I think the political narritive in this country has been moved further right-ward during President Obama's time in office than during any other point in America's history; even bush's or reagan's. To support this idea I remind you what Democrats, namely the president is openly considering: cutting Social Security. Name any other time or other, specific, Democrats who felt safe openly advocating cuts to Social Security.
The question I ask is: is President Obama a symptom or personally to blame.
This is a personal Question for me because while although I'm only 31, I'm on SSDI and receive SSSI due to having epilepsy... and depression, though I could work despite that. The epilepsy however led to me being fired from every job I worked at because when I have a seizure, I am for all intents and purposes, utterly disabled for at least a week due to extreme muscle pain and inability to speak(or eat) due to a chewed up tongue.
Combined with at-will employment and lack of a higher education(yet, which I'm currently working on but that's another story) it is impossible for me to hold a job where I may be required to take at least a week off at random. What about medications you say?
Firstly, none of the several medication's I've tried have eliminated my seizures; at best they reduce their frequency to once every 3 or 4 months. Secondly no job that I have seen that I can get without some sort of degree offers insurance that would make taking the job justifiable when taking the cost of my medication vs the loss of my SSSI into account. Many offer no insurance what-so-ever and the medication I take, Topamax, costs over 300$ a month.
Why do I bring this up? Because President Obama is personally attacking me and, I think, the Democratic party by suggesting cuts to Social security. Never before has the idea even entered the discussion among democrats but now what are trying to find ways to accept it. When politically active democrats here and elsewhere say 'well, he's better than a republican', I'm reminded of republicans who said the same thing before their party was taken over by wingnuts.
What do I think should be done about it? I haven't the slightest clue. In fact, I'm amazed I was able to write this much given how scrambled my thoughts tend to be for a day or two after a seizure but I will say that if President Obama goes through with cuts to Social Security, I will do my, very tiny, part to at least make a show of primarying him.
Update: I'm amazed to discover medical marijuana laws in my state. So I'll look into that. That you to those who suggested it... Though maybe I did know about them and forgot at the moment, like how I couldn't, for the life of me, remember what month it was until I looked at the clock... :)