We Need More "Henry Ford," Capitalists

Who makes sure that rich men treat you fairly?

No one, and you think that Democrats will? Just look at Facebook

In my 72 years, Democrats have done more to help working people have a level field with the rich and powerful, than have Republicans. Capitalism works better when capital is flowing through the economy, not when it is being scooped up by those who already have most of it. The latter is what caused the Great Depression. Every economic downturn in my life started with government-sanctioned greed. It is like the Japanese legend of Paku. He was a boy whose appetite was so great that he ate the Universe and died of loneliness. When the rich hog ALL the money, what circulates through the economy, energizing capitalism? Nothing. If modern Republicans were capitalists, I would support them. They don't, so I don't.

As a matter of fact, Ronald Reagan's revamp of Social Security in 1983 reduced my benefits by about one-third of the amount paid to most other people who paid in the same amount I did. But, the pension I paid into and other planning on my part, allows me to live comfortably. But, calling Republicans "capitalists," is like calling the radical extremists in that party who believe there is a massive conspiracy of pedophiles targeting Trump. The Republican Party lost its last vestige of real conservatism when Richard Nixon recruited racists from the Democratic Party in his Southern Strategy. As for my capitalist street cred, I ran the business operations for my Father's catering trucks from my Sophomore year in High School. From my Junior year on I also bagged groceries after school at the local Thriftimart. I have operated small side businesses most of my working life. Do yu\ou even understand why the radical extremists running the right win assault on Social Security that creates the image of retirees as modern-day "welfare queens," sucking at the federal teet? They are trying to sell voters on another tax cut for the richest Americans. If you are not a millionaire, you are the worst kind of working person. You are so mixed up that you think calling on everyone to pay their fair share to maintain the greatest economic engine in history is unfair to the rich.

Can you possibly have a conversation without insulting people, calling them names, etc? The law that took away my benefits was introduced by Reagan as part of his reorganization of Social Security in 1983. I have worked for over 25-years in private industry. My Social Security benefit per month should be about $1500. I get under $1000. Why? Because I also worked for the VA for 28-years. I paid into the Civil Service Retirement System for those 28-years. Reagan's logic was that since he was in charge of both programs they were the same. Since the benefits earned were from two separate programs for two separate periods of employment and paying into one does not entitle me to anything from the other, there is no "double-dipping." The only reason to take the money I earned from my private sector employment was to punish me for being a Federal employee. I had this conversation with former Republican Congressman Ed Derwinski from Illinois back in 1988 when he was Secretary of Veterans Affairs and was my boss. We had a long conversation during a lull in activities at the annual convention of The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, during which he asked me why I was not a Republican. He agreed with me that this was the hidden reason for his legislation. He apologized to me. Your dismissive attitude based on my age is indicative of a probable tendency on your part to be a practicing bigot. Have a great day.

Reagan's law made my Civil Service Retirement the only impediment for me receiving my full Social Security benefit. The amount I receive from CSRS does not matter under the law. If I worked for Company X and paid into a company retirement system, not one penny of my SS benefit is withheld. David Stocl\kman said at the time that they were trying to make Federal employment less desirable. You can rewrite history to fit your current bias, but Reagan was anti-worker, especially federal worker.

I'm talking about current democrats, not past ones, the past ones were fine