A Re-thinking of ‘Social’ Programs is Needed

Social programs have become the favorite ‘evil’ of conservatism. Planned Parenthood is one of the latest to fall under the scrutiny of a small group of short-sighted, narrow-minded individuals who think our federal government should not fund an organization who is providing health support for the poor.

Republicans, hiding behind a false curtain of moral outrage, would have us believe that our tax dollars are being used for something as heinous as ‘killing babies’. Bringing down an entire organization – and negating all of the good that organization provides - over services that makeup only 3% and is not backed by government money, amounts to morality legislation.

Republicans should re-examine the morality of spending our tax dollars on:

• their re-election campaigns. Political campaigning has become big business and should be funded by tax dollars.
• a defense budget that perpetuates the American empire and creates huge profits for war-mongers.
• supporting corporate welfare for corporations who don’t pay one cent in income taxes. Job creation benefits them without the government giving them anything.
• http://front.moveon.org/which-corporations-are-the-biggest-freeloaders/?rc=fb.fan
• funding Wall Street bankers whose immoral greedy actions nearly destroyed our economy. Make them responsible for ensuring their success, not the tacpayers who cannot afford to participate in their greed.
• Covering higher prices for prescription drugs for Medicare and Medicaid. If the negotiation of bulk drug prices for participants was the government would save a lot of money.
• support a penal system that does more harm to society than many of the inmates. Drug users need medical treatment not incarceration.
• a failed drug war. The legalization of marijuana cut wasteful spending and create a new tax source.

Cutting back and re-directing funds from those traditionally over-budgeted programs mentioned above, which are ultimately limited in their benefit to society as a whole, and investing in the lives and well-being of those of us who are supporting those programs through the forced taxation of our hard work, would go a long way towards restoring our faith in our political system and our belief that we are working for something more than just preventing the loss of our homes.

The most urgently needed – and severely under funded - ‘social program’ that could provide the most benefit to society is an improved education system. Our children need to be taught how to respect themselves and each other in order to help prevent the further break down of our societal network. They need to be taught tolerance of opposing religious views and cultural differences. They need to learn anger management which would lead to an desperately needed improved social skill set. They need to learn our political system in order to provide better representation than what we currently have. They need to learn the concept and benefit of ‘common good’ as opposed to the current trend towards the more selfish ‘me first’ attitude that is shipping away at the foundation of our society. They need to learn self sufficiency and self reliance so as to not depend on government handouts.

Another direction in which our spending would do more good for society is in a free flow of information. Infrastructure funding should include a free internet, much the same as we do with our library system. Our citizens should not have to pay for access to news. Free wi-fi, spread out across the entire world would greatly benefit this so-called ‘new world order’ and the ‘world market’ that is trending now. A well informed public leads to a more stable and strong society.

Our political leaders are being bought off and the focus of government is being redirected towards protecting corporate America instead of the citizens who actually pay for it. As a result, we are more hated around the world today than we have ever been. More of us are losing our homes and jobs than at any other time in our history. More Americans are preying on one another in the pursuit of ‘monetary riches’ which sadly has become a more highly regarded measure of success than education, morality and conscience. We focus our intellect on ‘celebrity adulation’ instead of honoring those individuals who actually do some good for society. We choose to anesthetize ourselves with drugs and alcohol instead of life. We alienate ourselves from our neighbors because we are too afraid of being taken advantage of. Our freedoms are being systematically stripped from us in pursuit of more wealth and power.

Our democratic government was setup for the protection and benefit of all Americans, not just the wealthy. If our elected officials want to prove to us that they follow what the founding fathers laid out for us – and it is going to take a lot more than just reading the constitution at the start of congressional sessions - they need to take a hard look at what benefits we taxpayers have remaining.

Re-direct our tax dollars back to us. The wealthy can afford to support themselves without financial help from us. Let them do so. Now that would be change I can believe in.