Why are the Koch brothers trying to destroy social security and America?
They think they should own everything and everyone one. They have NO conscience at all. Social Security is the single biggest pile of money in the world; they can't BEAR that they don't get to just grab it. Listen to what Republican politicians and talking heads have been saying: ONLY rich people and people who get most of their income from investment deserve to have decent lives. Anyone who WORKS, and doesn't have huge investment income are insane for thinking they deserve to have a place to live, food, clothes, health care, and education for their kids; they are MOOCHERS for thinking they should be paid a living wage. This is what Romney's 47% speech said; it's what O'Reilly said about why he lost the election; it's what they've all been saying, one way or another. They think that people who paid into Social Security for 45 years are WRONG to think they are entitled to that money today. If you found that movie interesting, have you seen "The United States of Alec"? (I haven't seen the complete movies of either, but have gotten the jist. Watch Bill Moyers show on PBS every week.) So, the question is, how do we STOP them (ad the Waltons, who own Walmart -- who are subsidized by the food stamp program, since they pay so little their employees qualify for food stamps, while they rake in tens of billions)? Dems have to vote in the mid-term elections, and especially in the census-year elections. We can't let Republicans -- the employees of the Koch brothers -- continue to destroy the country with their preventing the federal government from doing any good, and their control of state governments. We need to stop the progression of "Only Republicans should be allowed to vote" laws; and the "Right to work for starvation wages" laws; and the "right to murder anyone darker than you are" laws. Vote in EVERY election; vote every Republican out of office at every level of government.
The Koch brothers plan to use their vast political network to push Trump’s tax reform through Congress. This means it'll pass. Is this good or bad?
I find it hard to understand why the Koch brothers now approaching their 80’s are trying to bankrupt the entire United States. I am close to 70 years old and I think about my life and what I have left behind to make the next generation better. The US tax structure benefits the wealthy in ways most average people fail to imagine.It is something like 50–60% of all money earned in the US in any year is already exempt from paying a nickel into Social Security, Medicare, Social Security Disability and Medicaid. I have a niece born with Spina Bifida and has been in a wheelchair most of her life. The pastor of our church developed lung cancer and is still alive after five years. He is unable to work and received Social Security Disability and medicaid. Republicans want to take this away even though the Koch Brothers have never contributed any money to these funds. Only working people with a paycheck pay any money into these funds.The Koch tax plan is to practically eliminate all taxes they pay. The game plan is that conservatives want all of these Social Programs to go away. These people are smart enough to understand the public would never allow elected republicans to abolish these programs. However, the way around this is to bankrupt America by running up the deficit. This are historical times when there are large numbers of retired people, Republicans almost succeeded creating a large enough financial collapse back in 2008 such that Social Security and these other programs would be gutted. Obama got elected and we crawled out of the hole republicans created.The Koch Brothers want the next collapse to end these programs once and for all. They believe these poor people should just die and get rid of this burden on society. If you remember the Congressional Budget Office claimed Social Security would save three billion dollars over the next decade if we take health care away and millions of people will die and never collect a penny.
Compared to North America, what is South America like?
Each country in Latin America is different, so one may need to be cautious in generalizing about the entire region. However, from what I experienced in Mexico (technically North America) and Ecuador, Latin America is quite distinct from the United States in many ways. The climate is obviously much more tropical than in much of the United States, which is probably one of the main attractions for some foreigners who go down there. Economically. although you will of course notice the difference in the overall level of development between the U.S. and these countries, you may as much as anything be amazed at how class divided Latin America is. It is as if the first world and third world blended together. Some Latin Americans practically seem elite, while others have very little. One Latin American may have a degree from Harvard, while another may likely only have a middle school education. During a brief visit to Medellin, Colombia; I not only visited a beautiful shopping mall that would rival most of those I've seen here at home, but also looked down from a cable car at some empoverished neighborhoods surrounding the city. It may seem hard to find a middle ground in Latin America that you can relate to when coming from a predominately middle class country like the U.S. One result of this great economic inequality is that Latin Americans can be rather concerned about their safety, as it is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. (This doesn't mean you cannot travel here safely--I have never been victimed on a trip to any Latin American country--but you should be careful and insecurity is a part of life here). Corruption is also practically an epidemic. When it comes to food, I would say it is much healthier and more authentic than what we normally eat here in the United States. When it comes to people, Latin Americans have a reputation for being friendly and hospitable. This is a reputation that I believe to be well deserved, based on my own good experiences there. Latin Americans also tend to value their family relationships very highly, which is something else we in the United States could probably learn from. If you ever get the chance, don't pass up the opportunity to visit this region. You would be hard pressed to find people who know how to be better hosts.
Are RINOs America's Last Best Hope of Political Improvement?
First off: Obama is as far from a Marxist as Gingrich is a Communist. Secondly:Today's RINO is yesteryear's Republican. Can you imagine the EPA being created but Republicans of today? And lastly: Americans are living iin a fairy tale world if they think the era of Carbon-based Capitalism is coming back and there isn't going to be 11 billion peeps crawling all over the planet looking for the same thing. So to answer the question: yes
What is "The American Dream"? How did this term get coined and what is the history behind this phrase?
Up until about 1980, it meant that people could get married, have children, buy a decent house and car, and one person's income would be enough to support all this, while the other person was able to care for the children and the home. The second person could work but didn't have to. They had things like life and health insurance. Jobs were protected by unions. While life wasn't perfect, it wasn't shitty.Today, what it really means is that with two people working at crappy wages, they might be able to afford to rent a halfway decent house. They cannot afford insurance and rely on emergency rooms and Medicare for what little medical care they get. They cannot buy a house. If they have children, they go to shitty public schools. Life insurance is off the table, and college is unaffordable for anyone in the family. Employment is "at will" and unions are dead. Upward mobility is a bitter joke when people are living from paycheck to paycheck.However, the really good news is that the reduction in living standards for the vast majority of people allows scumbags like Larry Ellis and the Koch brothers to get even richer. You would think they believe they can take it with them.You can thank Ronald Reagan and all your politically conservative friends for this wonderful state of affairs.
How does Obamacare reduce healthcare costs?
It forces people who are healthy to pay into the system, rather than only start paying AFTER they become sick like they do now. That puts a lot of money into healthcare for everyone. It also cuts a wasteful corporate welfare program called "medicare advantage". It also forces insurers to create larger risk pools which reduces costs overall.
Will there be any wide spread change in American politics in the next 10-20 years, or should I just leave the country while I can?
I don't think so. I think it will stay more or less the same within that time period. The US Constitution is set up to impede policymaking, and this is intended, because the Founding Fathers felt that big government had its perils. There may be some demographic changes that eventually change the power balance in Congress, but predicting the future is difficult in this regard. As far as leaving the country, I think if you find another country that is a "better fit" to your preferences, values, beliefs, desires, purposes and goals, then by all means go for it. There is no country that is best for everyone, each has its own niche. Some might prefer a more traditional society, others might want one with less government control, others might want one with more government control, etc.