On Friday the 29th of July, 2011 during C-Span’s Washington Journal it was revealed that the Social Security Trust Fund has a surplus of $22 Trillion while various politicians have indicated there is only $2.6 Trillion in the trust. This is a difference of $19.4 Trillion and would indicate all the rhetoric of how Social Security is a ponzi scam, is going broke, needs to be overhauled or done away with all together is not true at all, but rather it is a robust federal run insurance policy for the American people to ensure their livelihood during retirement.

Below is a transcript of the pertinent discussion between C-SPAN moderator Susan Swain and Peter Coy, the Bloomberg Businessweek Economics Editor. Please Note how Coy was apparantly not expecting information of a 22 trillion dollar surplus.

SWAIN: Let me turn from that to the thesis of your cover story, which is “Why the Debt Crisis is Even Worse Than You Think.” It’s accompanied by this chart or graphic which I’d like to put on the screen which is the debt deluge in which you show what everyone is talking about and what everyone should be talking about which is the fiscal gap what’s this all about

COY: Fiscal gap is a different way of measuring out problems Everyone focuses on the national debt..which of course is important to focus on but, the national debt is backward looking it tells you what’s obligations have already accumulated
What it doesn’t tell you fully is the debt to come..or the obligations we are incurring now based on the way we’ve created formulas for social security, medicare and medicaid. If you look at those and you go out into the indefinite future.to make sure that there’s not some kind of accounting problem on the distant horizon..you find that the gap…between everything we expect to receive –tax revenue– and everything we expect to spend is $211 trillion …trillion dollars…stated in today’s dollars

SWAIN: So, what does Washington do with that?

COY: Well, what you do is what people have been talking about doing. You’ve got to tackle the entitlements because that’s by far the bulk of the problem. Entitlements of course being social security and medicare. You also have to tackle medicaid. You also have to deal with the outlying years. You have to create formulas that will be sustainable. And you have to figure out how to something about healthcare costs which are rising at a rate that’s unsustainable, presumably by changing the incentives. You know, this has been said on C-Span and elsehwere but it’s not just talk it’s like the economists that look at the longterm future say if that doesn’t happen things just kind of blow up. Even 212 trillion wouldn’t be enough.

SWAIN: Well one thing just to note..as you’re saying Social Security is part of the solution. In this illustration you have here…social security…taxes..is, uh…let’s see…one side is revenue and one side is debt. It shows social security in a surplus. Right? In what it receives….132 in versus 110 trillion? Am I reading that correctly? [Coy responds, "Yeah."] So, people might…who argue social security should be set aside…we’ve paid into, it it’s really solvent for right now. Why should that be part of the discussion?

[Transcriber's note: The left side of the chart (debt) reads, "Social Security $110 tn." The right side (receipts) reads "Social Security taxes $132 tn." (see mentioned chart)]

COY: That’s a…That’s a good point. The social security numbers are…the trust fund for Social Security is not the crucial issue. That’s why people say that Medicare is where the bigger problem…but, Social Security…um…[is] probably going to have to have a higher…um…retirement age..but, you know…funny thing…I think…I think that’s a good point you’re making there, and I’m going to go back and look at that more closely for next week’s story.

SWAIN: Well, thank you very much for outlining the concerns of the financial market, which you say right now are more muted than you expected, and for giving us some background on your cover story, “Why the Debt Crisis is Even Worse Than You Think,” as Washington continues to find a solution for the current debt ceiling. Peter Coy, joining us for Bloomberg Business Week, thanks for your time.

Peter Coy did not offer a correction like he told Swain he would, but rather repeated his call for Social Security benefit cuts and went further to state he viewed Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”

The 22 trillion surplus revealed by Susan Swain should carry Social Security far into the future, so why are politicians so eager to place it on the chopping block? The answers to this question will have to come from Washington, but we can go back to 1983 to reveal what might be motivating the politicians to now come after the federal insurance policy that Americans have been paying into starting with their first real jobs.

