Great post and I appreciate it. Here's my response;
Taxes: From the standpoint of "it won't affect me" I don't care if taxes get raised on people making over $250k/yr. My only concern there is many of those people are small businesses reporting their business income on their personal tax returns. That aside, it is my understanding that even if you took all the money the "millionaires and billionaires" make it wouldn't run our Federal Government for more than about 3 months. So somebody else is gonna have to pay. As for those people paying less than the middle class; If a person earning $500,000/yr pays a 15% (lowest rate), that is $75,000 paid in taxes. If I make $60,000/yr and paid the same 15%, that is $9,000. So how does the rich guy pay less?
As for the FairTax, it is actual legislation and you can check it out at www.fairtax.org. It doesn't raise or lower taxes on anyone, it merely replaces the mechanism through which we fund our Federal Government (i.e. income taxes are eliminated). Those who consume more will pay more. You should read the book, it is really good (and short).
Healthcare; I agree everyone should pay their own. I thought the original problem was healthcare costs were "getting out of control." The Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA) doesn't address that. I agree that insurance companies shouldn't be able to dump someone who then can't get coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Here's my biggest problem with the healthcare system; you pay $300/month for health insurance, your employer pays in $400/month also. That's $8,400 paid to the insurance company every year on your behalf. You go to the doc 'cause you can't shake the crud. You pay your $35 copay, the insurance pays $80 to the doc for a total of $115. For that privilege the insurance co. is getting $8,400 annually for you. Multiply the company's portion times the number of employees and it can be huge. As a former employer, there was no way I could offer that for my people.
If the Affordable Healthcare Act was such a great deal, why did the Federal Government issue waivers for over 100 employers (such as McDonald's)? Yes, something needed to be done, but I doubt the AHA is the silver bullet. Maybe I'll be wrong.
Abortion; Just don't make me pay for it. I'm against abortion for my family, but won't tell someone else whether or not to get one. I just don't think tax dollars should be used to fund them.
Marriage; I don't care what people do in their own bedroom. Just don't tell me I have to accept the behavior as normal. We were going along in life and with all we have to deal with a very small percentage of the population has now told us WE must accept their beliefs and conform to their desires. But my faith tells me to love thy neighbor. So I will.
2016 Movie; I saw it, but in my opinion it only offers a perspective of why the President is making the decisions he's making. It wasn't anything new for me.
Foreign Affairs; After our Ambassador is killed in Libya, I believe we shoulda blown the place into oblivion. I know that sounds harsh, but my experience tells me that other nations don't play nice. They don't have rational discussions and then compromise. I've seen it.
Every person I've ever met in the military is against war (including myself). However, somebody will be the world's military superpower. If not us, who? I personally don't want our nation to be at the mercy of other nations' militaries.
I don't think Christianity has anything to do with political choices.
I do not believe the President can relate to most of us. He's never held a private sector job where he had to work his way up from the bottom. He's never (until being elected where somebody else handles most everything anyway) owned/operated a business where he had to make payroll and struggle to pay the taxes, withholding, health insurance, utilities, employee issues, etc.
The President never served in the military, so he certainly can't relate to the sacrifices those people have made.
If you say the President CAN relate even though he's never walked in my shoes, do you also believe others who've not walked in your shoes CAN relate to you?
I believe the fact that President Obama went off and played more golf in three years than GWBush played in eight years is an example of his lack of concern. The fact that the First Family took lavish vacations and threw huge parties at the White House early in his presidency is another example of how he doesn't relate to what the rest of us are dealing with.
He is our President and I'm not saying what could've or would've happened under a different President. But I hope we can continue this type of discussion.
