For the past several days I’ve been listening to the talking heads, Right, Left, and Lame Stream, and I was caught by one of the talking points in the forefront. This was that we, the USA, can not ‘afford’ to support the social safety-net.  That is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA.

What came to me is that do they understand just what they are saying?  They are saying that the US of A is too poor to fund this programs.  That a country with $16.6 trillion in June 2013 (estimate) can NOT find the money to fund the social-safety net.  That it costs more than fighting wars in two countries half way around the world for ten years?  That it is more a financial burden than expanding the NSA/CIA/FBI/DHS anti terrorism intelligence? That we can afford massive farm, energy, corporate subsidies?

Do conservatives & libertarians really want to play the ‘poor mouth’ game?  If they do, I think they will rue-the-day.  History is full of examples of people saying they can’t afford to do something, when what they mean is that they can’t afford something with out giving something up.  To put it in a more personal way….What would people think of someone with income that is one fifth of the towns total wealth who says he can’t afford help out a close relative who has fallen on hard times?  Shades of Mr. Potter.

Think about it.