AARP: Tits on a Boar

To what other conclusion can one come about AARP, ostensibly named the "American Association for Retired People" than that they are useless, ineffectual?

Sure, you can get discounts to buy things if you want, if you join as a member but when it comes down to representing, really representing those "retired people", do they do anything?

When one political party in this nation not only comes out for taking funds from even just Social Security, let alone Medicare and then Medicaid, too, all so already-wealthy people can get still more of the nation's wealth, does the AARP do anything? Do they speak up? Do they attack even the IDEA of depleting the Social Security fund, let alone the political party that wants to do this?

Oh, hell no.

No, they don't.

Not only do they not attack the idea or the person proposing it or the idea, AARP does----nothing.

And it's not that this has only happened once that a person in that political party has tried attacking, depleting the Social Security fund, as just one example, it keeps happening, again and again, over the years.

AARP?

Silent.  Deafeningly silent. Not a word.

If you're a member and get their magazine in the mail, what are the articles about? Some examples:

--Commit Yourself to an Exercise Routine

--Get Financial Advice Without Going Broke

--Test Your Knowledge of Voting Facts

--Find the Best Health Care Where You Live

And this one. I love this next one:

--Why a Vacation Might Make You Feel Better

Like we need an article for that.

All no doubt fine articles but let me say this again---ONE POLITICAL PARTY IS REPEATEDLY, OVER THE YEARS, WORKING, FIGHTING TO DEPLETE THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND.

And if you're an AARP member, you wouldn't know it.

It's almost as though they don't want to upset or alienate any people in that political party--let's go ahead and say it---Republicans, either members or, God forbid, members of Congress.

Sure, don't upset any Republican or Republicans, even though they vote and have voted, time and again, to drain the Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid funds for other purposes.

And the latest use or attempted use of Social Security funds?

Well, those pesky Republicans voted for TAX CUTS FOR THE ALREADY-WEALTHY AND CORPORATIONS earlier this year. It's blowing up the deficit so THEY WANT TO TAKE MONEY FROM SOCIAL SECURITY and what they call "entitlements" to pay for those now deficits. Don't believe it? Check out the very recent headline:

The deficit is rising, so Republicans want to cut Social  Security, Medicare

And as I said above, they've been saying and working on and doing this over the years, too. This headline and story is from December, 2016:

GOP introduces plan to 

massively cut Social Security

You would think that, since they're supposed to be for retired people--it is in their name, after all--that each and every time a politician, any politician, from any party, even mentioned, once, aloud, draining the Social Security fund or Medicare or Medicaid, that that same organization would be screaming bloody murder to its members to, for heaven sake, contact their representative and express their disbelief and strong support for these programs.

But AARP?

Not a word. Never. Not a peep.

But if you want a tote bag with your new membership and 5% off your next purchase of some tchotchke or a roadside atlas or advice on why you might enjoy a vacation, well, then, AARP is just the group for you.

Whither Boomers?

Personally, I see a lot of postings online, advertisements, promoting living abroad for retirement. (Yeah, I know. It's coming up, for better and worse). Just a few examples:

How to Retire Abroad

Best Places to Retire in 2018  

Annual Global Retirement Index

The 10 Best Places to Retire Overseas in 2018

4 under-the-radar countries 

where you can retire for cheap

5 Cheap Places To Retire Abroad

And check this out. Even AARP is pointing the way.

Top Ten Countires to Retire - AARP

And the thing is, I get the feeling a bunch of us Boomers are going to go be expats in other nations like Mexico, Belize and yes, as shown in the picture above, Portugal. Check out the reasons:

--The dollar goes further 

--Health care isn't as absurdly, obscenely expensive 

--There isn't as much wealth inequality in other nations and finally, a big factor is that 

--No other nation has as many guns and shootings and killings as we do in the US

One more thing. Better, older, saved architecture. 

Oh. Another. The food. Frequently in these places, great food.

Yeah.

I see a LOT of us leaving.

