Going to Canada?

How about Costa Rica? Every drug is over-the-counter there....

The sense of entitlement you exhibit in this article is the exact reason this country will be bankrupt in 40 years. Too many takers and not enough givers.

A SS diablity recipient, aka, you live for free off the backs of everyone else here. Instead of thanking the government for all the great things it gives you, taking basically nothing in return, you sit and whine because you don't have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Get over it.

RedTard,

I hope you never have to live on a pension in the United States.

The medicines in your country are overpriced and the lot of you have an attitude towards medical care that went out with the cat-o-nine tails.

Half of your population has no medical insurance and your hospitals spend fortunes on disposable equipment.

This is the mentality of self indulgence that leads men to believe that OTHER men are as disposable as garbage bags. It stunk in your country when I lived there, and it stinks here when I see the bought off crooks in the crime minister's office trying ever so hard to push it here.

Silas believed in a social contract initiated many years ago. He sees now that your government is revoking its social contract. He's right on the money. And you are as blind as bat in rat hole.

RedTard misses Understanding the point completely, but does accomplish some nifty dittohead distraction

first, the Facts are that much of the national bankruptcy Issue is due to the rampant overspending by the GOP controlled WH and Congress for the last 5 years...

or have we so quickly forgotten going from record surplus to record breaking deficits so soon?

the costs of SS and other programs are figured out pretty accurately, actuarial tables do most of the work...and these are costs we, as a Nation, are committed to

note:SSI...is INSURANCE..now, it would appear that some folks don't understand Silas' situation, or that of many other Americans...

he PAID INTO the System for quite few years, and is either retired, or close to that age...and now collects DISABILITY!!! which is based on his contributions into the system for as many years as he worked

still with me you "compassionate conservatives" who woudl rather spew into corporate welfare and pork than take care of your elderly relatives?

"are there no workhouses?"

remember also, that what he is talking about is a 600% increase in his COSTS for medications...also to note, this IS the "drug plan" implemented by the WH...which cost the government MORE than was "estimated" BY the WH...and in which they specifically FORBID the government negotiating prices!!!

that's right kiddies...our Pres...who HAS an MBA, specifically removed the kind of "collective bargaining" that woudl allow negotiating prices with the drug companies

and some folks wonder why the government is going broke?

fucking disgusting that ANYONE would have such an attitude about basic healthcare for those who have done more than their part for our Nation during the course of their lives

but there you have it

Excelsior!

I see it is not very popular to fight against additional government entitlements. I will admit, the prescription drug plan was a silly waste designed to get votes from seniors.

I hate corporate welfare and pork probably as much or more than you do.

My post was meant to be an attack on an attitude that is rampant in this country. People on diability don't think they are getting their fair share. People in the military don't think they're getting their fair share. Transit workers in New York don't think they're getting their fair share. People on SS or Medicare or Medicaid don't think so either.

Nobody that is getting a government benefit or paycheck ever seems to be satisfied with what they have. Year after year the budget balloons and the results tank. I will always fight against extra government spending and I will always remind people who complain of all the great things this world, this country, and their ancestors have provided them.

Their may be a social contract, but we get more than we will ever give. From the Panama canal to the highway system, the transistor to the airplane, from democracy to our educational system we all inherit the moment we are born an amount of wealth that is immeasurable paid for not only in physical treasure but in the blood and sweat of billions of our ancestors.

Can you make a point that we don't use our resources efficiently or in the proper priority, yes.

Will I ever put up with whining from people who don't think they got enough out of their 'social contract'? No

so..in other words, you think it is ok to have an "agreement"...be told it was going to be made more effecient and "better" then have yor out of pocket costs actually get WORSE by a factor of 600%?

and you would NOT scream about it?...especially a senior on a fixxed income?

and who is talking about any kind of "new" entitlement here?

we are talking about the difference form what was status quo to what has been implemented by the Administration as being "better"

or have you forgotten the campaign promises of 2004 and the description of this very SAME program by the WH and how it was touted as an IMPROVEMENT over the current system?

have you forgotten how the fiscal conservatives (like Silas, who IS a member of the GOP, FYI) screamed when they found out that they had been sold a bill of goods in regards to the actual costs as compared to the bullshit the WH spewed?

and this was the "team" that was going to "fix" Social Security?

good fucking thing that died on the vine if this mess is an example of their Idea concerning "fixxing" things

