YIKES! We're Already Socialists!

In 1935, Congress debated and voted on the establishment of Social Security. Of course, Social Security is a government run program, providing what is essentially a base pension for retired American workers, although even some supporters were/are reluctant to use the term “pension” regarding the monthly payments. The program has been amended various times, and since 1935, has added disability payments, among other things, to its support of many Americans. The program required payments into the system by both workers and employers.

Prior to its enactment, many older Americans were extremely vulnerable to the ravages of poverty, and company pensions were fairly rare in those times. Now, has it always been funded properly? No! Have company pension plans always been run properly? No! Remember, in recent years, the auto companies, for example, owed worker pension funds a bundle!

On April 19, 1935, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation for the establishment of Social Security with the following vote total:

372 FOR (284 Democrats-81 Republicans-7 Other party affiliations)
32 AGAINST (15 Democrats-15 Republicans-2 Other party affiliations)
25 Not voting (20 Democrats-4 Republicans-1 Other party affiliation)
2 Republicans chose to vote “Present”

On June 19, 1935, the U.S. Senate passed the legislation with the following vote total:

77 FOR (60 Democrats-16 Republicans-1 Farm Labor)
6 AGAINST (1 Democrat-5 Republicans)
12 Not voting (8 Democrats-4 Republicans)

These tallies seem to indicate that there were 4 vacant seats in the House and 1 in the Senate.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the legislation into law in August 1935.

Thirty years later came the vote to establish Medicare, the health care program for the elderly, and Medicaid, the health care program for the poor. Both health care programs are run by the U.S. Government.

On July 27, 1965 members of the U.S. House of Representatives cast the following tally on the legislation:

307 FOR (237 Democrats-70 Republicans)
116 AGAINST (48 Democrats-68 Republicans)
10 Not Voting (8 Democrats-2 Republicans)
Apparently 2 seats were vacant.

The next day, July 28, the U.S. Senate voted:

70 FOR (57 Democrats-13 Republicans)
24 AGAINST (7 Democrats-17 Republicans)
6 Not Voting (4 Democrats-2 Republicans)

President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation into law.

I took the following directly from the VA website, in the "History" part:

"The Continental Congress of 1776 encouraged enlistments during the Revolutionary War by providing pensions for soldiers who were disabled. Direct medical and hospital care given to veterans in the early days of the Republic was provided by the individual States and communities. In 1811, the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was authorized by the Federal Government. In the 19th century, the Nation's veterans assistance program was expanded to include benefits and pensions not only for veterans, but also their widows and dependents.
After the Civil War, many State veterans homes were established. Since domiciliary care was available at all State veterans homes, incidental medical and hospital treatment was provided for all injuries and diseases, whether or not of service origin. Indigent and disabled veterans of the Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, and Mexican Border period as well as discharged regular members of the Armed Forces were cared for at these homes.
Congress established a new system of veterans benefits when the United States entered World War I in 1917. Included were programs for disability compensation, insurance for servicepersons and veterans, and vocational rehabilitation for the disabled. By the 1920s, the various benefits were administered by three different Federal agencies: the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.
The establishment of the Veterans Administration came in 1930 when Congress authorized the President to "consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans." The three component agencies became bureaus within the Veterans Administration."

Hmm, I'm telling you, that "creeping socialism!" Even infiltrated the VA. Got our veterans being treated by socialist doctors and nurses. They probably keep their red pins and badges hidden when they're on duty, but it wouldn't surprise me if they all have red handkerchiefs or something, just to signal each other. I'll bet they couldn't have fooled old Archie Bunker. No way! Old Arch knew those un-American folks when he saw them. I can imagine, too, that if Archie were in the VA and one of those "socialist" doctors came into him and said, "Well Mr. Bunker, I'm going to treat you for your ailment, and such treatment usually costs $50,000 in the private sector, but there will be minimal if any cost for you. Uncle Sam, by the goodness of the taxpayers, is paying for your care." I'll just bet old Arch would tell him, "Like hell you're going to treat me, you pinko quack with a medissintel degree! I want a REAL American doc to treat me. I WANT to pay the $50,000! None of this socialist stuff for me, Archie Bunker; no siree. I'll pay the 50 grand, because I'll be collecting Social Security soon."

Word History:
Straw-This goes back to Indo European "streh/struh," which meant "to spread." The Old Germanic offshoot was "strawam," seemingly pronounced "stray-wahm." (And don't make that "stay warm!") This meant, "something that is scattered about, strewn." And "strew," most commonly used in the past form in modern English ("strewn"), is indeed a close relative of "straw." The Old Germanic form evolved into Old English "streaw," and took on the meaning of "stems or stalks of plants," since long ago, such dried plants were "strewn" over floors as a covering. "Streaw" eventually came to be spelled "straw," and similar forms are "strewn" (I couldn't resist that!) throughout the modern Germanic languages: German and Low German Saxon have "Stroh," West Frisian has "strie," Dutch has "stro," Norwegian has "strå," Danish has "straa," and Swedish has "strå," and Icelandic has "strá." The use of the word to mean drinking implement developed in the mid 1800s. Let's see...who has to take out the garbage? We'll draw "straws" to determine the lucky one.