General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If You Think the Democratic Party Is Not Doing Its Job, [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)Democrats are the people doing the work, and not tearing down what works. The numbers I quote with links below show the many millions they serve and how they are helped by Democratic policies, which have been hampered by Republicans for decades.
The links below have been updated to show more participatns, legal changes and scrubbed a bit. For those who are not familiar with these programs, some overlap and some do not.
We are talking about well over a hundred million people getting the essentials of life right now. Not everyone needs these.
Contrasts between the Libertarian and Democratic Parties. Here is some info:
In 2012, over 56 million Americans will receive $778 billion in Social Security benefits.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/basicfact.htm
Medicaid is the nations largest health program in terms of number of recipients, serving 56 million to Medicares 48 million.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicaid/index.html
More than a third of Americans lived in households receiving government assistance in 2010.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/07/news/economy/government_assistance/index.htm
More than 46.6 Million Americans Participated in SNAP in June 2012
http://frac.org/reports-and-resources/snapfood-stamp-monthly-participation-data/
The Libertarian Party Platform on Welfare:
http://www.lp.org/issues/poverty-and-welfare
The Libertarian Party Platform on Health care:
http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Libertarian_Party_Health_Care.htm
More Libertarian, Paul, Tea Party ideas that Democrats don't want:
Libertarians believe that taxes should be abolished along with all the programs and departments that taxes fund. Libertarians dont believe in Medicare. Libertarians dont believe in Social Security. Libertarians dont believe that there should be fire departments, police departments, public transportation, grants for education, unemployment, disability, food stamps, and every other type of government system and assistance that you can think of.
Libertarians wish to eliminate taxes in order to eliminate all of the above programs and more. Libertarians believe that without these taxes, individuals will have more money in their pockets and will be able to afford all of these things. If someone is unable to provide themselves or their family with school, health care, or food, people need to rely on family members, church, or a private charity.
Libertarians believe that governments role in the market should be to protect property owners rights. There should be no FDA, equal employment opportunities, unions, minimum wage, payroll taxes, safe food handling requirements, consumer protections, regulations that protect against financial conflicts of interest and fraud, and business licenses.
Libertarians believe that business owners should have the right to deny entry to minorities and/or women and/or people with disabilities, if that is how business owners wish to run their businesses.
http://deni-edwards.hubpages.com/hub/Defining-a-Libertarian-Ron-Pauls-Political-Platform
That there are those who are not getting services, is not the fault of the Democrats, but Republicans.
It is they who cut the funding, because like Libertarians, they do not believe in taxing and paying for those who fall through the cracks, just let them go to the soup kitchen. The people who experience feeding a homeless person can go home afterward. But the poor are not helped by short term means, but by Democratic programs.
Those determined to change society are not in waiting for the future, but involved right now, as the needs of people cannot wait. People die when the government shuts down services.
Social Security and Medicaid keeps millions of people many will never meet, and have no idea exist, off the streets. Yet they disapprove of those who are doing the work to keep them alive and well, because it's a 'statist' thing. Because it's not ideologically pure enough.
But it's real, and taken for granted. Those people are real, and being taken care of by these programs. It has made too many feel complacent, as if those things were set in stone. They never are and need our help to keep going.
Compromises are made, which those who know people in the system know keep people alive now. People in need of a place to live, medical care and food to eat don't deserve to have to wait for people to visit and serve them food. We know that they need it everyday, just as they need a healthy living place and the security of knowing that it's going to keep coming. They need the government to do it, not individuals.
Democrats know taking care of millions of people is not something should be dependent on private charitable acts. That a social infrastructure needs to be in place for people that the vast majority of people do not know, have never met and whose needs are not temporary and cannot be taken care of during a few days visiting them and some that most people do not want to spend any time with, period.
Democrats are and do and will continue to help more people than charity ever will. Libertarians have a plan to end all government so there will be no votes needed. All back to the good old boys and corporations to say how our lives will be led. Their vision is just fine for those who can afford to stand tall and mock the people doing the work.
Ironic how those telling people to not vote for Democrats reflects exactly and facilitates the goals of the Libertarian party and GOP/Koch brothers plans for the poor, elderly, disabled and homeless.