THAT is the point here, Red...the violation of a social contract with Citizens in the name of "improvement" that only improved things for the drug companies(in this case) and missed completely setting up collective bargaining, or even the possibility of future negotiations to crub price increases

by this line of "reasoning" we can see the priorities...

drug companies who contribute to PACs > senior citizens

fuck that

Excelsior!

oh yes...i almost forgot the Veterans who are getting fucked by this Administration with their cuts to benefits or other changes being implemented

nice way to treat those who have fought and served the Nation....violate THAT social contract

even more brilliant, do it during armed conflict...great way to get folks to stick around

question for you Red...out of curiosity, not meaning ANY kind of insult...but have you or anyone in your immediate family Served?

got anyone who came out of a war worse than when they went in? you know, missing limbs...other medical conditions?

to imply that those folks get anything LESS than the absolute BEST we can offer is so fucked up that i can't even begin to express my revulsion and disgust

full disclosure: i'm ex-military...so was my father, grandfather, great grandfather...before that we weren't in this country

nuff said

Excelsior!

I am a military veteran discharged honorably. I served on an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit which is the military version of the bomb squad. I risked my life disarming munitions and old mines leftover from previous conflicts in Kuwait and Bosnia so that little kids and farmers wouldn't blow their arms and legs off.

I heard all the 'we don't make enough' arguments back then. I couldn't understand, and still don't, what people are in such need of. I had a housing and food allowance and enough money to buy all the beer I could drink. I had many friends and later a loving wife. Perhaps I could never afford a Mercedes or a 3000sqft beach house but I didn't get bitter towards people that could.

Go Gonzo!

I 'll hold your coat. All I'll say is that I put my 40 quarters into the American Social Security system. If G-d gives me to live another 12 years, I'll be shocked to see a check from the SSA.

I'm very grateful to be living here, on the edge of financial disaster now, than in America knowing that I'll have to face financial disaster in my old age.

good for you, Red..yer stock went up a bit with me for knowing that...thank you for stating it clearly

i'm NOT talking about salary here...we are talking vet's benefits...specifically medical benefits

more specifically about cuts to said benefits for the folks actually serving at this moment

much less those who are still living with whatever disability that got when serving

it is THAT Issue...NOT salaries we are talking about

with that cleared up...do you still stand behind what you said previously?..or are you willing to admit that those folks are getting fucked...the very same folks who sacrificed some part of themse3lves for the Nation

how many EOD folks you know personally whop got fucked doing their jobs?

do you think THEY deserve the best we can give them...for the rest of their lives, if needs be?

i do

get injured/disabled in the military...at the VERY fucking least, yer medical bills shoudl be covered at the VA for life

period

Excelsior!

RedTard seems to be rather obtuse. SS is an insurance fund where people put in money throuhout their working lives and then get benefits upon retiring. That seems simple enough. In fact, SS has a large surplus every year, which is regularly tapped by the administration for it's vanity wars and luxurious gifts to their friends the lobbyists.

Silas is not the only one to be confounded by this strange pharma benefit. I've been using computers for eons, and I tried the SSA website repeatedly since it came ouyt. At first it simply didn't work: blew up in a CGI error of some kind. Emails and telephone calls were useless. The last time I tried it in November it told me that Lipitor was not in the pharmacy! The largest selling drug in the USA? But, being an experienced computer user, I figured it just needed to be kicked or nudged, so I put through a request for "Aspirin" first, and after it accepted that it would accept "Lipitor". Hallelueah. Same error green programmers have been making since the beginning of time.

Clearly, these obstacles are put in place to discourage people from claiming the benefits they are entitled to. First they steal the money out of the SS fund (money you had to contribute at gunpoint), then they obfuscate the piddling benefits.

Silas - it makes me sick at heart to think that you are not taking meds that you need because of $$$

troll

what troll said...

Excelsior!

good to read your words of wisdom again Gonzo...how was trips across the puddle - ?

troll

heh..not too bad troll, but no Net or news outside of the BBC for a week leaves yer gonzo woefully deprived as well as depraved

but i do have an actual Article for Posting, once i hook up the laptop and figure out who to send it to to get it Posted...

we will see...

"words of wisdom"...lol..that one was Funny

i call you "Killer" cuz you slay me...

Excelsior!

You may not be able to get needed meds, but you CAN get one of those electric scooters they advertise on latenight TV. The owners of the company got congress to pass a law (actually, a rider on a law) that requires SS to NEVER deny a senior a scooter!

