Think about it, all you Tea Party people out there! (Not that they'd ever read this blog, however...)I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
*Social Security
*Medicare/Medicaid
*State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
*Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
*US Postal Service
*Roads and Highways
*Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
*The US Railway System
*Public Subways and Metro Systems
*Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
*Rest Areas on Highways
*Sidewalks
*All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
*Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
*Public and State Universities and Colleges
*Public Primary and Secondary Schools
*Sesame Street
*Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
*Public Museums
*Libraries
*Public Parks and Beaches
*State and National Parks
*Public Zoos
*Unemployment Insurance
*Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
*Treatment at any hospital or clinic that ever received funding from local, State or Federal government (pretty much all of them)
*Medical services and medications that were created or derived from any government grant or research funding (again, pretty much all of them)
*Socialist byproducts of government investment such as duct tape and velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
*Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
*Foodstuffs, meats, produce and crops that were grown with, raised with or that contain inputs from crops grown with government subsidies
*Clothing made from crops (e.g. cotton) that were grown with or that contain inputs from government subsidies
*If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care
*I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:
*Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
*The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
*The government-operated Statue of Liberty
*The Grand Canyon
*The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
*The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
*All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC
~~~
You forgot to mention Antiques Roadshow!!! lol
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellie. I linked to the site, downloaded the pledge and made several copies for a few outspoken friends of mine.
ReplyDeleteMy mom is not a tea party participant, yet. She is also worried about progression of social programs in this country.
ReplyDeleteWe find ourselves on different sides of most issues. She isn't wrong. The Sweeds and Danes have free markets. They are capitalists. They have democraticly elected governments. They also have large social programs. They tax heavily to pay the the programs. It is considered to be a tax and redistribuiton of wealth. My mother and I are American Danes.
Like the Sweeds, Danes and most of post industrial Europe, our economy is a mixture of socialism, captitalism and communisum. The issue is the degree.
There are lots of Americans that don't want to have their wealth taxed and redistributed. They aren't crazy, just scared and mad.
Would I like to see health care more accessable and affordable? Yes. But at it's best. This will only provide better health care for people that are already at the top 25% of wealth in the world. Children in Africa, Asia, India...will die from lack of basic clean water and simple diharea.
Before I get too worried about health care, which only impacts me and mine, I'd like to see everyone in the world have basic food, clean water, adequate shelter and less fear of war, torture, and rape.
So, to my way of thinking we are closer to the tea party folks than we like to admit. They don't want to give up what they have to pay for someone else.
I wonder how much I would give up just so somebody else might have enough?
I am fifty. Close to 75% fo the people in the world only live to be 45 or 50 years old. Every year I live form now is a privledge of my wealth.
These is the conversations my mother and I have been having lately: Confessing our fears and finding our common hope for all peoples. We have stopped arguing about health care and started to talk about the bigger picture the human family.
I think we are getting closer to understanding each other. We may find more common ground.
Peace,
Debra
Yes, I'm with you, Debra. I'm 60 and I'd have died when I was two if I hadn't been given massive doses of penicillin just in time so I really have the sense that the last 58 years have been a gift - yes, due to wealth.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and your mother are getting along better. That's good news.
Ellie,
ReplyDeleteI quit fighting with her about ploitics and started to listen to her with my heart open.
The change is all about my meditation practice and the Lojong classes.
Meditaion Matters.
Thank you,
Debra