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are two of the major reasons that our deficit is increasing. However, because of the lack of revenues due to the tax breaks for the wealthy and our huge unemployment numbers, we have nothing to offset these ridiculously overpriced expenditures. Leaving aside the lack of revenue (which is critical), why are these two expenditures so expensive and growing in costs daily?
Health care prices are rising at unprecedented rates. Because of this, Medicare and Medicaid ARE causing huge budget deficits. We have no controls on the prices (profits) that insurance companies are allowed to charge their customers (victims). This lack of regulation drives the cost of health care through the roof, along with insurance company profits and CEO bonuses. The health care givers (Dr.'s nurses, etc). are not receiving this extra money, in fact, many are earning less.
President Obama, just like all of our Presidents before him, agreed not to negotiate the price of medicines from drug manufacturers. Most countries do negotiate the prices. That is why Americans can purchase the same, often U.S. made, drugs cheaper in foreign countries. To keep the monopolized U.S. drug companies enjoying huge profits, America has outlawed purchasing drugs from other countries, even those re-imported. If America negotiated drug prices and took the profit motive out of health care by implementing universal health care and/or (like every other country) not allowing for-profit health insurance, the prices would drop dramatically and all Americans would have health care. Providing for the general welfare of Americans is in the constitution. Health care is a basic human right. this is recognized by most other countries. All of the first world nations recognize this except America.
As for the "Defense" industry, America's unwarranted demand for weapons (due to the unnecessary wars) drives those costs up while obscenely increasing profits for the private weapon makers. America spends more money on weapons than the combined purchase of every country in the world.
While "our" government mandates these insane policies (against the will of the people), the gap between the haves and have nots increases accordingly. yet we have stopped taxing the wealthy. They pay a smaller amount of their "earnings" than the average or poor citizens. America used to tax the wealthy at a 98% tax rate over a certain amount of earnings each year.
How can any sane individual question why our debt is growing or why our revenues are shrinking? This is obviously a government for and by the wealthy. Take it away OWS.
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