Let's see, RedTard, I paid into the system for 31 years when I applied for Disability. I guess I should have waited, huh? Surprisingly, I am in agreement with you on the entitlement mentality of many Americans. That being said, I've worked very hard in the last 12 months to get myself to the point where I can come off of Uncle Sam's nipple. I don't want to be on Disability. I'd love to have my life back to the point where it was before I got sick. But, the stark reality is that it does no good to dwell on what might have been.

The thing that infuriates me the most is that most of these points would be moot if the Federal government would recognize my relationship with my partner as a legal bona fide marriage. OK, I know I am going to send conservatives and Christers over the edge, but, folks, that's the truth. I am stuck on Disability for a few more months. And thanks to the Congress and this Administration I have this wonderful Drug Benefit from Medicare. It's a ruse, my friends. It's a complete failure. I've spoken with pharmacists, corporate level health care workers and people in government. They're all appalled across the board that such a system is in place. Has anyone taken into account that 5 PhD's have tried to make sense out of the new plan and failed? Has anyone taken into account that many of the board members of the hundreds of new drug insurance plans donated significant monies to incumbent legislators and this President?

Luckily in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts we have a plan called Prescription Advantage. This plan was forged in a cooperative effort between Democrats and Republicans years ago. It's a good plan. It's honest and efficient. The Federal government's intrusion into the drug business has weakened Prescription Advantage. It's still available and, thank God, I've been advised that the plan will circumvent some of the increased costs associated with the new drug plan. So, for the moment, I may have a light at the end of my tunnel. But that doesn't change a very important matter in my eyes. That is the matter of marriage. If my partner and I were legally married I would be entitled to HIS health benefits which include prescriptions and many other benefits. If we were legally married, it would have saved the taxpayers thousands upon thousands of dollars. The day will come when we will be legally married in Massachusetts and that, in and of itself, is a miracle to me. But that's not enough, my friends. If there's anything that I feel I am ENTITLED to, it is the right to be married to my life partner.

My comments were certainly a little overdone, especially in light of the fact that I have no knowledge of your specific situation and for that I apologize.

I still don't understand how spending money on a new benefit caused the price to go up, but as you stated several people with PhD's couldn't understand it either.

Perhaps I am too patriotic, but when someone attacks the US government or claims they don't care I just have a knee jerk reaction of anger. The people of this country, who are the government, care.

The entitlement thing is something that has always bothered me. It was not that long ago that people were ashamed and basically felt like they were robbing their neighbor if they were on government assistance. Today people protest in the streeet proudly if they think they're not getting their fair share.

"The entitlement thing is something that has always bothered me." It bothers many people. But, the fact is, that we have a system in which 'entitlement' has become common. There are some people so hopeless and miserable that most of us feel they are entitled to some minimum of care: the insane, the ruined, the defective. We don't want them thrown to the mercies of the street and an economic system they cannot even understand. It does no good to treat them badly: we don't incentivize others by punishing these unfortunates. Most of us DO feel they are 'entitled' to a mite.

Most of us feel that people who work all their lives are 'entitled' to a little ease. And we know now that even the best laid plans that depend on others may fail. Even the hardest working guy who signed up with IBM or GM or another corp in 1965 may find his pension revoked or the company broke and have no recourse. That looked like the right thing, the conservative thing, to do 40 years ago. We all know that these plans fail, with no fault of the participant. That worker is 'entitled' to have the corp hold up it's end of the deal, but a peculiar exception in our civil law allows employing corps to escape their responsibilities.

So we created a safety net 70 years ago in SSA which 'entitles' a guy to get some retirement money after putting into the system for many years. Since he is forced to pay in, it can hardly be argued he is 'entitled' to nothing.

In any case, few of the 'entitlements' observed by the government go to individuals, most go to corporate entities. For example, the Energy Policy recently enacted included $13billion in 'entitlements' to oil companies even tho they are flush with record profits.

I'm on the SS disability dole which causes me to feel a bit hypocritical here. As far as I am concerned, the ultimate entitlement afforded every American is the complete and unbiased accounting of any and all expenditures made by the government. We are entitled to know exactly where our tax dollars are allocated. We are entitled to know the sources of every penny dished out to political campaigns and candidates.

As I have learned today, most pharmacists in America are as frustrated as I am. The Medicare Drug Benefit Plan, while created with 'good intentions' has turned out to be an albatross. It has created an entirely new layer of bureaucracy. It has lent to confusion, frustration and unnecessary added expenses. Those of you who are beneficiaries like me will have to take matters into your own hands. Make those phone calls. Don't take the words of your pharmacist as Gospel. He/she knows as little as you in most cases. Call Medicare; call your drug benefit provider. Don't take anyone's word for anything until you have overturned the last stone. If you're unable to handle this for yourself, contact your local state department of elderly affairs or appoint a family member to fight your cause.

