Poverty & Wealth

On poverty and wealth…

“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.”

“What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.”

“The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.”

“When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.”

“You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”

By Adrian Rogers, Southern Baptist Preacher (1931 – 2005)

How much money can be found in government WASTE???

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)

• $3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy in Detroit;
• $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service in Connecticut;
• $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, Iowa;
• $380,000 for a recreation and fairgrounds area in Kotzebue, Alaska;
• $143,000 for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association in Connecticut;
• $95,000 for the Canton Symphony Orchestra Association in Ohio; and
• $71,000 for Dance Theater Etcetera in Brooklyn for its Tolerance through Arts initiative.

Declaration of Independence the source of our individualism.

Thomas Jefferson's has stirring words that gave birth to our country: "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed ... with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."

This is the best statement possible of the America's creed of individualism. America is rightly described as the land of the individual -- of individual opportunity, of individual initiative, of individual rights. But what is the philosophic basis of this creed and thus of our country?

-as written by Edward Huggins on the

TAS: The Center for Objectivism

in the article

What Unites America? Unity in Individualism!

facebook friends speak out....

I posted this question as my status: - Lisa Beaudry is in IS class (Politics and Medicine) and we have a HUGE discussion on this question... help me out here friends....weigh in on this for me.... Is access to health care a right or a privilege???

I got responses from 10 of my friends. 5 say 'right'. 5 say 'privilege'.

Here are some of the responses:

'KH'-"I'd consider it a privilege if it was just given to us, but right if we're going to be taxed for it. If it's a privilege to have health insurance and reform is not made then would it also be a privilege to go into huge debt and bankruptcy because of health bills?"
'DR' - "Privilege. It's not an inalienable right in my eyes and not everyone CAN get treatment. To give away health care is a tried and tested way to ruin a system. You should have to earn your care."
'JP' - "we need reform, they said Social Security was a communist plot too!"
'BP' - "Right now total health coverage is a privilege for those who can afford it. For those who can't, it becomes a life and/or death situation."
'MO' - "I believe that seeing health care as a right is a big step toward treating people humanely."

--

Health Care reform is a serious issue, one that will effect each and everyone of us, our children, our children's children and so on...

we cannot turn this important decision over to those whose desires are not our own. We must work hard for a plan that will benefit all.

Lastly,
'MF' writes - "A right or privilege based on what? That you're alive or that you’re a citizen or that you're a contributing member of society? There's a big difference."

Right vs Priviledge???

"This is the big initial question of the class."
exclaims professor Hannewicz.

Is access to health care
a right or a privilege?

Health Care as Social Policy

When we as human beings, make taking care of each other in a health care setting, a social policy;

meaning, a person is not treated until the impact of said treatment is questioned as to it's impact on society;

I feel we begin to lose some of our humanity....

We make administering the program, more important that the ministering of the program.

Programs are administered, people are ministered to......

If we always question whether one deserves a treatment based on their worthiness, we can find numerous reasons to deny care....

and in actuality, if each of our personal closets and darkest places were opened to the bright light of day, would any of us be deserving of any care/treatment at all?

Electronic Town Hall Meeting with J. Matheson

Congressman Jim Matheson will be holding an "Electronic Town Hall Meeting" on matters of public policy on September 16, 2009 7:10 PM - 8:10 PM. To join the call at or after 7:10 PM, call (877) 229-8493. When directed, enter the PIN # 13304. You'll be able to listen in toll-free for as long as you like and, when prompted, ask the Congressman questions on the topic of your concern.

Please ask questions relevant to Health Care Reform as appropriate.

WBH