Among the issues most commonly discussed are individuality, the rights of the individual, the limits of legitimate government, morality, history, economics, government policy, science, business, education, health care, energy, and man-made global warming evaluations. My posts are aimed at intelligent and rational individuals, whose comments are very welcome.

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For "a human being, the question 'to be or not to be,' is the question 'to think or not to think.'" Ayn Rand

12 August 2009

Cash for Geezers Program

I saw a great cartoon in the 11 August 2009 Washington Times in the Commentary Section by Chuck Asay. It says:
Sometime, perhaps, in the not-too-distant future...
Someone in one of 3 minicars shown, says "They're finding tremendous savings in the health care business!", while driving into a huge complex with a guard and security fence and a large sign saying U.S. Government Eugenics Center. A sign out front says, "Ask about our CASH for GEEZERS program."

I wonder if this is not too optimistic. It assumes that at least some sort of trade in value will attach to our elderly. The implication is they will be worth perhaps as much as a trade-in clunker, say $4,500 or so. But clearly Obama already has advisers who do not think old people are worth that much. Assisting them in suicide is much cheaper and there is no need to provide aid to the United Auto Workers Union or to pretend to do the environmentally correct thing, so it realistically seems unlikely that senior Americans will be politically valued as highly as a clunker by our socialist government.

I might be wrong. If so, it will be because the environmentalists always say that man is the problem and we must reduce the population. Maybe, we are heading to a parallel with the Cash for Clunkers program in which well-functioning cars are traded in and destroyed for $3,500 or $4,500. The government can eliminate the older sick people by denying them health care. But how will they handle the problem of culling the population at the rate the environmentalists really want? Well, how about offering well-functioning older people a financial incentive to enter the government eugenics program? The pitch will be "Earn cash for your loved ones. You only have a short while to live anyway. So, leave a legacy. Leave an estate for your children and grandchildren by trading yourself in for a cash award."

Of course, Obama and his socialist hordes are bringing back higher estate taxes, so they will get a good part of this money back. They will save money on Medicare and collect a death tax also!

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