The Red Ranger: Just another sign that the Obama economy is a disaster.
How can household income be going down since the recession was over? Shouldn’t income go up in a recovery? If not what is the definition of a recovery?
I do not solely blame Obama for this but he is a big contributing factor. Look what Obamacare is doing to jobs in this country. 75% of new jobs are part-time. Companies are cutting back people’s hours so that they do not fall under Obamacare. Now companies are starting to cut out spousal medical benefits if they can get them elsewhere. I honestly believe that the vast upheaval in the medical insurance arena is exactly what Obama and the Dems want. They want it all to fall apart so badly that a government run and controlled healthcare system looks better and better to the masses.
We are on the long inexorable match toward a fully socialist society.
Nattering Naybob: There are many factors at play here, and I am gratified that you are not blaming Obama solely. One factor that you fail to mention is income inequality. Corporate profits and the salaries and pay packages for corporate CEOs are at an all-time high. And this article from the New York Times (a little lengthy but well worth the time investment) lays out a frightening situation of how poorly these United States stacks up in a host of human metrics. And I do not think any one person as President can make a difference until we find a way to bridge the partisan divide. I think that is the single key issue in all of this that has to be overcome.
Regarding your claim that “Obama and the Dems” want the medical insurance industry to fall apart… I think that is not an accurate characterization. Conversely I believe that a Socialist form of healthcare for people whose circumstances prevent them from otherwise getting access–without disrupting the extant health care coverage and apparatus for people with them means to purchase more comprehensive coverage–is not a bad thing. I think Obama’s biggest mistake in the run-up to his healthcare legislation was not including a simple “Medicare for all” provision, which some have referred to as the “public option”. But Obama thought that excluding this option would signal a willingness to compromise with the Republicans, which would then reap benefits later. But Obama failed to realize that Republicans in Congress now, are generally not sane people.
The Red Ranger: I believe that this income inequality has accelerated under Obama and he has done nothing to reverse the trend. While CEO’s are an easy target given their sometimes outlandish pay packages I do not think that this is really the root cause of the issue just due to the mere fact that there are so few of them.
In regard to healthcare, I too believe that there should be a fallback for those who cannot help themselves. But again, like in so many other discussions I have a hard time when those you won’t help themselves or make bad decisions piggyback with those who cannot help themselves.
Natterng Naybob: Unfortunately I think that it has to be considered “the cost of doing business” if any type of assistance or relief program, counts among its rolls those who are truly undeserving whether it be the result of fraud or recklessness. I am all for the vigilant weeding out of these miscreants. But I am opposed to punishing those who are truly needy and have had some honest misfortune in their lives from getting help, because of the (what I regard to be) statistically low instances of the fraud or undeservedness of others.
Second Grade Minds 