# I am Pitting the stupid question: Do you want to cancel Medicare? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079 "2009-08-28T20:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/41 "2009-08-28T21:25:27Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > You have to ignore the blips like 9/11 and the obama drop – the trend of moderately aggressive investment does better than 8%. Cds iare not a valid comparison. Ah, the Flaw of Averages. The average ROI for the market is X%. But depending on where you enter and exit the market, your ROI can be much, much different. By the way, as we talking about Medicare or Social Security here? I think I’m confused on the actual topic. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/42 "2009-08-28T21:26:04Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > So what do you do to average over $250,000 a year over 30 years and you can’t add 1.45 + 1.45? Must be an economist. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/43 "2009-08-28T21:26:09Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > Because what will happen is that when the gummit says "we are in the health/health insurance business and you will pay no matter what. Who told you this was the plan? Glenn Beck? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/44 "2009-08-28T21:27:07Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > By the way, as we talking about Medicare or Social Security here? I think I’m confused on the actual topic. We’re talking about Medicare, until he figures out that he’s totally wrong, at which point we’ll be talking about Social Security - which we were “actually” talking about all along. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/45 "2009-08-28T21:28:05Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > So what do you do to average over $250,000 a year over 30 years and you can’t add 1.45 + 1.45? Plumber? ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/46 "2009-08-28T21:29:52Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > Oh for fuck’s sake. > > I formally accuse freedumb2003 of either being a troll, or just being a rampant idealogue who didn’t come here for discussion, but to try to wag his conservative dick around. I am a proud Conservative and certainly am not trolling – it looks like there are more than a few of my fellow patriots here and a little e3xtra right lean won;t hurt you (but it is good to know I scare you). I have been 100% honest in my opinions – formulated over years and years of working and political analysis. If I am too right-wing for the board, the mods can toss me off and I will just chalk it up to an incorrect assumption that this is aplace where both sides can speak. If my love for America and disdain for Socialism is upsetting to YOU then I guess I am in the right place. I have years and years of posting on other boards, so I am no stranger to heated political discussions with all political stripes. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/47 "2009-08-28T21:30:56Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Plumber? I laffed. > [@freedumb2003](#): > > I am a proud Conservative and certainly am not trolling – it looks like there are more than a few of my fellow patriots here and a little e3xtra right lean won;t hurt you (but it is good to know I scare you). > > I have been 100% honest in my opinions – formulated over years and years of working and political analysis. If I am too right-wing for the board, the mods can toss me off and I will just chalk it up to an incorrect assumption that this is aplace where both sides can speak. > > If my love for America and disdain for Socialism is upsetting to YOU then I guess I am in the right place. > > I have years and years of posting on other boards, so I am no stranger to heated political discussions with all political stripes. I laffed again! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/48 "2009-08-28T21:31:29Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > I am a proud Conservative and certainly am not trolling – it looks like there are more than a few of my fellow patriots here and a little e3xtra right lean won;t hurt you (but it is good to know I scare you). > > I have been 100% honest in my opinions – formulated over years and years of working and political analysis. If I am too right-wing for the board, the mods can toss me off and I will just chalk it up to an incorrect assumption that this is aplace where both sides can speak. > > If my love for America and disdain for Socialism is upsetting to YOU then I guess I am in the right place. > > I have years and years of posting on other boards, so I am no stranger to heated political discussions with all political stripes. Dude, you’re a walking stereotype and exactly the kind of conservative a bored liberal would make up to try and make conservatives look bad. Cut it out – there’s a good reason there’s only one Stephen Colbert. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/49 "2009-08-28T21:32:51Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > I think that it is appropriate to refund the employer contribution to the employee who worked to create it. Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn’t … Well, which do you think is more likely? “Gosh, now we can give every one of our employees a 1.45% raise,” or, “FREE MONEY!” Most of them would keep it. What about people who aren’t in your (apparent) state of well-offness? People who make $12 or $20 an hour for the bulk of their careers and have to raise children on that? ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/50 "2009-08-28T21:33:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > We’re talking about Medicare, until he figures out that he’s totally wrong, at which point we’ll be talking about Social Security - which we were “actually” talking about all along. Not a problem. No one under the age of 50 will ever see a dime of SSI – it is just a millstone tax that provides nothing to the payer. I gave up on that years ago. But it appears SSDI got conflated into my figures – recalculating (I bet it still better than what medicare can do after 45 years…) ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/51 "2009-08-28T21:35:00Z")
I’m afraid to point out that not everybody has the same amount of money. Because that would be pretty communist. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/52 "2009-08-28T21:35:24Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > This completely disingenuous question is so full of assumptions and general crap that liberals would use it. > > Let’s finish the question: “If not, do you want your money (taken at a point of a gun) back?” > > If I got back the money I put into Medicare for my working life I could invest it into a conservative set of investments and pay for high quality medical insurance for the rest of my life and have money left – no government needed. > > (my first Pit – I welcome the inevitable fallacious lefty “arguments” but if I did this wrong place or thread type for this board/category I really want to know. I would appreciate it if the two were not conflated). The point is that most of the people who are asked this question do NOT want to eliminate Medicare. The question is asked in order to show the supposed hypocrisy of those who rail against the idea of government provided health insurance, but do not want to eliminate Medicare. Whether or not they’re really hypocritical, as opposed to ignorant or simply not thinking things through, is a legitimate question, but it’s hard to deny that they are at least being inconsistent. A typical citizen attending a town meeting may simply have not thought things through, but I find it difficult to see someone like Michael Steele as anything but hypocritical. Obviously people who would want to eliminate Medicare (such as yourself) are consistent and are not being hypocritical. Good for you, but there are a lot of people out there who are not that consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/53 "2009-08-28T21:36:20Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > Why do you hate America? Why do you hate Americans? ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/54 "2009-08-28T21:37:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Dude, you’re a walking stereotype and exactly the kind of conservative a bored liberal would make up to try and make conservatives look bad. Cut it out – there’s a good reason there’s only one Stephen Colbert. I am a standard issue Conservative. Hard work should be rewarded, allpeople are created equal and should be treated equally and Government should do what only Government can do. I believe that the USA is the greatest country ever in the existence of man and that Socialism will doom it, and that is the plan of the current TOTUS-readng wanna be furhrer-puppet. So what do you object to? My believe in the USA? My belief in hard work? My belief in equality? My belief in liberty? Like I said, here I am. I am who I purport to be. If I am too left for the board, the owner(s) need only ask me to leave. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/55 "2009-08-28T21:38:15Z")
Ok, that tears it. Parody. ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/56 "2009-08-28T21:38:43Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Why do you hate Americans? I only hate those who would undermine her and drag her down. Like the current administration and most democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/57 "2009-08-28T21:39:10Z")
> [@freedumb2003](#): > > Not a problem. No one under the age of 50 will ever see a dime of SSI – it is just a millstone tax that provides nothing to the payer. [SSI](http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/) is a separate program. It’s for younger, disabled people. So, now we’re juggling three government programs (Medicare, SS, SSI). Clever analysis. Really, this stuff is just insanely easy to look up. Do a little research beofre posting, will ya? ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/58 "2009-08-28T21:39:45Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > Ok, that tears it. Parody. !00% real. Google me… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/59 "2009-08-28T21:41:31Z")
“TOTUS-reading”? Huh? ---
**Author:** ![freedumb2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@freedumb2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freedumb2003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079/60 "2009-08-28T21:43:15Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > [SSI](http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/) is a separate program. It’s for younger, disabled people. So, now we’re juggling three government programs (Medicare, SS, SSI). Clever analysis. > > Really, this stuff is just insanely easy to look up. Do a little research beofre posting, will ya? OK – 3% of 50K is 1500 – over 45 years at 8% (again a reasonable rate given history) is nearly $700,000 – still enough to buy private health care, especially if it continues to earn It doesn’t change anything and I should never have let myself get dragged down into irrelevancies. If a politican asks “who wants to get rid of Medicare” the proper response is “do you want to refund us?” Which was the original point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-pitting-the-stupid-question-do-you-want-to-cancel-medicare/508079.md?page=4)