best job of not taking care of themselves, haven't they? Overweight, overspending, overimpulsive, a lot of them just quite pitiful, in fact.

Anyway, Boomerang may be right about losing selfishness with time. I suppose I can see that in myself, or maybe I just want to (being less-so), but teens and young adults often do think they have it all figured out. And if they've lacked much friction in their lives it can be difficult to empathize with those who've had different circumstances.

 

[BarneyFife]

Health Care will be nationalized. That is the only way the US can compete on a global scale.

 

[AlienCraft]

You are aware that AARP is a Public Relations creation of The Insurance Industry, aren't you? And that MOST of what it endorses, lines companies like AIG's pockets at every chance.

 

[senseamp]

Big 3 going bankrupt and financial meltdown are exactly the reasons why we need social security. Private pensions and retirement investments just can't be trusted enough.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Since the old people have failed I say let them die!!!

Maybe, we can bring in a new breed of foreign old person that is better at aging.

It's not them who have failed, they were able to support the generation before them without breaking a sweat and without nearly a whimper.

 

[BoberFett]

Holy bump!

 

[IronWing]

The title is misleading. Unions didn't bring down GM; poor management and shortsighted investors did that.

 

[Modelworks]

I have parents that are both members of AARP and are retired.
They both receive social security and medicare.
The problem isn't AARP, without them many health care companies would be fleecing the retired even worse than they do. Most elderly people do not know how to fight the companies that over charge. When I look at my dads statements from healthcare companies it is INSANE. He is charged $330 for a iv solution of water and salt ? $590 for a doctor visit that comprised of a nurse taking his blood pressure and a talk with the doctor for 10 minutes. Then the prescription cost. $6 for one pill and he has to take 60 of them a month = $360

That is the problem with health care. Someone needs to audit the books.

 

[ranmaniac]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: boomerang
I just don't remember having the degree of pure selfishness the younger generation appears to have today. Maybe I did, but I just grew out of it. It's totally amazing to me and sometimes makes me angry. How could a generation have been raised to feel that the people that taught them and raised them are somehow not entitled to what they were promised?

I've been paying taxes for 40 years and continue to pay them today. Now I have to be concerned about this arrogant, spoiled and selfish generation playing God and determining when the last 6 months of my life begins? What age is it JEDI? When do those last 6 months begin?

Old guys like me know his name is spelled 'Daschle'.

This me, me, me generation needs to be taken out behind the woodshed.

To be fair, I think the problem originated with the baby boomer generation. If ever there was a generation of "entitlement", it was those folks...and they sure as hell passed on the ideas of non-responsibility to their kids. My parents, members of that generation, freely admit as much...and while I think my generation leaves a lot to be desired, I think the boomers started it.

Yep, the same generation that is against spanking their kids, but is ok with getting them hooked on Ritalin and Prozac. Simplistic perhaps, but it's the Dr. Phil and Oprah-ization of America, turning our kids into bloated, neurotic, whiners.

 

[BoomerD]

To the AARP's great disgrace, they supported Bush's Prescription fiasco...

THAT was just a huge give-away to his supporters in the pharmaceutical industry...and did NOTHING to help retirees.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: ironwing
The title is misleading. Unions didn't bring down GM; poor management and shortsighted investors did that.

Union strike power = effective control of management.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I have parents that are both members of AARP and are retired.
They both receive social security and medicare.
The problem isn't AARP, without them many health care companies would be fleecing the retired even worse than they do. Most elderly people do not know how to fight the companies that over charge. When I look at my dads statements from healthcare companies it is INSANE. He is charged $330 for a iv solution of water and salt ? $590 for a doctor visit that comprised of a nurse taking his blood pressure and a talk with the doctor for 10 minutes. Then the prescription cost. $6 for one pill and he has to take 60 of them a month = $360

That is the problem with health care. Someone needs to audit the books.

Sounds like greedy doctors are the problem. Why don't you start blaming the greedy American Medical Association and their monopoly over medicine instead of insurance companies who's goal is to lower costs and spread the risk?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I have parents that are both members of AARP and are retired.
They both receive social security and medicare.
The problem isn't AARP, without them many health care companies would be fleecing the retired even worse than they do. Most elderly people do not know how to fight the companies that over charge. When I look at my dads statements from healthcare companies it is INSANE. He is charged $330 for a iv solution of water and salt ? $590 for a doctor visit that comprised of a nurse taking his blood pressure and a talk with the doctor for 10 minutes. Then the prescription cost. $6 for one pill and he has to take 60 of them a month = $360

That is the problem with health care. Someone needs to audit the books.

Sounds like greedy doctors are the problem. Why don't you start blaming the greedy American Medical Association and their monopoly over medicine instead of insurance companies who's goal is to lower costs and spread the risk?

I am blaming the doctors, hospitals & the AMA .