Morning Joe 2/11/2013 -- Medicare and tax hikes

On Morning Joe today, aside from the discussion regarding the Pope's resignation, the topic during the first segment was related to Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats claiming Medicare is not a problem and seeking more tax hikes. Between their denial of Medicare as a problem and their insistence on more taxes, Joe Scarborough believes they're giving Republicans a chance to get back in the game.

They played a clip of Eric Cantor saying that we can't keep raising taxes every three months -- this is a popular stance among people who are suffering financially and who just found out that their payroll taxes went back up. Also, gas and food prices are rising, or simply staying high. Even those who have jobs are working below their training and education, so even if the proposed tax hikes, achieved through "loophole" closings, apparently effect only the rich, it's not too difficult to figure out that if rich business owners have less money they will need fewer employees, or they won't give any raises. The country is not in the mood for more taxes, even on the rich. Democrats have played the rich card until it's just a tired populist ploy. The American people want economic growth. The change part of Hope and Change has become an endless series of interventions coming out of DC causing anxiety, especially when things seem to stay the same or get worse with each intervention. Obamacare is slowly morphing from a grand government response to rising healthcare costs and lack of access to treatment and coverage into a nightmare of confusion and higher costs -- this is just one example.

Unfortunately, Centrists and Leftists in goverrnment have convinced a large part of the population that government can create economic growth, although I wonder why people think government hasn't done so already with the trillions spent so far on stimulus schemes. It's a shame that statists have influence over media and that the message sent out 24/7 is government can solve economic problems. As Reagan said, government is the problem, when that government is interventionist, meddling in the economy and spending billions overseas in failed adventures. Even when Republicans talk about spending cuts, this is just talk if the statist system is not dismantled. The political class calls this type of talk extremist, anti-government rhetoric, but it's really pro-government, limited government focused on its core duties that are vital to rule of law and rights/property protection. Government is needed for protection against coercion so that the private sector can go about its business and create economic growth without fear of violence, theft, or forceful takings, but the government we have is using coercion to control the private sector and centrally plan the economy -- we now need protection from the government. We must throw off the statist system and develope a limited government responsive to the protection needs of the private sector. Morning Joe is not talking about this, but it would be helpful if they did -- then I could believe Joe and others like him when they talk about "small" government, and maybe rather than "small" they'll begin talking about a limited government. Yes, it will be helpful.

There are no serious people in DC

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kotlikoff/2012/07/13/what-neither-candidate-will-admit-social-security-is-desperately-broke/

As Harry Reid tells the press that there's no problem with Social Security, more baby boomers retire and the unfunded liabilities grow larger. As Obama and Boehner act as if they are negotiating to raise revenues, the debt zooms foward. Obama hasn't fixed healthcare problems with Obamacare. These people in DC have seen the numbers, the reports and the research. They know what financial problems we face -- they know what unintended consequences from their interventions are harming Americans --yet they lie to the American people over and over, and they get away with it. Incredible.

Up with Chris Hayes 8/18/2012 -- Paul Ryan ain't no Ayn Rand

Partisan hack and pseudo-intellectual, Chris Hayes, attacked Paul Ryan for defending Medicare and claiming to spend more on Medicare, when Ryan also praises the philosophy of Ayn Rand. If you don't know Ayn Rand's philosophy, don't feel bad -- most people don't. Briefly, Ayn Rand promoted individualism, reason, capitalism, free markets and limited government.

Hayes' partisan point is that Ryan is defending a government program, Medicare, when he preaches limited government. This is one of the most trite smears from the Left. Ryan understands that Medicare was created by government long ago, and that government has taken money from the paychecks of those who work in order to pay for Medicare. Government doesn't give Americans free healthcare in old age -- Medicare has cost all of us who've worked and paid taxes. If this same money had been placed in low-risk private savings plans, we'd have much better coverage in old age. Ryan is telling those over 54 years of age that government will honor what's been paid in, and that those younger than 54 will have options which includes private options.

Democrats are using Ryan's plan to reform Medicare to attack Ryan, and they aren't coming up with a better plan. Democrats are attacking and smearing, not looking for solutions. Medicare is in a financial mess, and something must be done -- however, partisan hacks like Hayes are more concerned scoring cheap political points that with finding fundamental solutions to the fundamental problems caused by the welfare/warfare State.  

Morning Joe 8/16/2012 -- Medicare nonsense

On Morning Joe today, a bunch of the regulars, such as Sam Stein, Michael Steele, Jeffrey Sachs, and a few others like semi-regular Tom Brokaw, talked about the intellectual emptiness in the presidential campaign, represented mainly by the Medicare smear campaign. Each side is saying the other side is gutting Medicare. Medicare funding was gutted long ago because government spent the money.

Thinkers like Sachs believe that our main problem is that we don't pay or collect enough taxes. If people like Sachs and Obama had their way, we would tax the wealthy far more that they are taxed now. But with Obama, not all wealthy individuals or corporations would be taxed the same, because he believes in incentives for favored individuals and companies. As long as central planning is allowed in America, the tax code will remain unchanged. Central planning attracts powerful individuals and corporations that an interventionist government needs in order to maintain power, and the tax code is useful to statists.

Medicare and SS are the same types of government favors for the middle class -- some favor. No politician will vote to significantly reform Medicare or SS as long as an interventionist government uses welfare to maintain power and control. The same goes for defense spending. A government that constantly intervenes in the affairs of foreign countries, needs a large, expensive military, and they need the connection to powerful defense contractors in order to maintain power and control.

Our interventionist government manages education, and now it's gradually taking over finances and healthcare. Government has controled energy for a long time. So, yes, this Medicare discussion is a bit small and empty in the context of everything government controls and spends our money on. Joe Scarborough says we can spend on the good stuff, education and infrastructure, but, by golly, we should come up with a long term plan to reform Medicare. The entire political class is empty.

Morning Joe 7/17/2012 -- Total bias

Has Joe lost control of his show? Will it now be Morning Mika and Her Happy Comrades? The show started out with a clip of Joe Biden making a speech regarding Paul Ryan's budget plan about how all the people Biden knows have no concern at all about long term debt -- they are only concerned with family and what government can do for their family. Joe Scarborough, separated from the Morning Joe crew, was allowed to give a rebuttal. Mika said Joe's rebuttal is fine when he, Joe, makes it, but some other Republicans don't have credibility. Then Stevie "Chartman" Rattner said that Joe is missing the fact that Ryan's plan for vouchers places old people on their own and that Medicare and Medicaid will be gutted.

So, Joe made a good rebuttal, then Mika and Her Happy Comrades said that Joe is right, but when other Republicans say the same thing, they lack credibility. This is how the Left obscures all issues. They personalize then demonize, while all the time ignoring what's true or false. The Left creates political truths and political lies based on what is advantageous for maintenance of power. Just as Biden says -- it doesn't matter how great the debt is -- it only matters that people get what they need from government. Biden is a con artist. Mika praised Biden and said he was right on. It's painful to watch this display of Leftist propaganda with no true pushback on the facts. Joe made his rebuttal then treated it all as a big game, laughing at how the Leftists would come back with their charts and claims of killing Medicare. There was no serious call for urgency surrounding this matter. Sam McKinnon was on and he should have pounded his fist on the table. Joe should have taken over and destroyed the ideas presented by Biden. Biden's philosophy will destroy the nation's finances, or complete the destruction. This is no game, not to the millions of people who aren't rich and settled financially for life. This type of financial irresponsibility can ruin the lives of tens of millions -- and Biden talks about what is good for the family! What a dangerous hypocrite.