The fubdamental problem here is that once a government benefit becomes ingrained, it never goes away.
I must be the only one who notices this, but Obama has completely moved the goal posts on this issue. Nearly every promiment Republican in the country has praised and defended Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security during this fight. So, the Republican position is now “All these other government programs are good, but THIS one in particular is bad.”
So, even if Obama gets 10 percent of his bill signed into law, he has galvanized support for other huge government entitlements while getting his nose under the tent into healthcare.
Even if you stop this, where are the future battle lines going to be?
Social Security and Medicare insolvency. It's going to happen. It is mathematically impossible that it doesn't.
What happens then is anyone's guess. Old people ARE NOT going to budge. They want what they want, and they're such a powerful constituency, they're going to get it. So, the money will have to come from somewhere as China is signaling that the shaking of their money tree is soon to come to an end.
We will see MAMMOTH tax increases to cover the difference, putting the top-marginal rate for anyone making $100K somewhere around 50%. That will be the next battle.
Agree with everyone here who thinks that if this is passed, it is game and set for the good old USA. The only thing that would possibly save the match for us in the end, is for a substantial portion of the productive people in this country to refuse to play along, i.e. to decide to sacrifice potentially all personal possession (i.e. our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor), in order to starve this beast. I’m not sure enough are prepared to do that. I am, but I don’t have as much at risk as many others do. The only thing I know is that I will die a free American before I live as a slave pu$$y European.
You are absolutely right.
Even here, people are attacking Obama for "cuts in seniors' benefits" - as if Medicare will exist in ten years.
It's absurd.