In mid 70′s it became evident that Social Security was facing a crisis, on May 12th 1981 then President Reagan with no prior attempt at Congressional support proposed a series of cuts among which would reduce benefits to those choosing early retirement, i.e.; a 30% cut to someone retiring at 62. AARP, the AFLCIO and many other interest groups successfully opposed Reagan who didn’t have the support of Congress or the American people.

Reagan countered by creating a bipartisan 15 member National Commission on Social Security Reform in September 1981 to come up with a plan to save Social Security by the end of 1982. In hindsight one has to wonder if this was really a plan to save Social Security or part of the now well known ‘starve the beast’ plan to be played out in the future. But I digress and that question will have to wait for another time.

This commission was chaired by Alan Greenspan, who had served on President Ford’s Council of Economic Advisors as Chairman and who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. The members of the commission where picked by Speaker of the House Thomas P (Tip) O’Neil (Democrat), Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (Republican) and President Reagan (Republican), all of them chose both democrats and republicans.

Among other things the commission recommended the raising of the Social Security Payroll taxes, this would allow the lowering of the income tax rates since Social Security would now be funded entirely with its own tax. It should be noted that this new tax was a regressive tax, meaning the poor paid a disproportionate amount of their incomes into Social Security versus the rich and the income tax is a progressive tax rate where the poor would pay lower rates while the rich paid higher rates at least in theory.

In 1983 the government decided it would sell the excess Social Security monies taken in back to the government in the form of bonds and when the baby boomer’s started to retire they would raise income taxes on the rich to give the government the money to pay back the borrowed monies from the Social Security trust fund. The raising of taxes on the rich is scheduled to happen in 2018.

But apparently Washington at some point started taking money from the trust fund that was needed to keep Social Security solvent. This is evidenced when President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner both told the American people that they could not guarantee checks would go out to the disabled and elderly on time if the Aug. 2nd 2011 Debt deadline didn’t have an agreement on raising the debt ceiling. Either the money wasn’t in the trust to be drawn against or they were both lying.

In light of President Obama offering Social Security up for cuts, the hinting of things are far worse than they suspected, all the comments coming from Congress of a discrediting nature regarding Social Security, in particular Sen. Simpson’s remarks and insisting the Super Committee stick to the submitted numbers while considering cuts I think it can be concluded that Washington has decided they don’t want to pay the monies back they borrowed from the American people.

Our Government apparently thinks it’s alright to spend the monies of the sick and elderly, both present and future to finance tax cuts to the wealthiest, bailed out their buddies in corporations, tripled defense spending since the Greenspan Commission while waging two unpaid for wars and additional military operations in upwards of 120 countries. Who do our leaders think they are to spend the monies that so many are depending on in their retirement? If you don’t have money to spend it is never alright to take it when you don’t have intentions to pay it back!

Interestingly some of the Corporatist who have received our trust fund money have launched campaigns trying to discredit Social Security with their own money or should I say with our trust fund money they’ve been paid by our politicians who now seek to forever take what is rightfully the American peoples in lieu of the hard choices of reigning in their run away military spending and wars that the Corporatist profit hugely from.

Pete Peterson is one such Corporatist who has spent a billion dollars in his effort to discredit Social Security. There are many of them who are supported by corporate media in their efforts to smear the American peoples retirement insurance, social security, but yet where has the media been in exposing the truth of why they want to destroy social security? They have been largely non-existent in educating the American people in what’s been going on with our trust fund money and the intentions of not repaying the borrowed money so they can continue raping the lower 98% of wage earners to finance their corporatist wars as well as other projects.

We have the Federal Reserve lending money to banks at 0% interest while the banks turn around and buy government bonds earning 3-4% interest that comes straight off the top of America’s wealth further devaluing our Nation or they loan the money to small businesses and private citizens again making profits on usury while not paying any them self.

