TheWiseOldFart

The only word which describes Washington today is chaos. This chaos was created intentionally by two men who hate their country. Thousands of men and women are living in fear, not knowing what will happen to them and their families as Musk continues mass firings. Musk, claiming to be the richest man in the world, although most with the knowledge achieved from reading facts believe that Vladimir Putin is by far the wealthiest man alive, has no interest in the average American worker. His only goal is to increase his already bloated and undeserved personal wealth. Trump has never displayed any interest in the plight of another human being in 78 years. One issue under great scrutiny is Social Security. America’s two greatest villains are already planning cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. However, Social Security is extremely unique, and if they make any changes to America’s only retirement program, it will be the commission of the greatest crime in our nation’s history. I doubt that the two ...

Republicans are wrong about nearly everything in the 21 st century. The biggest pile of bullshit they try to feed the American people is the lie about Social Security and Medicare: they are not entitlements. There are several definitions of the term, none of which apply to the programs Social Security and Medicare. [The right to receive a benefit or privilege, often granted by law or contract. For example, you have a legal entitlement to speak to a lawyer if you are arrested.] [The feeling that you deserve to receive something, without having to work for it or earn it. For example, "celebrities who have an arrogant sense of entitlement"] [A program that provides benefits to a specific group of people. For example, medical aid for the elderly and poor.] Fact: Social Security was originally entirely funded by the employer and employee through payroll deductions. Medicare was similar, although the percentage of deductions were smaller, and there was no way to anticipate the rid...

These two articles appear to have no relationship to the other. However, the truth is, they fit like a hand in a glove. “Trump backtracks on vow to lower grocery costs” “Mark Zuckerberg donates $1M to Trump after suppressing political content” I hate social media. Most Americans will believe anything if it fits closely with their own, uninformed beliefs. Mark Zukerberg, the owner of “Facebook/Meta, strongly supports Trump for one reason: Trump gives tax breaks to billionaires. However, he has no interest in the truth. This may surprise you, but the truth is, if Trump’s lips are moving, he’s lying. Not once in his lifetime has he told the truth in public. Now, let’s put one and one together. Trump will do nothing to lower the prices of necessities. However, everything will become more expensive if he places huge tariffs on imported goods. Billionaires own the corporations which produce our food and other necessary goods to maintain life. Zuckerberg is a billionaire. Need I say...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart I began working in 1962, at the age of 16. The owner of a gas station across the street from my church hired me for one dollar an hour. I was scheduled to work 13 hours on Saturdays. No such thing as overtime. I pumped gas, checked the oil level, made sure the batteries were filled with fluid, washed windows, and made our customers feel welcome. Inside the bay I changed oil, lubricated the undercarriage of cars and trucks, and repaired tires. I was never without a job after that first day at the gas station, with the exception of time spent in the U.S. Air Force until I was let go in 2008 from my job in a warehouse as America experienced the “great recession.” I looked for work for a while, but at the age of 62, no one offered me a position. Then, early in 2009 I saw an ad seeking individuals to work in the 2010 decennial census. I won’t bore you with the details, but my time in the working world ended before the last two months of 2010 became history. I had wor...

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Hospital, more than $26,000. Ride in a Fire Department ambulance, eight miles, more than $2,200.00. This was my bill for three-and-a-half days of medical care in Northern Nevada. My wife will be 74 this year; I am 78. Our only income is from Social Security. We pay our bills, and with about a 40 percent increase in our grocery bill, and a 60 percent increase in our gas and electric bill, we have nothing left at the end of each month. We paid into Social Security and Medicare for all of our working years, about 40 for each of us. We have not been able to pay for Medicare part B, and also pay our house payment. Why we should have to pay for anything after four decades of paying into the program, I will never understand. The United States is the only Country in the developed world without universal healthcare. Of course, I had some tests, but most of the time I was bedridden, never offered as much as a glass of water, only ice chips, and served food I...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. All that is needed is for me to take a single five-milligram pill every morning.   My wife and I cannot afford Medicare part “B” and belong to a group wh ich finds medical services for people without insurance at a reduced cost when we pay for services rendered in full.     A Perfect Example of how F**ked Up our Healthcare System has Become   I picked up my prescription at a loca l, large, chain, pharmacy. I paid $25 for a one-month supply. We are also Costco members. We called their pharmacy and inquired about their prices. The y do not have an agreement with our medical services company. However, a three - month supply of the same medication would cost me only $8.99 if we did not have insurance . We picked up my new prescription on Friday.   The Moral of this Story is “ Don’t Trust Government Sponsored Programs”   There is some hope in America that some of our corpor...

Op -ed by TheWiseOldFart   Most Americans Continue to Struggle   I begin with a serious question: when will the quality of life for all Americans become the focus of our nation’s government? I am an original baby boomer. I learned at a very young age that the end of WWII was the beginning of the next military conflict for America. As long as I can remember, our government and its military have been preparing for the next war.   America has Never Prepared for Peace   The truth is that in 2024, the American people pay the least amount of tax in the world of developed nations. Many of our wealthiest citizens and largest corporations pay zero dollars in taxes, or a very minimal percentage of their gross income s . The truth is that the United States tax code is 6,871 pages long. Most of those pages are “loopholes” for the super-rich, allowing them to reduce their tax liability.   The United States Spends Five Times More on its Military than All Other Nations ...