Manchin's Entitlements

 

Joe Manchin is blocking millions and millions of Americans from having a higher quality of life. Considering the low ratings for West Virginia, where he is Senator has the some of the lowest quality of life ratings for important things like education, health care, infrastructure, elderly services. They rate 46-50 with 50 being the lowest. Never mind that West Virginia's population is a fraction of that of the overall U.S.

As a kid we lived in West Virginia for a short time. I'm glad we moved to Massachusetts where my daughter now lives. It rates high in all quality of life issues.

Manchin calls them entitlements.

We are spending October in the South of France. We just received our departmental newsletter where they are saying all the increases in help for the elderly, which were already much, much higher than most U.S. States. They also talked about increased kid's services.

The French get something for their taxes, although they often do not appreciate how good they have it. When I had to pay 30 Euros for a medical treatment in France that would have cost closer to 90 in Switzerland (which would be covered by insurance) I remarked how cheap it was. The receptionist pointed out that most people complained on how high. I don't want even think what it would have cost in the U.S.

Yes, these services are paid by taxes. But in Europe people get services that improve the quality of their life for their tax Euros, Francs, Kroners, etc. The U.S. citizen gets war equipment to keep them "safe" while their lives are endangered or worsened by conditions that individuals in most industrialized countries wouldn't even consider, thinking about, maybe worrying.

Manchin has no right to hurt so many Americans.

What I will never understand is why so many Americans accept a quality of life that citizens of no other civilized country would accept. Maybe that is the U.S. exceptionalism. Less, less, less, less, less.