Friday, March 10, 2017

The ‘American Health Care Act’ Is a Wealth Grab, Not A Health Plan

    In the article "The ‘American Health Care Act’ Is a Wealth Grab, Not A Health Plan", Richard Eskow addresses the American public with the issues related to the GOP's new healthcare plan. Eskow has been a blog member on SmirkingChimp for ten years and may not be the most credible source of news, but his evaluation of the new bill carries some weight. 
     Eskow argues that the Republican’s attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare is a huge disaster thus far. He states that the real effect of the bill is “to increase inequality and make the rich even richer than they’ve become in the last few decades.” The bill is what Eskow calls a “wealth-grab” by the billionaires by providing them with massive tax cuts. He states, “The 400 highest-earning households in the country would get an average tax break of $7 million per year under the Republican plan.” 
     The new plan also hurts the working class by not allowing tax breaks of any kind, not to mention rising premiums for the middle class. Eskow says that this nation’s wealth inequality is currently worse than ever, “The top 10 percent of Americans makes just over 20 percent of the nation’s income, but owns 76 percent of its wealth.” Also, anyone who is currently enrolled in the Affordable Care Act will suffer. According to the article, “the average enrollee will face more than $2,400 in additional costs by 2020.”
     In conclusion, the replacement for the ACA does nothing for low income individuals and families, and greatly benefits the wealthy. 

Friday, February 10, 2017

Athletes Get Political


Athletes Get Political in the Age of Trump

Including the most recent Super Bowl this previous Sunday, America is seeing a significant change in the political involvement of professional athletes. The world of sports in recent decades has been largely free of politics, but following the disputed election of President Donald Trump, athletes are speaking up.


Six New England Patriots players, including Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty (pictured above), announced that they will be skipping the upcoming White House meeting with President Trump. McCourty stated: "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House, with the President having do many strong opinions and prejudices, I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."


Under Armour sponsored Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry spoke out against the CEO of Under Armour for calling Trump "a real asset" to the U.S. Curry replied directly to the CEO with, "I agree with that description if you remove the 'et' from asset."


Many Americans are up in arms about this, arguing that politics and sports should not be intertwined. Many others, however, respect and applaud players for using their platform to spread political awareness and let America know that we can do better than this.