Mounting Opposition to the Republicans' Obscene "Trumpcare"

I've been heartened this morning over what I've seen out in the world today of opposition already to this monstrous "wealthcare" bill the Republicans created. Here is just some of that opposition.

Groups opposing the American Health Care Act

According to this page of Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper, "Over 50 organizations oppose the proposed healthcare plan that will make Americans will pay more for less. The list includes nurses, doctors, hospitals, teachers, churches, and more."

And thank goodness.

Here are just some of those organization from this link.

AARP

American Medical Association

American Hospital Association & Federation of American Hospitals

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

This next one is wonderfully ironic.

American Health Care Association (AHCA)

Get that.  The AHCA is against this AHCA. I love that. 

Here's more:

America’s Essential Hospitals

America’s Hospitals and Health Systems

American Public Health Association

National Disability Rights Network

National Partnership Women and Families

National Physicians Alliance

Even state employees are united against this nightmare.

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

And that's just a partial list of groups opposing.

The media coverage of the opposition to the bill is mounting, also.

The Latest: Medical groups find fault 

with Senate plan - ABC News

Fortunately, even some Republicans in Congress realize this bill is a virtual train wreck, even for themselves, let alone us out here, their constituents.

Four GOP senators say they can't vote 

for Republican health care bill

Keeping in mind it only takes four of them defecting to kill the bill, too.

Senate GOP's health plan debuts 

amid doubts

The fact that they created this healthcare stealing, tax giveaway to the already-wealthy is bad and scary enough. Fortunately, the light of day and information about it is swiftly creating opposition to it.

And rightly so.

Please contact your Congressional representative, especially any Republican. Tell them you're against this AHCA of theirs, that it takes away health care options from Americans--because it does--while it gives yet more tax cuts to the already-wealthy and corporations.

Contact Us | Congress.gov

Thank you, in advance.

Link:

Medicare for All: A Prescription for What Ails Us

Shifting Dollars From Poor to Rich 

Is a Key Part of the Senate Health Bill

Senator Roy Blunt Is Lying To Missourians and America About Health Care Today

Senator Blunt, one of our two Senators here in Missouri, posted on Facebook today. What he posted is not just a lie but it makes me angry.  What he wrote:

Obamacare is imploding. In Missouri, premiums on the Obamacare exchanges have increased by 145 percent, on average, since 2013, and 25 counties may have no provider offering health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges next year.

That's what he says and what Republicans in that political party want us to believe but here are the facts.
First, Obamacare is anything but "imploding."

More Americans have health insurance 

than ever 

Even doctors support it.

Poll: Just 15 percent of doctors 

want ObamaCare repealed

Even doctors who voted Trump support Obamacare.

Most Doctors Who Voted For Trump 

Don't Want Obamacare Repealed

Their plan, the Republicans' plan, the AHCA, "Trumpcare", would hurt the disabled, for starters.

The disabled will pay 

for the GOP's Medicaid cuts

The AHCA Creates the "Perfect Storm" 

for People with Disabilities

Their plan would also hurt the poor.

How the AHCA Leaves the Old, Sick, 

and Poor Behind 

It would hurt the elderly.

AHCA's End To Cost Sharing Reductions 

Slams Older, Sicker Americans

it would hurt Veterans, for God's sake.

President Donald Trump's Moves 

Could Hurt Veterans' Health

Heck, even their supposed leader, President Trump calls it out for what it is.

Trump calls House healthcare bill 'mean'

And why wouldn't he call it mean?

Trump Budget Cuts Medicaid Even More 

Than House Health Bill

So just who would or does  their ultra-secret plan help?  Take a guess. It's Republicans, after all.

Republican Health Care Bill Delivers 

Big Tax Cut For The Rich

If you already have money, here's yet one more plan--and a great one--for you. If you're sick or get sick or you're elderly or disabled or a Veteran?

It sucks to be you.

