Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
FDA
I'd like to thank the Game and Wildlife for making sure that I don't get trampled on by any elephants. They are really on the case and doing a good job of that!
Mercury levels huh? Funny because pregnant women are instructed to not eat any fish because of the fear of high mercury levels. It's not the responsibility of the FDA. So no wonder you think they are doing a great job! You could say they are doing a great job of investing money for retirement.
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is responsible for all the food. They are doing a crappy job.
Strange, since the FDA is doing a bang up job.
So the melamine, peanut, tainted meat of one of the largest food processors was the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service doing their jobs? No, just like the CIA and FBI after 9/11, they FAILED the citizens they said they would protect from harm.
Again, I'm hesitant to believe that the government will be able to take care of me when the time comes.
I'm not for pell mell and this disastrous picture you paint. I'm suggesting allowing people to choose different programs that have different competitive points. Let someone opt out of the current program if they choose. If they don't choose, they stay with the current program. Allow banks and investment services to compete for the very same thing against the government. Let the SSI target a 4% return and the markets perform in a manner that is appropriate with a product that gives 4% return minimum and if the performance is higher, allow for higher returns.
|
Just because the government as a whole hasn't always done a good job with the duties it has now doesn't necessarily mean we'd be better off without it. I fail to see how we'd be safer without the FDA, for instance, even if they often do make mistakes. Furthermore, I would argue that part of the reason that these agencies have done so poorly is that one of our major political parties has gravitated towards the idea that all government is bad government, and actively campaigned to remove the regulations meant to keep us safe, and placed completely incompetent people in positions of authority (witness 'Brownie' and FEMA). Government *can* work, and absolutely has a place in our society. See the obvious examples like the military, etc. that Will mentioned above. We're responsible for making sure the government does its job well. For me, that means never, ever voting Republican, at least until and unless that party is cured of it's idealogical disease.
Mercury contamination, as well as so many other problems are as bad as they are *despite* the EPA - how would there be less mercury contamination without the EPA?
WRT social security - let's say you get your wish, and it's abolished, or people can opt out. What do you propose we do with those people who, according to you, were foolish enough to not plan for their retirement? (A bleeding heart liberal such as myself might timidly suggest the possibility that some of them were simply unlucky)
Let them starve? Hold a spring cleaning every year to clean out the corpses and personal effects of the elderly who couldn't afford to keep the heat on over the winter?
Do you think private charity will take care of all of them? It never has in the past. Is this generation that much more noble and giving than past generations.
Social Security was created specifically to help solve the problem of the elderly poor, who for whatever reason have lived past their ability to take care of themselves financially. It is far from perfect, but it's provided security, health (along with medicare/medicaid), dignity, and longer life to probably millions of people.
Where are these countries where so many elderly people live so well without the benefit of social programs like social security?
Conservatives love to go on about personal responsibility. And I agree, personal responsibility is absolutely necessary. However, it's a plain and simple fact that some people simply aren't able to provide for themselves. My answer is that we (the rest of society) have a moral obligation to help them, and I like to call the method for us to come together to solve that problem 'government'. The government of, for, and by the people. Charities are great, and absolutely necessary, but they don't cover everything, and I don't believe they would if the government suddenly stopped providing social security, or whatever other programs you're against.