It is time we the American people demand an Audit of the Social Security Trust Fund, complete with monies taken in and monies taken out in any form. Along with detailed information how any monies taken out was spent, i.e.; to include government agencies & civilian agencies (both foreign and domestic) with detailed accounting of exactly how all monies have been used. As well as demand that all monies be repaid per original conditions of the Greenspan Commission or sooner if the need exists to keep our trust fund solvent. Further we demand that all proceedings in these matters be public and that Washington cease and desist from spending any further trust fund monies on anything other than Social Security Administration and payments to eligible retirees and those disabled as soon as possible until this audit of accounting has finished.

Washington needs to keep the promises made in 1983 by raising the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans and paying the other 98% of lower income Americans the money they borrowed and in some cases so frivolously spent to the benefit of their corporate donors!

I urge everyone reading to sign the petition, pledge to promote the petition on social media as often as you’re able encouraging all to join us. I have spent an incredible amount of time researching and collating this article, I can’t promote this petition alone, I need your help and this should be across party lines as we all stand to lose and the cover-up and deceit has been a bipartisan effort.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for joining me in taking our country back!

Recommended Reading & Research Sources:
1. a. C-Span Washington Journal (07292011) – Telephone lines were open for questions and comments on news of the day. Bob Cusack and Peter Coy spoke about debt and deficit reduction legislation that was withdrawn from confederation in the House late the previous evening. b. C-Span Washington Journal (08042011) – Peter Coy, Bloomberg Businessweek, Economics Editor discusses his recent Bloomberg Businessweek cover story entitled “Why The Debt Crisis is Even Worse Than You Think.”
2. Daily Kos – $22 trillion Social Security surplus revealed on C-SPAN
3. Democratic Underground – $22 trillion Social Security surplus revealed on C-SPAN
4. Sherrie Questioning All – Washington Journal – Social Security is very well funded – Peter Coy of Bloomberg calls it an entitlement and says cuts need to be made – but is set straight by truth in Video!
5. Sibel Edmonds’ Boiling Frogs Post – The Unanswered Question of “Social Security Surplus”
6. The Christian Science MOnitor – Social Security crisis? Not if wealthy pay their way
7. Social Security Online – a. Greenspan Commission: Report of the National Comission on Social Security Reform, January 1983. b. Research Note #20: The Social Security Trust Funds and the Federal Budget. c. News Release Social Security Board of Trustees: Projected Trust Fund Exhaustion One Year Sooner.
8. Forbes – What Happened to the $2.6 Trillion Social Security Trust Fund?
9. Mother Jones – Alan Simpson, Social Security Illiterate
10. AlterNet – Our Commando War in 120 Countries: Uncovering the Military’s Secret Operations In the Obama Era.
11. FAIR (Fairness And Accuracy In Reporting) – Pete Peterson’s Media Empire Conflicts are OK when you have an anti-entitlement agenda
12. Center For Economic And Policy Research – Tell Market Place, Peter Peterson Spent $1 billion of His Own Money to Cut Social Security.
13. Ratigan Blasts Banking Ties; “Corrupt Congress”

Not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only $30K over your working life, that’s close to $220,500. If you calculate the future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer’s contribution) at a simple 5% (less than what the govt. pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working (for example), you’d have $892,919.98. If you took out only 3% per year, you’d receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30 years (until you’re 95 if you retire at age 65) and that’s with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you’d have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month. The folks in Washington have pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madhoff ever had.

Entitlement my foot, I paid cash for my social security insurance!!!! Just because they borrowed the money, doesn’t make my benefits some kind of charity or handout!! Congressional benefits, aka. Free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days, now that’s welfare, and they have the nerve to call my social security retirement entitlements? We’re “broke” and can’t help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless ,etc.!

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, and Turkey. And now Pakistan……home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a ‘fixed income’ receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of billions of $$$$$$’s and tons of food to foreign countries! They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives and now when its time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place? Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave ‘US’ the same support they give to other countries. Sad isn’t it?

99% of people won’t have the guts to forward this. I’m one of the 1% — I Just Did
____________________________________________________________________________

This is a forwarded email, I don’t know the author, but they are obviously one of us.

