AMERICA'S TROJAN HORSE.

The Trojan horse of America's fiscal problems is Medicare; and so long as it remains so, it will be difficult to reduce the U.S. National Debt, because it, Medicare, is an important part of the National Debt.

For many years, Congress has done close to nothing, but continued to look it in the mouth, saying, "Oh! what a strange horse; what a strange horse,".

The same thing has happened from one administration to another, thinking that it was a "gift", passed down to help, particularly, the sick, the old and the poor, who formed a great majority of the population. It was to alleviate a burden, and now it has become a burden in itself, with no way of finding a solution of resolving it.

The latest case is Representative Paul Ryan's plan to attempt to remake or refurbish it; however, many see such plan as one that is going to destroy the Medicare program as they have come to know it; and therefore there is a revolt against his plan, both in Congress and among American voters. (Tuesday's stunning Republican defeat in New York special Congressional election).

The general public views Medicare as a necessity; and although its cost is sky rocketing, it has to have a place in the National budget for the sake of the needy, in one respect; and for America to retain its social status among the civilized countries in the world which have similar programs, in another respect.

Yet, Medicare is sick and its "symptoms" are many, including overcharging by spurious medical practitioners. It is overspent, due to corruption in the health care industry by sleazy Healthcare insurance companies. It is being run lackadaisically by semi-trained personnel. It is coming apart by a bulging number of people it is designed to handle.

If there must be cuts to bring down its spiraling cost, those are some of the many aspects of the industry that must be looked into. They (cuts) must be carefully done as a surgeon uses his or her scalpel to remove excess; or, in this case, waste.

However, his (Ryan's) plan is so drastic. It is so uppish if not radical in such a way that it will totally demolish Medicare. It will change it beyond recognition. 6.2 trillion dollars in savings over the next ten years will reduce the cost alright, but it will be catastrophic.

Seniors will have to delve deep down into their meagre social security benefit checks to pay their medical bills. Also, a voucher program will be very confusing to them. They think that Mr. Ryan, who happens to be a Republican, is using a sledge hammer to kill a fly, considering that Medicare makes only 12% of America's National budget, and therefore they will have no choice, but to vote against it.

A commercial that is circulating the media with a man pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair over a cliff depicts that person pushing her to her death as Mr. Ryan. The commercial has no known source, but people are not putting it past the Democrats as its originators.

Mr. Ryan's plan has been voted down in the Senate by 57 to 40 votes only yesterday, but he continues to say to ABC's Jonathan Carl that he will even take his "fight" to the White House, as part of raising the debt ceiling issue. Is he looking a gift horse in the mouth or what? We all live to see it.

Nevertheless, should not politicians be serious about what must be done to solidify Medicare, by putting politics aside and finding a realistic way to resolve the matter, as it is part of national pride, to take care of people in their old age, when they have served the country all their lives, as in so many instances? Instead of that, they are looking at Medicare just as a Trojan horse.