Obama: Entitlements ‘Do Not Make Us A Nation Of Takers’

TPM ^ | 21 Jan 13 | Pema Levy

[SkyPilot]

President Obama defended the idea of entitlements like Medicare and Social Security in his second inaugural address Monday, arguing that these programs strengthen the nation and free Americans to "take the risks that make this country great."

"We reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future," Obama said. "For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn."

He continued: "We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great."

[RFEngineer]

“....deserves to take back whatever they can. “

At least you are using the right word: “Take”. Honesty often leads to irony.

[Last of the Mohicans]

Yes, it is all about ME paying into Soc Sec for 25 years now, many of those years with six figure income, and getting jack squat when I retire in another 25 years. So, yeah, I’m grumpy.

[Lancey Howard]

I thought “steal” back might sound a little harsh, but that’s fine, too.
“Take”, “steal” - - whatever - - as much as possible....
....before the Democrat parasites gobble it all up.

[Lancey Howard]

I think of current Soc Sec recipients as being of the same ilk as welfare recipients

I think you sound like an imbecile.

[Last of the Mohicans]

You must bone of the folks I was speaking of, correct? Hard to give up the entitlement check, isn’t it?

[Lancey Howard]

Hard to give up the entitlement check, isn’t it?

Hey, those checks help with boat payments, greens fees, and casino trips.

[Revolting cat!]

It must be so hard to the little brains of some to distinguish between the welfare payments in return for nothing, and the social security payments in return for a lifetime of confiscatory taxes that we had no power to stop or lower, and would prefer to have invested the money in bank deposit certificates at the very least. I suppose the 401K payments are to these little brains “entitlements” as well.

[Last of the Mohicans]

Oh, well maybe I am the imbecile! ;-)

[RFEngineer]

“....before the Democrat parasites gobble it all up.”

but “it” represents the labor, blood, sweat, and tears of someone who truly did something.

That’s what I can’t get over - how people can gloss over that in this whole debate. It’s tragic.

Whenever liberals and so-called conservatives agree on something, like these sorts of entitlement programs, we’re surely screwed.

[Lancey Howard]

Whenever liberals and so-called conservatives agree on something, like these sorts of entitlement programs, we’re surely screwed.

There's no agreement at all.

I never signed up for SS but was forced to support the Ponzi scheme for over 40 years. Now it's my turn to "recover" at least some of the money I was forced to dump down the government toilet. Nothing "liberal" about that.

The Democrats (communists, liberals, whatever), on the other hand, believe that the worthless welfare/food stamp crowd and their litters, who never contributed anything to anybody, are "entitled" to the fruits of other people's labor... "free stuff", confiscated from productive citizens and handed over in exchange for votes. Nothing conservative about that.

I guess part of the problem is the bastardization of the word "entitled". If I support an insurance program like SS my whole working life, then yeah, I am entitled (literally speaking) to reap the rewards. On the other hand the Democrat welfare crowd is entitled (literally speaking) to nothing. The government definition of "entitled" is something else entirely.

[RFEngineer]

“Now it’s my turn to “recover” at least some of the money I was forced to dump down the government toilet. Nothing “liberal” about that.”

No. Just because taxes were unfairly and unjustly extracted from you in the past does not make it moral for you to do the same to others.

You’re going to take the money. Just have the decency to be honest about where it comes from, that’s all.

[Lancey Howard]

You’re going to take the money. Just have the decency to be honest about where it comes from, that’s all.

Have the decency to admit that money is fungible. Look that word up if you have to (and you probably do).
My money in, my money out.

[Shadowstrike]

I’m assuming that you’re talking about yourself little troll, but then what could I expect from someone from Colorado.

[RFEngineer]

“My money in, my money out.”

In a socialist fantasy land this may be true. In fact, we might even preserve SS and Medicare for a few more years if all you were allowed to take out is what you put in.

No, you’ll be taking a lot more money out than you ever put in.

Just have the decency to admit that you just want to get paid and have no care in the world for those who are forced to pay you.