RedTard, you're not being "too" patriotic. I appreciate your point of view. We've both lived very different lives and it is our own personal experiences which shape and define where we stand politically. "It was not that long ago that people were ashamed and basically felt like they were robbing their neighbor if they were on government assistance." My paternal grandmother felt the same way. Her husband died when her tenth child was only eleven months old. She never looked to government for assistance. She took in laundry, sewing and child care as a means. The older siblings sacrificed school in favor of working to keep the family afloat. It wasn't easy, but they did what they had to do. Grandma had guts and was way ahead of her time. She looked at disabilities as an inconvenience and not an impediment. When my Dad lost his hearing because of spinal meningitis at 3, she was determined to keep him in the public school system. She did it. She never allowed him to use deafness as an impediment. When my aunt lost a leg, Grandma wouldn't hear of her daughter sitting at home feeling sorry for herself. That's the kind of attitude that wasn't very popular in the late 20's and 30's. She was a far better person than I could ever hope to be.

Lord knows I pray that by the end of this year I will wean myself off of this vicious cycle. That merry-go-round could come to a virtual halt with the removal of restrictions on my right to marry. The moment the Federal government affords me the same rights as conventional married folk, the better my personal situation will be. This week I have come to understand all too well how important it is that I be afforded equal marital protection under civil law. It is a matter of life and death for me. That's not drama, that's fact. So, get out of my way conservative, closed-minded America, this is one viable fetus that has a right to life and you can just get over it.

Redtard, you have reason to be concerned, because as you're about to find out, Dubya intends to do what he can to renege on YOUR understanding as far as military benefits go, as well, in order to finance his burgeoning ineptness. It has little or nothing to do with unearned entitlements. BTW, most of us who have "entitlements" earned them. I certainly did work (& continue to work, hard and long) for mine.

And Bliffle is absolutely on the money: most entitlements are huge government payouts to corporations to bail them out of the effects of bad planning or corporate greed by their overpaid CEOs ... who, BTW, never seem to ever have to pay a price for their failures or crimes. If we were to throw just one corporate entitlement out, we could probably pay for every single individual entitlement in the US.

OK Silas, I have the solution! Watch latenight TV for one of those infomercials for the electric scooter that guarantees you'll get your scooter. Get the damn scooter, whether you need it or not, and sell it for money to buy your meds!

Redtard, thanks for your military service to our country and what you say is right on the money. Obviously to those who have a brain the economic effects of the War on Terrorism, including efforts in Iraq and Afganistan have depleted the surplus, but most economic indicators are pretty positive. At any rate congress is responsible for the budget and social welfare issues, not the president.... Wasn't Hillary Clinton going to fix all these problems with national health plan. What happened?

correction for phil...

if you remove the costs of Afghanistan and Iraq(which the Adminstration has done, they are NOT in the Federal Budget figures and not counted in the official tally of the record deficits)you still get a HUGE swing from surplus to deficit

the whys of it are many, and there is plenty of room for discussion as to the extent of each Variable

but the military actions have exacerbated the Issue, not created it

we know return you to your regularily scheduled programming

Excelsior!

OK Silas, I have the solution! ...

Hate to tell you, dude, but I qualified for that electric scooter a two years ago and turned them down because I refused to allow Medicare to waste the money. Thank God that I've come a long way since then and no longer require a wheel chair or assistance in walking.

Silas, i grieve for what you have to go through, and Wish nothing but the best for you and yours through all the shyte you have to endure until our Society gets it's head on correctly and admits the Human Rights being denied you and those in your situation

allow me to be a bit presumptuous for a second...

please, to help your overall Health...get yourself to a Tai Chi class...the Best i know of in Mass is Dr Yang Jwing Ming in Boston...he is both an eastern and western Doctor, an expert in many of the chinese martial arts, and his Institute does teach for health as well...my info is years out of date...and i do not know his current policy concerning teaching...but i DO know that this single thing is one of the best things you can do for yourself...if even that is too strenuous...

you could try Master Lam Kam Chuen's book "the Way of Energy"...despite it's unfortunate title, it is an excellent work about Zhan Zhuang Chi Gung..otherwise known as "energy work from standing like a tree"...it only involves standing and breathing properly and it an excellent way to aid in overall health

both are good choices for maintaining health, the book is the least expensive and easiest on the body to begin with

please think about it

Excelsior!

