[tomder55]

you walk into a vaporizing booth when you start to become a drain on society.

Actually this is not a new thought Back in 1984 Colorado Governor Richard Lamm said it was the elderly's duty to die and get out of the way if they were ill ,rather than put a burden on the social health care system.

He thought just health care entitlements alone would bury the US . As modern medicine continues to save more of us from acute illness, it also delivers more of us over to chronic illnesses, allowing us to survive far longer than we can take care of ourselves.We become a burden to the "collective ".

Back then it was an outrageous thought . Now physician-assisted suicide is legal in some states and will probably be nationwide in a couple of decades.One of the arguments against it however is this very notion that elderly will feel pressured to off themselves under a sense of duty to society... a twisted moral reasoning or vicious social pressure.

But that just scratches the surface. Already in some socialist states doctors have become the arbiters if newborns live or die.
Log In Problems
And of course we have already debated the responsibilties to "society " of parents when deciding to bring to term babies known to have Downs Syndrome.

When health care goes universal there will be rationing of services because costs and availabilty of services will make some treatment prohibitive.

And that's just the medical entitlement.

Ben Bernanke last year warned the nation that we were facing a "fiscal crisis" in coming years if the government does not act soon to curb federal retirement and health care entitlement programs.By 2030, he said, spending under current law on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid could consume as much as 15 percent of the nation's economic output, double the current rate. Underwriting that could lead to a "vicious cycle," he said, as the nation borrows more to meet its obligations and spends increasing amounts to service that debt, leaving less for investors and consumers and slowing economic growth.

His exact words :
"If early and meaningful action is not taken, the U.S. economy could be seriously weakened with future generations bearing much of the cost".

He's not alone . A Congressional Budget Office study of the U.S. finances projects tax increases of 150%, with the lowest income-tax bracket going from 10% to 25% and top rates going from 35% to 88% to cover the gap in revenues to cover ever increasing entitlements. Investors Business Daily editorialized that

Allowed to grind on without real reform, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will do what no invading army or cabal of terrorists has done or will ever do: bring this mighty republic to its knees.

IBDeditorials.com: Editorials, Political Cartoons, and Polls from Investor's Business Daily -- Tax To The Max

This is more "elderly being an unnecessary burden on society".
It may should like science fiction now . But HG Wells was always ahead of his time.

[Blastoff]

"California will form the nucleus of what he calls "The Californian Republic," and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of "The Texas Republic," a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an "Atlantic America" that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls "The Central North American Republic." Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia."

I don't get it. What's the problem with any of that?

[TexasParent]

This is more "elderly being an unnecessary burden on society".
It may sould like science fiction now . But HG Wells was always ahead of his time.

I say kill the young ;) rather than let this elder prejudice take hold. Elders can do in half the time many things young people don't have the experience to do and will make more mistakes. Think of the built in experience elder people have. Drain on the economy, I don't think so; they've contributed more than the young have by their years in the economy.

The young don't deserve a thing, they haven't earned it. The elderly, they have lots to offer and have already served to make the nation greater while the young haven't done squid yet.

All of this is tongue in cheek by the way, just trying to make a case for the value of American's who have served the nation in a number of different ways. It's a crying shame that they will likely suffer from the mismanagement of all governments in securing them some dignity when the are too old or in ill health and can't help themselves.

[tomder55]

Don't worry the Brits are ahead of us.
Couples who have more than two children are being “irresponsible” by creating an unbearable burden on the environment, according to
Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the government's Sustainable Development Commission.He says curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming.
Porritt, a former chairman of the Green party, says the government must improve family planning, even if it means shifting money from curing illness to increasing contraception and abortion.


what an a$$hole !

[inthebox]

Actually this is not a new thought Back in 1984 Colorado Governor Richard Lamm said it was the elderly's duty to die and get out of the way if they were ill ,rather than put a burden on the social health care system.

He thought just health care entitlements alone would bury the US . As modern medicine continues to save more of us from acute illness, it also delivers more of us over to chronic illnesses, allowing us to survive far longer than we can take care of ourselves.We become a burden to the "collective ".

Back then it was an outrageous thought . Now physician-assisted suicide is legal in some states and will probably be nationwide in a couple of decades.One of the arguments against it however is this very notion that elderly will feel pressured to off themselves under a sense of duty to society.....a twisted moral reasoning or vicious social pressure.

But that just scratches the surface. Already in some socialist states doctors have become the arbiters if newborns live or die.
Log In Problems
And of course we have already debated the responsibilties to "society " of parents when deciding to bring to term babies known to have Downs Syndrome.

When health care goes universal there will be rationing of services because costs and availabilty of services will make some treatment prohibitive.

and that's just the medical entitlement.

Ben Bernanke last year warned the nation that we were facing a "fiscal crisis" in coming years if the government does not act soon to curb federal retirement and health care entitlement programs.By 2030, he said, spending under current law on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid could consume as much as 15 percent of the nation's economic output, double the current rate. Underwriting that could lead to a "vicious cycle," he said, as the nation borrows more to meet its obligations and spends increasing amounts to service that debt, leaving less for investors and consumers and slowing economic growth.

His exact words :
"If early and meaningful action is not taken, the U.S. economy could be seriously weakened with future generations bearing much of the cost".

He's not alone . A Congressional Budget Office study of the U.S. finances projects tax increases of 150%, with the lowest income-tax bracket going from 10% to 25% and top rates going from 35% to 88% to cover the gap in revenues to cover ever increasing entitlements. Investors Buisness Daily editorialized that

IBDeditorials.com: Editorials, Political Cartoons, and Polls from Investor's Business Daily -- Tax To The Max

This is more "elderly being an unnecessary burden on society".
It may sould like science fiction now . But HG Wells was always ahead of his time.

88% tax on the "rich"!! I wonder how many of the "rich" will stay in this country?:rolleyes:
;)




G&P