[Shadowstrike]

why not?

You presumed to tell me what I meant.

[Lancey Howard]

I won’t recover nearly what I put in when you factor in even a conservative compound interest, let alone prudent investment strategies. Have the decency to admit you’re a big mouth who worries more about productive, taxpaying American families recovering some of the money confiscated from them by government their whole lives than you do about your Democrat/welfare/food stamp/illegal alien parasites getting handouts their whole lives, handouts paid for by those same productive, taxpaying American families.

Get back to me after you clean up that mess, Bunky.

[Last of the Mohicans]

I seem have to struck a nerve. How much does the government pay you off every month?

[RFEngineer]

“I won’t recover nearly what I put in when you factor in even a conservative compound interest, let alone prudent investment strategies.”

There is no limit to the appetite people like you (socialists to the core) have for someone elses money who actually earned it.

You fail to understand the obvious: Your money was taxed and spent, not invested on your behalf. I know, honesty and facts don’t mesh with your reality while you are expecting free money from the government.

[Lancey Howard]

Just shut up and keep working hard and paying your taxes.
Those SS checks help me with my boat payments and greens fees.

[SkyPilot]

Hello cat.

Actually, I will tell you that I believe there is a distinction between "earned" entitlements and blatant "unearned" entitlements.

Let's start with the the most unjust and worst offenders. Social Security Disability is funded by the same pot of money that funds the Social Security General fund.

FOX News ran this story yesterday. The SS fund will may have to decrease payments to everyone in a very short because there are so many people on "disability" and because this country has less workers paying the payroll taxes.

Social Security's disability trust fund could fail to cover all benefits early as 2016

5.4 Million people went on "disability" under Obama, and that number increases by thousands every day. When their unemployment ran out after 99 weeks, they hired a slime ball lawyer and robbed you and me.

As President Lincoln once famously said regarding jobs in cabinet vs. number of people who wanted a high ranking position: "There's too many pigs for the tits." That is our entitlement problem.

Want to be outraged more? A very popular scam among immigrant families is well known among the population. If you are the son or daughter of illegals, and you were born here, you get US citizenship. You then are an "anchor" baby and you serve to keep your illegal parents (and uncles, aunts, etc) here in the US. When they get old, they "want" the same SS you are getting. But they didn't pay those payroll taxes. How to get the $? Easy. They go on SSDI. I am not joking.

Next, let's move on to the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is nothing but a scam that Clinton pulled to "give" away huge tax refunds to "low income" Democrat voters who pay no Federal income taxes.

It has been expanded (again) and now will reward up to $5 grand to these cheaters.

Cash.

Next, let's talk about all forms of welfare (Food Stamps, Section 8, TANF, unemployment, and all the rest). There are over 80 giveaway programs that give away money hand over fist. I think we all agree this is an outrage.

Let's move on to another program that people think they are entitled to. Medicare.

Medicare is about to explode in such massive deficits that I predict it will cease to exist in its present form within just a few years. I believe everyone will be herded into the ObamaCare cages, except the elite. The scary thing about ObamaCare is that the law actually controls healthcare access by race. It is IN the law, and there are "Minority Health" boards that control access. Most low information Americans have no idea this is coming.

128. Centers for Disease Control Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272) 129. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272) 130. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272) 131. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272) 132. Food and Drug Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272) 133. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

What all of this means is that we are going to become ancient Rome very, very fast. Much faster than when people realize.

Honestly, I think it all may collapse during Obama's second term. I never used to think that, but I am convinced it may actually occur.

Is there a difference between "earned" and "unearned" entitlements? Yes. I believe there is. Social Security is not Food Stamps, and Food Stamps are not Social Security. I get that. I think most people do as well. The military earned their small pensions (compare them to State pensions and you will get my point).

But groups like AARP and most seniors go ballistic when any form of entitlement reform is brought up.

Listen, we have to reform them all. We start with the "unearned" and we apply reforms to the "earned." If we don't, ALL of these programs will collapse. We are on a knifes edge economically. We may be one crisis away from the tipping point.