If you want, get out your calculator and do the math, it is correct, the only factor I see that isn’t included is administration costs and I would think that shouldn’t be covered by the interest with money left over.

Please share this article with all you can, it is imperative that we make as many aware as possible.

The Forest was the first to launch a petition (June 29th, 2011) issuing an ultimatum to the White House and Congress that if they touched Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid they would lose the petitioners vote. Our effort was followed by others with watered down pleas in the form of just asking, which escalated to ultimatum’s weeks later to more closely become what our first and only petition started as. In time I think we will find that it was the petitions accompanied with ultimatums that began to have effect on our Washington leaders, I purposely don’t qualify this comment with ‘some’ as I think time will show it affected the shifting of focus off of the Big 3 (Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid) to all but the Leaders elected on the Tea Party platform.

For weeks now The Forest has been screaming on the Social Networks that we need to hold Washington accountable on many different points:

a. The Department of Justice needs to investigate and prosecute War Crimes of Late President George W. Bush’s Office.

b. The Department of Justice needs to investigate and prosecute all responsible for the Wall Street debacle that caused the economy to crash in 2009.

c. That Congress needs to keep their oaths of office to uphold the constitution and just raise the debt ceiling disregarding ransom demands coming from the right.

d. That the President stop acting like a Moderate Republican in reference to his offering of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to negotiations for a budget demanded by the Republicans to accompany a debt ceiling increase.

e. The Department of Justice needs to investigate and prosecute all in Washington that are committing treason by failing to uphold their oaths of office, i.e.; not upholding the Constitution of the United States of America.

f. The President needs to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, Iraq & stop all military action and aid in or to Libya, if we cannot afford to keep our promises to Americans we cannot afford corporatist wars!

g. That the Democratic Party Primary the President since he refused to defend key progressive issues to those who hold America hostage with demands before they will increase the debt ceiling.

But yet, the paid machines, Trolls and Propagandists, of both sides continue to be believed and defended staunchly by many on the Social Networks. I have not been out front with every truth, but I have been out front with enough for those that follow The Forest here and on the various social networks should stop defending those I push against and get vocal to force change. We cannot afford the time it is taking for people to slowly realize I speak truth and then be turned again by the Propaganda Machines.

The simple truth is we have a class issue in America, the majority of the super rich want more and are willing to take from the middle-class and the poor, the majority of the middle-class want more and are willing to take from the poor, leaving the poor entering a reality that they are literally going to die as a result of poor diet and increased costs of health care because of the indifference and sometimes contempt held for them.

I cannot nor would if I could force you to take action against the insanity that prevails in Washington, but I will warn you, If you are not with me than stay out of my way! I will no longer tolerate the name calling and smear tactics coming from those paid to do just that or from those brainwashed into thinking I betray the lies they defend unknowingly.

Lastly to the Civil Action Groups and my fellow bloggers, The Forest operates under the Creative Commons license, meaning you can use or modify anything found here, but you must credit The Forest. I am sick and tired of being first and others taking the credit for my actions and conclusions.

Jane Hamsher, blogger of firedoglake, certainly blasted President Obama, while a guest on MSNBC’s Ed Show, with an accurate depiction of his actions and intent with the ‘Gang of Six‘ and their $3.7 Trillion proposed cuts to the Deficit¹.

It was awfully quiet on the Social Networks yesterday, the Obamabots as well as President Obama’s ardent partisan before truth democrats weren’t saying much and certainly weren’t making the trolling attacks² so common from some of them on any who criticized the president even when it was an honest depiction of events or statements. This was certainly a change of form, a welcome change to us progressives who put truth before partisanship who have been being attacked by trolls for weeks now. I actually found myself feeling sorry for them and limited my blasting of the Presidents thus far right of center endorsed fiasco’s.

There was some murmuring still of it’s a bluff the President is playing and people let them have their little delusions I think for the aforementioned reason of pity.

