Trump America: Say Goodbye to Medicare
After the 2004 presidential election, Republicans were right where they wanted to be. A GOP president had narrowly prevailed, and he was eager to work with a House and Senate that were also controlled by his own party. And what was one of the top priorities for this ascendant Republican Party? At the time, it was privatization of Social Security.
This did not go over well. The public was not on board with the plan – many voters said it wasn’t what they had in mind when they voted for Republican candidates – and the privatization push not only failed, it sparked a rather intense backlash.
Twelve years after the last GOP sweep, Republicans are once again poised to take control of entire federal government, party leaders are establishing their new goals, and privatizing a popular social-insurance program is once again a top priority. In fact, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told Fox News’ Bret Baier yesterday that Medicare privatization is high on the party’s to-do list. New York’s Jon Chait explained:
Here we go. I tried to tell my many Trump family members that will need to or do rely on Medicaire that voting Trump meant this program would be attacked quickly. They have no way to pay for skyrocketing health care and this is essence is a huge Republican “Death Paneling” of poor Americans, including white ones. NO sense of history. No sense of reality. No sense of the Truth. All they watch is Fox News. This whole scenario has been played out before and this time I fear the Republicans have a scared and desperate enough base to actually be able to entirely repeal or effectively defang Medicare. I think even the 3rd rail of Social Security is in play. Overreach is a Republican expertise.
Long term, this could perhaps be good. With no or very weakened social safety nets, the setting and demographics could be set up around year 2024 for the US to finally join the rest of the civilized world and form a single payer health care system with a cleaner slate. Until then, good luck all you Trump voters who are only getting older. This is what you voted in. You are on your own.