A note to those who sneer at Medicare for All

Some people sneer at Medicare for All because it is “unaffordable” or “unnecessary,” or some other non-reason. They sneer at Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders for backing MfA.

For those people, here is an all-too-common situation:

Community Brings Hope to a Homeless Neighbor
November 19, 2019
Written by Shannon Toliver

When neighbors Melissa and Jenn were out shopping one day, they came across an elderly woman living in a car with two dogs. By reaching out and uniting their Pennsylvania community, they were able to change this woman’s life in a matter of hours.

Upon approaching the car to ask if she was okay, they discovered Lynn, a retired pharmacist and longtime member of their community who insisted she was fine despite spending the past two years living out of her car due to family losses and piling medical bills.

Although they did not know her, Melissa and Jenn were determined to hear Lynn’s story and help her get back on her feet.

Lynn’s life took a turn when her husband passed away suddenly at just 47-years-old, leaving her with no family beyond her two dogs.

Later, Lynn suffered a series of strokes along with breast cancer rendering her disabled and unable to work.

Lynn had to downsize to a small apartment in order to afford her medical expenses, but soon fell behind on payments and was left without a home.

While evaluating her options, Lynn found out that she did not qualify for additional assistance and could not find affordable housing. Homeless shelters were not an option as she could not bear to part with her dogs.

With no alternatives, Lynn and her two dogs moved into her car with a few remaining belongings. Once the dogs were fed and she had saved enough money, she would take a monthly shower at a local motel and drive around to avoid running into past neighbors and colleagues.

“I didn’t want to have to explain to people that I don’t have a home.

“You feel like somewhere you had to have failed. You accomplished all this but now here you are in the gutter and you don’t want people to know. You don’t want to ask for help,”

Despite her efforts to remain out of sight over the years, Lynn was running out of food and water and decided to accept Melissa and Jenn’s help. The neighbors posted her story on Nextdoor and called on their community to help.

The post gathered hundreds of supportive comments and some neighbors even shared that they, too, were once homeless. Kind neighbors brought Lynn homemade meals, pet food, and clean laundry while local businesses generously donated services such as car detailing, a haircut, and dog grooming.

Eventually, the community raised enough money to house Lynn and her dogs in a fully-furnished studio apartment that had been paid off for the next two years.

Melissa and Jenn surprised Lynn with the apartment in a heartwarming video sharing that, “It was unbelievable the way our community came together.”

Lynn was brought to tears as she thanked her neighbors.

She told ABC News, “It wouldn’t have happened without these angels. I just want people to realize that this can happen to anybody. I had a good job. I had good retirement but I got sick and health insurance only covers so much.

“I have no children. I have no family. I had nowhere to turn. Sometimes, just the kindness of strangers just makes all the difference in someone’s life.”

For the first time in years, Lynn now has a home for the holidays, supportive neighbors that stop by to drop off meals or walk the dogs, and loving friends to spend Thanksgiving with.

Stuff happens.

If this, or something like this, has not happened to you, count yourself as fortunate. Most of us live our lives in ignorant bliss, thankfully not having to contemplate a future with limited money and poor health.

In America, the richest nation in world history, this never needs to happen, but it does because the “haves” cannot empathize with the “have-nots.”

Blaming the poor for their circumstances is a convenient way to rationalize widening the income/power/wealth Gap below us.

No folks, Medicare for All is not “unaffordable.” And Social Security is not destined to be “insolvent.” And anti-poverty aids and free college are not “unsustainable.”

These are the lies, based on Gap Psychology, to justify widening the Gap. The people who spread those lies have no hearts, no compassion.

Kind neighbors helped one woman with their own money. The U.S. federal government could help millions of needy people, and use no one’s money.

The people who argue against this — the federal debt fear-mongers — should feel shame for their callous cruelty.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty
Twitter: @rodgermitchell
Search #monetarysovereignty Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

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The most important problems in economics involve:

1. Monetary Sovereignty describes money creation and destruction.
2. Gap Psychology describes the common desire to distance oneself from those “below” in any socio-economic ranking, and to come nearer those “above.” The socio-economic distance is referred to as “The Gap.”

Wide Gaps negatively affect poverty, health and longevity, education, housing, law and crime, war, leadership, ownership, bigotry, supply and demand, taxation, GDP, international relations, scientific advancement, the environment, human motivation and well-being, and virtually every other issue in economics.

Implementation of Monetary Sovereignty and The Ten Steps To Prosperity can grow the economy and narrow the Gaps:

Ten Steps To Prosperity:

1. Eliminate FICA

2. Federally funded Medicare — parts A, B & D, plus long-term care — for everyone

3. Provide a monthly economic bonus to every man, woman and child in America (similar to social security for all)

4. Free education (including post-grad) for everyone

5. Salary for attending school

6. Eliminate federal taxes on business

7. Increase the standard income tax deduction, annually. 

8. Tax the very rich (the “.1%”) more, with higher progressive tax rates on all forms of income.

9. Federal ownership of all banks

10. Increase federal spending on the myriad initiatives that benefit America’s 99.9% 

The Ten Steps will grow the economy and narrow the income/wealth/power Gap between the rich and the rest.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY