I know that holidays and holiday weekends are supposed to be times to take vacations, move into relaxation mode, and spend time with loved ones. I also know that this is the paradigm built post-WWI when all the ex-soldiers wanted to do was recover from the war and the Great Depression, then WWII happened. They experienced an incredible amount of upheaval in their lives and tried their best to find a secure base so their children never had to re-live what they endured. This is part of how unions formed, and how workers decided they had sacrificed enough and it was time for them to reap some of the rewards they deserved for their families.
I know many people become more conservative with age, but it seems that, ironically, the current "Greatest Generation" have the greatest desire to dismantle public assistance programs, particularly the more modern versions (Affordable Care Act, 401(k)s, EITC, modified original food stamps (SNAP)). They are the ones who are living on VA benefits, Social Security, and Medicare, yet many are not in favor of Medicaid and other laws put into place to try to catch as many people as possible who would fall through the cracks of society otherwise.
There are some legitimate points. Yes, some of the other government benefits are provided according to financial or medical need rather than how much they've contributed in the past to the general fund. But logically, that was the whole idea of government subsidies. Providing for those who can't provide for themselves, we attempted to create a nation that doesn't abuse it's poorest and weakest citizens but would sustain them instead. This is part of the evolution of what that generation fought for; policies addressing social, economic, racial, and religious discrimination, and trying to improve America as a whole. Trying to address the deficiencies that would no longer lead to conflagrations, economic or military, like the Great Depression or the World Wars.
It's a semi-accepted theory that the Versailles Treaty and the following economic meltdown in Germany was a major factor in precipitating Hitler's rise to power. Yet in 1920's Germany, what if there had been the means to provide a level of basic care to everyone, even the poor? Much of the reason that such an extreme regime could rise was a backlash to the dreadful inflationary pressure and desperation of so many in the general populace. How would history have changed? I'm guessing quite a lot, but of course we'll never know.
Currently we are a far more complex creature as a nation than Germany was at that time, particularly since we have been very accepting in assimilating immigrants and experiencing the accelerated mixing of those cultures and heritages. Unfortunately this has caused a great deal of friction, especially since many immigrants are not wealthy. They come to try and make their fortunes, but life can get in the way, no matter how hard you work. We have the Statue of Liberty boldly representing that we are open to changes and welcome all who want to try their hand in our society; in many ways we've embraced that ideal with rhetoric but have a long way to go in practice.
Maybe it's just me, but I believe we should take care of those who seek a new life here and who truly believe in opportunity. If they succeed, wonderful! At the same time, we should support people who fall, either through disability, poverty, or lack of the opportunities that did not translate to the US. We should also take the same approach to our own citizens; you are American once you're here no matter what. I also trust that the sacrifices our country and military have made are vital to prevent an equivalent dynamic of either WWII or the Great Depression.
Our independence depends on supporting our military; our diversity depends on supporting our amalgam of races and religions that has evolved over a few centuries. Both are things to be proud of. Recent events (Trump) have not encouraged me in that respect, but I hope that in the end we have a leader who really believes in helping every person in our country, not just those who fit a certain ideal.
I guess we'll find out.
I know many people become more conservative with age, but it seems that, ironically, the current "Greatest Generation" have the greatest desire to dismantle public assistance programs, particularly the more modern versions (Affordable Care Act, 401(k)s, EITC, modified original food stamps (SNAP)). They are the ones who are living on VA benefits, Social Security, and Medicare, yet many are not in favor of Medicaid and other laws put into place to try to catch as many people as possible who would fall through the cracks of society otherwise.
There are some legitimate points. Yes, some of the other government benefits are provided according to financial or medical need rather than how much they've contributed in the past to the general fund. But logically, that was the whole idea of government subsidies. Providing for those who can't provide for themselves, we attempted to create a nation that doesn't abuse it's poorest and weakest citizens but would sustain them instead. This is part of the evolution of what that generation fought for; policies addressing social, economic, racial, and religious discrimination, and trying to improve America as a whole. Trying to address the deficiencies that would no longer lead to conflagrations, economic or military, like the Great Depression or the World Wars.
It's a semi-accepted theory that the Versailles Treaty and the following economic meltdown in Germany was a major factor in precipitating Hitler's rise to power. Yet in 1920's Germany, what if there had been the means to provide a level of basic care to everyone, even the poor? Much of the reason that such an extreme regime could rise was a backlash to the dreadful inflationary pressure and desperation of so many in the general populace. How would history have changed? I'm guessing quite a lot, but of course we'll never know.
Currently we are a far more complex creature as a nation than Germany was at that time, particularly since we have been very accepting in assimilating immigrants and experiencing the accelerated mixing of those cultures and heritages. Unfortunately this has caused a great deal of friction, especially since many immigrants are not wealthy. They come to try and make their fortunes, but life can get in the way, no matter how hard you work. We have the Statue of Liberty boldly representing that we are open to changes and welcome all who want to try their hand in our society; in many ways we've embraced that ideal with rhetoric but have a long way to go in practice.
Maybe it's just me, but I believe we should take care of those who seek a new life here and who truly believe in opportunity. If they succeed, wonderful! At the same time, we should support people who fall, either through disability, poverty, or lack of the opportunities that did not translate to the US. We should also take the same approach to our own citizens; you are American once you're here no matter what. I also trust that the sacrifices our country and military have made are vital to prevent an equivalent dynamic of either WWII or the Great Depression.
Our independence depends on supporting our military; our diversity depends on supporting our amalgam of races and religions that has evolved over a few centuries. Both are things to be proud of. Recent events (Trump) have not encouraged me in that respect, but I hope that in the end we have a leader who really believes in helping every person in our country, not just those who fit a certain ideal.
I guess we'll find out.
posted by AnonymousX at 10:58 PM
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