Lord knows I pray that by the end of this year I will wean myself off of this vicious cycle. That merry-go-round could come to a virtual halt with the removal of restrictions on my right to marry. The moment the Federal government affords me the same rights as conventional married folk, the better my personal situation will be. This week I have come to understand all too well how important it is that I be afforded equal marital protection under civil law. It is a matter of life and death for me. That's not drama, that's fact. So, get out of my way conservative, closed-minded America, this is one viable fetus that has a right to life and you can just get over it.

Silas, whether you will get marital status anytime in the near future is debatable, but based on trends I've been following, I'm convinced that almost everyone will have partnership health benefits within the next decade. Local governments and private companies are starting to take the issue very seriously and recognizing partnership rights for health insurance without waiting for the feds or the states to get a clue, so that might be a bright light on your horizon.

I think the horrible Frankenstein monster of a Medicare bill is going to be repealed and replaced within the next year. It's quite clear it doesn't work. I also expect action to be taken to deal with inflated medicine prices by lifting some restrictions on drug importation from Canada and Europe. The AARP is so powerful and have spread so much money around that they make Abramoff look like a piker. They're going to get those cheap drugs one way or another.

Dave

Obviously to those who have a brain the economic effects of the War on Terrorism, including efforts in Iraq and Afganistan have depleted the surplus

The surplus was gone well before 9/11.

Silas: "Hate to tell you, dude, but I qualified for that electric scooter a two years ago and turned them down because I refused to allow Medicare to waste the money."

No good deed goes unpunished. I sincerely hope you've improved your ways since then. Otherwise you will continue to be a loser in the entitlements game. While big strong healthy millionaire lobbyists are expertly crying and whining for their entitlements on K Street, you will whither up and die, because that's what The System wants you to do. And all that will survive are the venal and shameless.

Silas, I am sincerely sorry for your plight. I think health care in this country is absolutely abysmal and I think big business and the administrations pandering to them are to blame.

I thought I had blogged it, but I cannot find it now, but just after this deal by Bush went into effect, no less than 6 states had to declare state of emergencies and step in to pay for the prescriptions of people who found themselves in your situation.

My heart goes out to you so much, Silas, there are tears in my eyes. The majority of Americans, according to polls I've seen, want some sort of single payer health care, but big business won't let it happen and it's killing us.

As it is now, and as you know, I have a 3 year old. To put her on an existing policy is 2,000 per year. Well, since all a 3 year old needs is vaccinations (and that comes with a deductible), we find we cannot dish out 2,000 to big business for two vaccinations. So my daughter has no health insurance and I make almost 8 times the minimum wage. We just can't afford it.

My heart goes out to all those who are in worse situations. Health care in this country has got to be the worst of any industrialized nation, and I'm talking the management of it.

My heart and well wishes go out to you Silas, I wish I could do something for you.

Found it.

Here is the article. Apologies if I missed that it was possibly already posted.

Thank you, Steve. Believe me, your words of encouragement help. Sometimes, in the darkest of days, all it takes is a kind word, a pat on the back or a hug to make some of the pain go away. That's what I've experienced here since I wrote this piece Sunday night. Here we go with my rose colored glasses again but that tells me humankind hasn't totally gone down the crapper.

We've got serious issues in the industrialized world, especially with health care. We're a reactionary people when we should be proactive. Perhaps things will change as the political debate in America reaches a fever pitch. I honestly believe that folks on all aisles agree that it's time for radical change. Now all we need do is have open minds and be willing to entertain compromise. This isn't a Democrat or Republican problem. No child, regardless of parental status or affluence, should be denied health care in America.

Wouldn't it be womderful if we could get Americans across the board to march on Washington in a unique way? I would love to see a Million Human March on K Street. Bring the lobbyists and special inetrests to their knees. A million disgruntled Americans on K Street would be great for news ratings, wouldn't it?

Yes, it would Silas. I've been dying for a revolution since November of 2000. :-)

The sense of entitlement you exhibit in this article is the exact reason this country will be bankrupt in 40 years.

Since when is not wanting to pay thousands of dollars in insurance for hundreds of dollars of medical services redefined as 'entitlement'? Since corporations began convincing you to play along with the raping of the American Dream for millions of us.

This site really sucks. I was looking for a way to fuck Uncle Sam on taxes. This is boring.