It is a sad time in America when politicians orchestrate such theater for the American people; for I think that’s exactly what it was, theater, a show to scare Americans into thinking it is just as bad as they say it is. And the really sad part is, where are the investigative reporters like the Watergate uncovering Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward? We could sure use a few of them today…

Sadly today over 90% of mass media is owned by five corporations³ resulting in suppression of some stories that hit the mega-corporations in the pocket book, a hit they take very seriously. Sen. Sanders eloquently explained this connection in his over 8 hour filibuster on a hot Washington day⁴.

It is difficult for me to speak against a President who I campaigned, voted, supported financially and was campaigning for again before he continued to break campaign promises⁵ but I am committed to reporting as honest an assessment of events possible in the position from which The Forest is capable of operating.

If we are ever to break the hold the mega-rich and mega-corporations have on our beloved country, America; we will need to increase our civil actions in every way we can conceive to do, including talking in the streets, the department stores, grocery markets, knocking on doors, etc. trying our very best to educate Americans encouraging them to likewise be active.

If we can’t commit to do this Progressives, in my opinion it will only continue to get more difficult the greater the grip of the elite becomes over time. Do not be deceived, the corruption in Washington, the State Houses and local Municipalities increases day by day…

1. Gang of Six – Summary of the “Gang of Six Plan”.

2. the trolling attacks – ‘The Paid Trolls Among Us…‘.

3. five corporations – Media Reform Information Center.

4. Sen. Sanders filibuster – …A Thousand Cuts.

5. boken campaign promises (from liberal source) – Promise Broken rulings on the The Obameter.

As one encounters the Progressives found across the many Social Networks, they might find themselves confused or dismayed at the variances of what should be a rather simple ideology to recognize. Is it that definitions, boundaries, have changed or simply we have many proclaiming or posturing in the Progressive Ideologue when in reality they aren’t what they claim?

Then again, it might be that they are so caught up in their Partisanship they have lost sight of the ideology having fallen prey to the fear that their dream is lost due to betrayal while they refuse to accept they were duped and played a fool. Sadly this scenario has played out over the millennium’s far too many times, vanity is a cruel and hateful creature robbing us of our dreams and credibility as well if we remain deceived for too long a time…

Another very real possibility, the firmly rooted partisans might not all be what they claim, they might really be the opposition party infiltrated with the sole purpose of disrupting with their weapon of choice, lies and misinformation. Now I don’t want to create paranoia¹ or disruption in the progressive movement, but in that I am a verifiable progressive I will not turn my back allowing the opposition to hinder or defeat our efforts.

We know that the Right has training camps and pays trolls to disrupt the Lefts efforts² but it seems most are forgetting or don’t know this or don’t know things to look for that will help them identify these plants. Below I’ve added several links of articles and discussions to aid in the detection of these trolls³, I would only add a paid troll probably won’t use their name or if they do it will be a fake, they know that if any investigates deeply enough they will be uncovered. The Right Wing is not stupid or they would not have been able to deceive so many all these years allowing the rape of the American economy, but mistakes are made occasionally though we shouldn’t let down our guards waiting for someone else to solve the problem. The problem with spies and plants has been around for millennium’s and is likely to be around as long as humankind is in competition with one another.

As fate would have it, I ran across such a troll today on twitter, called Obamabots by antagonists. I think you will find it is a text book example of a troll, they start off by trying to shame, escalate rapidly to insults, name calling (of which I finally joined in by calling them what they were, a troll), blame shifting, etc. I have removed their name and I have no way of knowing whether or not they are paid though I feel it is a very strong possibility, they refused to reveal their name so I am prevented from doing any kind of background investigation. The person who will be identified as ‘troll’ in the in sequence exchange on twitter represents them self as a college graduate and lawyer, I think all will conclude their profile information is a ruse since it is clear they have no debating skills. The only purpose I can see for them to say they’re a lawyer is to put them in awe to others and establish a credibility even though they are relatively new to twitter with low following and follower numbers. Lastly even if they had given a name without some way to verify the information was true, I would still be left with nothing concrete to work with.

• Troll: “@The__Forest: Touch Social Security, Medicare -You Won’t Get My Vote #p2 #topprog #tlot”/ R u as deaf as Teapub? Did u miss Pres speech?
• Me: @Troll When you’re rude and name calling turns off hearing, did u know that? I support progressive ideology alone, want to try again?
• Troll: @The__Forest I’m sry if u felt I was rude. It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t say u were stupid & didn’t understand the Pres. speech.
• Me: @Troll Are you paid to attack Progressives who Defend Progressive Values? Why would I believe someone who has lied already? Real Name?
• Troll: @The__Forest Oh stop. Are u being paid by the Kochs to attack the Pres in the face of facts. Go bk to Jane Hampsher echo chamber. I was civ
• Me: @Troll My name & real address is easily found with a whois of theforestappb.org, what is your real name so I can do a background check?
• Troll: @The__Forest: @Troll Are you paid to attack Progressives who Defend Progressive Values? Real Name?” FASCIST MUCH????
• Me: @Troll Go Read The Forest a Progressive Political Blog and find one iota of support for right wing ideologue, your real name please…
• Troll: @The__Forest go to hell, fascist. I’m not giving u my real name.
• Me: @Troll You see the real me, you attack my real progressive values, I want to see the real you miss anonymous voice, why hide who you r?
• Troll: @The__Forest u want 2 do a background check on me? I’m not applying to u for a job. U have a lot of nerve. R u insane?
• Me: @Troll Go Back in Your Hole Troll, My Public Record Is Unblemished Progressive Support, How dare You Attack Me Anonymously, u r nothing
• Troll: @The__Forest b/c this is a free country & I can twitter anonymously if I choose. Ever hr of rt to privacy?
• Troll: @The__Forest I didn’t attack ur values until u attacked mine. I think that u don’t understand politics.
• Me: @Troll America Has Had Enough Of Your Politics! Do You Make A Habit of Assuming?
• Troll: @The__Forest that may be true, but it doesn’t stop politics from existing. Especially b/t politians.
• Me: @Troll U Fly N The Face Of All Suffering 2 Obtain Prog. Values By Embracing A Policy Of Anominity While Accusing 1 Standing Revealed!
• Troll: @The__Forest that doesn’t even make sense.
• Me: @Troll Finish Whatever You Have To Say & Then I Block Your Rhetoric Forever From My Twitter!
• Troll: @The__Forest I’m sry that u have such a control issue. But I c this is ur prob w/Pres. I tried to be civil w/ u. I’m disap. u feel need 2 bl

As you can see the troll was relentless with name calling, mis-focus, finger pointing and outright rudeness, yet lastly it was I who was accused of being controlling. Less than an hour after the attack on me, the same troll attacked another voicing a core progressive value that called the President’s actions into question. This time the progressive said they were sorry they were only pointing out something that went against their beliefs… The Troll was successful in shutting down a voice they found to be opposition, not with reason, but rather shaming tactics and insult.

Whatever the reasons, deceit or denial, the results remain the same; in one respect a disruption ensues that silences many who choose truth over partisanship, as well as further carries deceit to those who are followers by nature, the ones who join the crowd never really taking the time to investigate or learn independently.

If we are to hold to our core progressive values we should prepare ourselves for such encounters and make sure we win the day. You might not have it as easy as I did since I own a dot org that allows my name and address verified through the U.S. Post Office who requires Identification for P.O. Box’s, but you can still win by just ignoring as best you can the spewed rhetoric and stick to facts referenced as core progressive values.

