Not to reflect the contrarian viewpoint from the previous article about Medicade— it still bodes well for justice to attempt to uncover why any Federal entitlement fund, as proscribed by law, is remarkably and blatantly ‘borrowed from’ by other government agencies (our Treasury), and are never paid back. Whoops. The Social Security Disability Fund is directly and adversely affected by this practice. And, too, the whole of the Social Security System itself.
Details to follow, but primarily try and focus on the reasons behind an all-too-easy process of reaching into the till of another business entirely, relieving it of funds and leaving an IOU under the cash drawer, then repeating the process as needed. In the medical world, that would be considered a PRN. As needed, in Latin.
The PRN is distributed with great alacrity in psychiatric hospitals when patients ‘escalate.’ Apparently, it also occurs, without legal consequence, when our own federal government chooses to behave as if it were run by a Chicago style mob of years past. We have all seen it in the movies when one mobster ‘muscles in’ to another’s territory, takes over its assets, and if feeling generous, allows it to live on for a few years more. The similarities are frightening, though predictable through the lens of common sense.
As my friend, Carlos would say, ‘damn, hoss, that sounds like robbery!’
Robbery, indeed, but the larger question would be whether the entire Social Security system isn’t built on a similar premise as the well known ‘ponzi scheme.’ In mathematical formula, a ponzi is an an organization which cannot be perpetual while engaging in the payment of older members with the new money of those just entering the investment vehicle. Especially, because the values of the payouts are being compromised by uncontrollable factors (basically, folks are living longer than when the system was designed)—–the end of the program can be seen, with or without the PRN, the scheme becomes criminal in nature. As new members will not, by default, reap the rewards of their ‘forced investment’, and the system is doomed to failure, the fundamental doctrine of fairness and equity is broken. Are we to accept this travesty? Are there legal avenues to pursue which will offer redress to our grievances? Can the Social Security System be paid back the billions which were ‘borrowed.’? (the amount varies depending on the source—-research it yourself as it is quite eye-opening)
As has been widely reported, the estimated amount of life left in the Medicare system expires in just a few years. We are told to not worry, as the administration will raise the taxes on the rich and the corporations, then the ship will right itself, and continue on. Of course, in the meanwhile, the Federal Reserve prints off trillions of dollars more to underwrite this movement—-all backed by nothing more than the paper on which it is printed, and we are 11 or 12 trillion in debt, instead of 9 trillion.  In debt to the Chinese and Japanese, who have been purchasing our currency for years, and now hold our financial system hostage. If they sold the dollars they hold, our economy would collapse, and a new form of government and social control would emerge.
Probably not a system with altruism at its heart.
One can hope, then, that a massive shift of wealth will occur, where even the weakest among us will be the healthiest they can be—-the rest will follow with the middle class working hard, but with rewards enough to afford good housing, and the best health care—all without worrying whether certain medications are affordable. And, we should expect a physician who will spend quality time with us to really understand our medical condition and always act in our best interests without having to capitulate to insurance or pharmaceutical companies, compromising the quality of care easily available to everyone.
And, for those who aspired to greater things, fair profitability could be achieved through fair business practices. Capitalism can still be alive and well, just a bit restrained. No more troubled assets, please.
By now, we can all see that the system is in trouble, and without loud voices, any positive change to our lifeline will be delayed or denied. Speak up. Write to your politicians. Write letters to the editor. Write articles and publish them in article directories for Internet exposure. There many listed through a Google search—-and free to use.
Good luck to us all, and although we are safe for now (as the previous article intoned) it is easy to believe that very hard times are coming unless we can turn the tide.
Until next time,
Advocate
