If there were no Medicare, there'd be a lot less resistance

[dorkulon]

It's no coincidence that nearly all of the town hall faux-testers appear to be senior citizens. They already got theirs. The Democrats passed Medicare in the face of similar GOP opposition, and in the process hobbled their own efforts to cover the rest of us. The human capacity for selfishness is boundless.

[corpseratemedia]

1. I'm Alright Jack

they got theirs, fuck everyone else...very republican values

[Birthmark]

2. No, it's not a coincidence.

But I expect that the reason for that is the Republican Big Lie that the government will be empowered to pull the plug on them if HCR is passed. They are simply stupid enough or ill-informed enough to believe it.

That and racism probably accounts for almost all of it, imo.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. And if members of congress didn't have such a sweet deal

they might be more open to single-payer.

But their pockets are being lined by medical, pharmaceutical, insurance industry bribes, er, campaign contributions, so single-payer will never have a chance.

:hi:

[izzie]

4. They do seem to be old people

I had govt. care for 40 years and I think my care was better than the people I know who had to buy theirs. Now I am under Medicare and like it. I can not see what the big fight is about. We put this man in so we could have a govt. system. The fight is the people like the Sen. who made a 100 million for him self and his family on health care for people who can pay. I grew up in the 30's and 40's and let me tell you that not every one got care as it was a pay as you go and most did not have the money to pay. Even a state like Maine sent people to help the school kids. I do not think any one kicked about it either. I just do not under stand the people who are fighting it. And for being a German program, just where do they think Social S came from. My guess is this is all money for a few that is driving it. That is to keep it as it is. My God these are the same people who think prisons for profits and private roads, police and armies are just great.

[dorkulon]

5. I have a theory on why other nations have an easier time with these things.

If you're in a country that's mostly ethnically homogeneous, there's less of a feeling that the gov't is taking your money and giving it to "other" people. There's a tribal resentment here that was exploited by Reagan, whose "welfare queens" meme carried obvious racial meaning. Since this idea of hardworking whites having their money taken and given to lazy minorities has gained traction, all proposals for social programs are viewed by some whites with a jaundiced eye in a way that wouldn't be true if the country was more racially homogenous.

[ejpoeta]

6. i see what you mean, because when I point out to family members that i have been on welfare

food stamps, medicaid and at one time cash assistance even... I make sure to mention that whenever they go off on all 'those people' in NYC who sit around and collect welfare. They insist that somehow it is different. I ask them how, and they do a lot of stuttering and you can see them bending their brains around to figure out how it is different in my case.

[dorkulon]

7. Yup. And that's why white attitudes toward social spending has changed since the civil rights

movement made blacks into beneficiaries. Taxes were a lot higher back then, but the money was going to other whites who needed help, and that was just fine.

[Vinca]

8. Maybe we need to wake the seniors up and counterprotest

with "Medicare is Socialism - Turn In Your Card" signs.

[safeinOhio]

9. I'd hate to sink so low as to use the rights tactics

However, we should be screaming Republicans want to take away SS, Medicare, SCHIP and meals on wheels. They call it socialism. They want Grandma and Pa and little kids to DIE. They say it is not in the constitution and it is destroying this country to keep the old and poor alive.

[customerserviceguy]

10. I think I finally figured it out

Old people spend a lot of time in doctors' waiting rooms. They know that working people are there only when they're REALLY sick, since it can be a bitch to get time off of work, etc. What they're afraid of is unemployed and underemployed people who see a doctor only when they're very, very sick (and usually, that's in the ER) clogging up the waiting rooms with them.