1. Paranoia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism)
2. Paid Right Wing Trolls. (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/29/932182/-EXPOSED:-Astroturfed-Teabaggers-PAID-TO-TROLL-liberals-online-to-enforce-corporate-propaganda) (http://www.antifascistencyclopedia.com/allposts/are-right-wing-trolls-paid-to-dumb-down-online-conversations) (http://mollysmiddleamerica.blogspot.com/2011/02/paid-trolls.html) (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2704378/posts) (http://www.femisex.com/content/the-obama-machine-and-his-paid-trolls-deceive-web-readers)
3. How to recognize trolls. (http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?t=29361) (https://www.unitedstatesmilitia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2798) (http://forum.noblerealms.org/viewtopic.php?id=3554) (http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/12224)

John Adams, Founding Father & 2nd President of the United States. Before becoming President in 1797, John Adams built his reputation as a blunt-speaking man of independent mind. A fervent patriot and brilliant intellectual, Adams served as a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress between 1774 and 1777, as a diplomat in Europe from 1778 to 1788, and as vice president during the Washington administration.

All this rhetoric we hear about socialized medicine, the founding fathers did not intend [insert any of their attack points on this issue here], liberals are destroying the constitution, etc. coming from the Tea Party and GOP is quite simply nonsense and they know it.

It turns out our founding fathers were really not much different from the progressives of today in that they thought the government should try to look out for the people when it was shown it was needed to be done. So when you hear the likes of Paul Ryan¹, Michelle Bachman², Sarah Palen³, etc. speak about the founding fathers know that it is just rhetoric to inflame their base with the use of misinformation, lies and hate!

The Tea Party and GOP is using religion to divide our country when they know it is unconstitutional to enact laws of a religious nature upon the people, they keep citing the Declaration of Independence⁴ and its use of ‘God’ and ‘Creator’ knowing it charges religious zealots to follow them for the sake of their religion. When the truth is you should think of the Declaration of Independence⁴ as the music and the Constitution⁵ as the words of the song.

The Constitution⁵ is the Law of America and the word God, Creator or any other referring to a Supreme Being does not occur within it. One of the reasons the colonial Americans came here was to escape State Religion that is why they wrote the clause for separation of church and state. History tells us that it was forbidden to believe any other way than that which the European state told one to believe and those who strayed were persecuted, sometimes severely or even put to death. The founding fathers wanted to make sure that did not happen here, this is why no one religion can dictate what all the people will have to endure.

James Madison declared, “In framing a system which we wish to last for ages, we should not lose sight of the changes which ages will produce.” The founding fathers realized they could not know all the places America would find itself in the future so they worded the Constitution⁵ with care knowing that it had to be a flexible document in some areas though firm in others. For the most part their efforts were a success, but from time to time debates must be held to ensure our country stays on the path allowed by our governing laws. It is shameful that Politicians try to subvert and some are not even familiar with it or the history that surrounds it, but this I think is a testament to the people and their laziness to investigate thoroughly, the media failing to get the truth out and in some cases deceitful people wanting to impose their will upon others with acts of deception.

From Forbes:

The ink was barely dry on the PPACA [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] when the first of many lawsuits to block the mandated health insurance provisions of the law was filed in a Florida District Court.

The pleadings, in part, read -

The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage.

State of Florida, et al. vs. HHS

It turns out, the Founding Fathers would beg to disagree.

In July of 1798, Congress passed – and President John Adams signed – “An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen⁶.” The law authorized the creation of a government operated marine hospital service and mandated that privately employed sailors be required to purchase health care insurance.

Keep in mind that the 5th Congress did not really need to struggle over the intentions of the drafters of the Constitutions in creating this Act as many of its members were the drafters of the Constitution.

And when the Bill came to the desk of President John Adams for signature, I think it’s safe to assume that the man in that chair had a pretty good grasp on what the framers had in mind.

Read more at; http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/17/congress-passes-socialized-medicine-and-mandates-health-insurance-in-1798/

1. Paul Ryan said, “We are challenged to answer again the momentous questions our Founders raised when they launched mankind’s noblest experiment in human freedom.” See Paul Ryans speech in Oklahoma Apr 2, 2010.
2. Michelle Bachman, CNN: Rep. Michele Bachmann flubs history during Iowa speech. See youtube video.
3. Sarah Palen, she doesn’t have a clue. See youtube video.
4. Declaration of Independence, download in Adobe PDF format here.
5. United States Constitution, download in Adobe PDF format here.
6. An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen, download in Adobe PDF format.

