Communism in America

[aegsm76]

Interesting
Here is the tax proposal that I like!
link
https://fairtax.org/about/how-fairtax-works

[Jito463]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I had some crazy thoughts...

-What if we abolished all federal welfare programs and allowed the states to deal with the issue of poverty individually as they saw fit?

Crazy? That's exactly what conservatives have been saying for decades.

Originally Posted by Aquila

-What if we abolished Social Security, Medicare, and the VA, and took the revenues normally used to fund these programs and dedicated those funds to an Expanded Medicare for All program?

Medicare, yes. Social Security would need to be phased out, because (ostensibly) that's money people have paid into their whole lives. The VA I would disagree with, as that's meant to take care of those who have put their all on the line for the rest of us.

But we do not need an "expanded Medicare" program. We want government out of our healthcare, not to be even more involved in it.

Originally Posted by Aquila

-What if we abolished the progressive tax code that we currently have and passed a flat tax system with robust exemptions based on family size. For example a $5,000 tax exemption for every minor claimed on one's income taxes?

Again, conservatives have been pushing for a flat tax for years, nothing new or "crazy" about it.

[Aquila]

An article about Republicans who support Single Payer, and why:

Republicans for Single-Payer?
https://www.healthcare-now.org/blog/...-for-everyone/

[Aquila]

Single Payer would reduce the government's involvement in healthcare, because it ties the hands of the insurance industry who keeps lobbying for laws that allow them to corner and gouge Americans, and removes them from the equation.

It also takes all healthcare burden off businesses and employers, and studies show that any tax increase would be less than what they pay now. Employers don't need this albatross around their necks, shackling their businesses.

[Aquila]

Single Payer would reduce the size of government. Medicare as we know it would be abolished. And current Medicare funding would be put into the new and streamlined Single Payer system.

If all Americans had Single Payer, veterans would not need the VA. So, the VA could be completely abolished, and all current funding for it could be routed to the Single Payer system.

The Social Security retirement program doesn't provide enough to live on. And most SS spending is related to healthcare for those with disabilities. With Single Payer, they'd all be covered, and so, the Social Security system could be abolished, and current funding routed to the Single Payer system.

States could reduce state taxes, and state bureaucracy, by abolishing Medicaid, seeing that single payer would provide all coverage.

I'm sure we could find more duplicity that could be eliminated under a Single Payer system.

Single Payer reduces the size of government. It's the only idea that significantly reduces the complexities found in our current system. Every other proposal just orders more of the same complexity, and policies that allow premiums to continue to rise. This is a real life reform.

And once centralized, should a truly better free market idea be provided, we just slowly phase out this one program.

[Jito463]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Single Payer would reduce the government's involvement in healthcare, because it ties the hands of the insurance industry who keeps lobbying for laws that allow them to corner and gouge Americans, and removes them from the equation.

It also takes all healthcare burden off businesses and employers, and studies show that any tax increase would be less than what they pay now. Employers don't need to albatross around their necks, shacking their businesses.

A better choice, is that we go back to paying for our own routine visits and medicine, and only have/use insurance for extraordinary, catastrophic circumstances. Imagine if our house insurance was used to pay for regular upkeep? Insurances companies wouldn't be able to keep up, and they'd have to start charging more and declining payouts, just like the health insurance industry. People love to demonize the insurance companies, but it's not entirely their fault. It's the current system we have that's to blame.

It was when government began incentiving employers to offer health insurance through their company, that many of our current issues began. People don't appreciate the cost of something, when they're that separated from the payment of it. I was the same way for a long time.

It's no different than employers automatically withholding taxes from your paycheck. If people had to write a monthly/quarterly/annual check to Uncle Sam for the total amount of their taxes, they'd appreciate far more just how much we're being bled dry by our government.

[Aquila]

And think of all the funding given to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening, mammograms, pre and post natal care, birth control, etc. This funding keeps them in business. And under Single Payer, it would be cut and routed to the Single Payer system, because it provides coverage for these things. PP would have to pay their bills on what revenues abortion provides, and that isn't much. They'd fold unless private contributers helped pay the bills.

The Hyde Amendment would prevent Single Payer coverage for abortion, unless medically necessary.

Then abortion standards and policy would be decided by the Director of the program, giving a vote for a prolife President real teeth.

This is why Planned Parenthood put out a statement urging women not to support Single Payer until the Hyde Amendment is repealed.


Let’s Finally ​Defund Planned Parenthood ​and ​Replace it ​W​ith​ . . .
https://lawandcrime.com/opinion/lets...%8B-%E2%80%8B/


Planned Parenthood Sparks Controversy With Statement Against Single-Payer Healthcare
https://www.mediaite.com/online/plan...er-healthcare/

If Planned Parenthood opposes Single Payer, that's because it could deliver a death blow to abortion culture in America.

[Aquila]

As for the flat tax, I could support it if it's like Dick Armey's proposal, containing generous fixed exemptions for the tax payer and for each child in the household.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

Interesting
Here is the tax proposal that I like!
link
https://fairtax.org/about/how-fairtax-works

The only problem is, for the Fair Tax to work, we'd need a Constitutional amendment, or we'd get stuck with the equivalent of a VAT tax on top of the income tax. The Flat Tax doesn't face that uphill battle.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The only problem is, for the Fair Tax to work, we'd need a Constitutional amendment, or we'd get stuck with the equivalent of a VAT tax on top of the income tax. The Flat Tax doesn't face that uphill battle.

Here is a good comparison between flat tax and fair tax.
link
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyph.../#6092d5f75561