So while the rich get even richer, more Americans would be dropped from heath care insurance, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office or CBO.

CBO: Republicans' AHCA Would Leave 

23 Million More Uninsured

That isn't even touching exactly how they're writing their horrible health care bill for nation.

Secret Republican Senate Talks 

Shaping Health Care Legislation

13 Men, and No Women, Are Writing 

New G.O.P. Health Bill in Senate

The fact is, right now, Americans very much support the current plan, the ACA, "Obamacare. This is from February of this year.

Polls: Support for Obamacare 

at all-time high

And this is from April of this year.

Gallup: ObamaCare has majority support 

for first time

And if Obamacare is "imploding", how do Americans feel about the Republicans' upcoming plan?

Majority of Americans don't like 

GOP health care bill

Check out exactly how few Americans support the Republicans' new plan for us.

Quinnipiac poll shows 17 percent 

of American support Trumpcare

So, it seems clear here, given all the above, that Senator Blunt and any and all like him who would say or are saying that Obamacare is collapsing in on itself and/or that Americans don't want or don't like Obamacare clearly don't know the facts or, especially, the wishes of the American people.

Don't tell us it's raining, Senator Blunt. We know better.

What should have happened

I read in The New York Times today that now, even "good guys" (their term) like the AARP are ending contributions to their 401(k)'s, in an effort to cut costs.

This drives me crazy.

Years ago, there used to be pensions because, as we all know, people age and need something to retire on in their later, aged years.

Pretty complicated huh? (read sarcasm)

It was only fair and intelligent, for pity's sake.

We work at jobs for decades and, in return, it just made sense that responsible companies would put a bit of money aside--yes, from profits--for each employee so two things would develop.

First, the good employee would be rewarded for good work and encouraged to stay with the company. (We used to reward lonevity at firms).

Secondly, at the end of those decades of work, the associate would have money to take care of themselves in their old age.

But that was thousands of years ago, it seems.

Companies decided long ago that those pesky, "expensive" pensions were costs that had to be cut so they were, bit by bit, done away with.

That was bad enough.

At the time, the Federal Government should have stepped in, I believe, and required companies to maintain the pensions. It was good, too, for the country, so people had these saved nest eggs and could live on them in later life.

But naturally not.

Fortunately, someone came up with a 2nd-best idea and that was to start these 401(k)'s. The companies would get a tax deduction and the employee could contribute to them and voila'! While not as good for the employee as the pension, since half of it was usually paid for by the employee, at least there would be, again, something for that same employee to retire on.

But again, the ugly, voracious, self-eating "free markets" and capitalism come along, seeing a pot of money, one that it also views as an "unnecessary cost" and does away with it.

So now, in 2009 America, the worker--the old "salt of the Earth" we used to celebrate--is totally and completely, with the exception of the pittance of Social Security, alone and on his/her own. And that's assuming Social Security will survive, which most people assume it won't.

If you are one of the lucky few who have been able to keep a job, through good times and bad, and also been prescient and disciplined enough and able to save all your working career, you're okay.

Maybe.

Probably.

Possibly

If you stay lucky.

If, on the other hand, you've ever been let go from a job or had some expensive health care or other problem or just plainly weren't lucky and thrifty and extremely disciplined, all--you're screwed.

Too many Americans, frankly, down through the decades, have fallen into this last group, especially given the current financial crisis striking the US.

And that's why the US Federal Government should have held up expectations of its corporations, so we could further strengthened the entire society and for the long term.

Instead, all that corporate money just fattens the wallets of a select few lucky, conniving, shrewd, manipulative corporate titans who end up with hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. All the while the middle class shrinks and people start doing without important basics like health care, insurance, food, in some cases, and more.

I'm sure some free market capitalist, Republican, conservative, right-winger would defend this barbaric, unbalanced, unfair, inadequate and, really, broken system.

I sure can't.

Link to story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/your-money/401ks-and-similar-plans/27money.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Et+tu%2C+AARP%3F&st=nyt