08/22/2011 — The urgent political climate we find ourselves in has hampered my getting much done on the blog. I have had to choose between trying to write or pushing progressive values I see in danger on the social networks, obviously I have been hard at work at the latter.

I will try to better use my time so I can catch up on my writing, I have several ‘from the editor’ articles I’d like to do as soon as possible. Again while I’m on the subject of writing I would like to encourage all of you to consider writing an article, whether it be a view, an experience or happening that can further our views or a news story. As long as it is factual and progressive it would be much welcomed by both myself and the readers as well.

Lastly I’m still having health issues but they do appear to be lessoning somewhat. I appreciate all the well wishes and encourage all to fight for progressive issues.
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06/28/2011 — I apologize for the lag in loading speed, my provider is trying to force me into upgrading to another package. I will upgrade, but not with them as I find the approach underhanded. Sorry but it will be a while longer as my site is paid for by myself and the advertising doesn’t bring in hardly anything.

I would also like to apologize for the inactivity, as some of you know I have heart disease and I have not been well. I am still not well but feel it is important to get this message out about how urgent it is that you contact your representatives and the President urging them not to give in any more to the blackmail of the right!

I would also like to welcome the new members and again encourage you to comment with your thoughts or questions. I even welcome spirited debate from the opposition as long as it remains civil and all realize I might not respond right away due to my health. I will respond though when able and answer any questions within reason.
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05/18/2011 — Added two new blogs to the link page, they are both southern. Captain Plaid based out of Auburn AL and Stop Republicans Now based out of Texas, please support all progressive bloggers by visiting their sites participating, following them on the social networks. It is important that we stand UNITED both to win in 2012 and to send a wave of fear to the opposition, Thank you.
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05/17/2011 — Added ‘The Cost of our Wars’ counters to the right sidebar for any interested in keep up with it.
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05/16/2011 — ‘Subscribe to the feed via email’ is fixed so you can now get update notices in your email, sorry it took so long to be fixed.

I would again encourage any wanting to Author an article to do so. You will need to have an account and be logged in, then click ‘Add New’ – ‘Post’ on the bar at the top of the window. Your post will be added after it has been reviewed, usually the next day. You will find the login/register link near the top in the right sidebar.
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05/08/2011 — I changed the site template yesterday so we have a new look to the site. I am also trying to setup OpenID to make it easier for all to submit posts and to comment. (I encourage all to comment on articles and if you have a story you can put in article form you feel should be told please submit it. It will be reviewed and added to the blog as long as it is progressive in nature and doesn’t contain profanity or other obvious offensive material.)
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04/19/2011 — I apologize that we are still experiencing problems with page loading lag, page unavailable and other errors. The server hardware was recently upgraded and these problems are a result of those upgrades. I hope the problems will be solved by the technicians soon, but if they are not I will move the site to another server.
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04/17/2011 — On another note I apologize for not offering more stories of interest on the site. As some of you know, I am disabled due to heart disease and currently I am having problems with fluid collecting around my heart. While this condition is not life threatening in my current case it sometimes requires me to be inactive, trying to relax, due to feelings of drunkenness and no I am not hitting the bottle. I am taking medication and have an appointment with my doctor so hopefully this problem will be resolved soon.
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04/15/2011 — The Forest aPPB is currently looking for people with writing skills to contribute by submitting articles of political interest in Alabama and it’s various cities. If you are interested please contact The Forest and submit something for consideration along with; your location, area of interest, etc. If your work is consistent with current political issues or actions in Alabama void of a GOP bias access will be given to you to publish directly from the site. Please understand that you will not receive payment for your effort, but your efforts will be greatly appreciated and a service to the progressive movement. At this time The Forest aPPB is in its infancy and is not even paying for itself.