We need to educate each other on how other wealthy nations take care of their people

[CreekDog]

1) that we are the wealthiest nation of all
2) that our programs to get people through unemployment and illness and tragedies are less than dozens of nations (though they have less wealth than we do)
3) that our tax rates bring in too little money to support our massive defense and the programs we actually have (which are inadequate)
4) that taxes can be raised in the long term (like after our recession) and we can prosper as other nations have (Germany, Norway, etc.)
5) that our defense should be proportionate to the threats we actually face now and conceivably will face

Overall, we need to make sure we Americans know that:

1) we can fix health care --many, many other nations have "fixed" health care with incredible results for far less cost
2) we can fix the personal crises that recessions cause for people, this is being done in other places
(layoffs and recessions for our peers in places like France, Germany, etc. are not crises the way ours often become)
3) our people need to look at what we have (huge wealth) and what we do for our people (far less than most wealthy countries) and what we do for defense (far more than is necessary)
4) the solutions aren't complicated, other nations have solved them in many ways --when we say they're complicated, it's evidence that someone hasn't looked around

Look around the world, we have examples of solutions and we have resources any nation would be envious of with which to implement solutions here.

Universal health care, updated infrastructure, accessible education, higher paying jobs, protection of the environment...

All within our grasp.

To let that go is something that our posterity will always remember us for --for ignorance and cowardice.

So, next time someone parrots the cable-net wisdom that we have to give up Social Security or can't afford health care --you set them straight and begin a one on one discussion about what other countries have done and what a nation like ours should be able to do.

[OHdem10]

1. Excellent ! We first have to find Congressmen and Senators

in numbers who agree with these things.

[Mimosa]

2. K&R Excellent OP n/t

[Supersedeas]

3. the tax rate proportion to defense expenditures is a glaring example

if the superwealthy want, the working classes to protect their precious assets here and overseas, then maybe they should be willing to pay their fair share of the defense obligation.

Instead, we fight and die in their wars, pay their taxes, work for a smaller and smaller portion of a working wage that they are willing to pay before outsourcing their labor needs and terminating their US work force, and then they want to dismantle any social safety net to boot.

Their fidelity to Capitalist profits trumps any loyalty to American patriotism.