AARP is Just Another Liberal Front

Oregon Magazine ^ | January 15, 2006 | Larry Leonard

[WaterDragon]

The American Association of Retired Persons began as an organization dedicated to improving the lives of our elderly. These days it is being run by leftists. When you become a member, part of your dues go to support their political agenda.

It was Winston Churchill who said (in other words) that liberalism is a natural state for the young, and conservatism a natural state for the same people, only a few decades farther down the road. This is a true statement, as all population group surveys prove. The reason for the evolution is time and experience. Life drives out fairy tale philosophies in a statistically significant number of individuals. Radical concepts about the efficacy of income redistribution give way to an understanding that if everybody works for the government, nothing gets done and people starve. France is a mess, Cuba is a mess, North Korea is a mess, the old Soviet Union was a mess and the new Venezuela will shortly be a mess. Liberalism produces exactly the reverse of what it promises, every time and every where it is tried.

[Brian Allen]

<< Last week, the singer, Harry Belafonte, a flaming socialist, stood next to Venezuela's new communist president Chavez and said that G.W. Bush is the world's worst terrorist. Mr. Belafonte was recently selected as a "man of the year" by AARP. If you believe that the people running AARP are ignorant of Mr. Belafonte's political history, you deserve to lose your nation. >>

Yep.

[capt. norm]

Liberalism produces exactly the reverse of what it promises, every time and every where it is tried.

That is the best statement I've read today. It would make a fine tag-line.

[Old_Grouch]

Good point. One seldom sees criticism of the AARP, and joining is just a knee-jerk given for most people. I will never join and people are puzzled and confused if they find that out.

[John Valentine]

AARP is Just Another Liberal Front

I was extremely gratified to see that this was NOT posted to breaking news.

[YOUGOTIT]

AARP is not just another liberal organization they are in the main stream of left-wing organizations that make billions by using our tax money to market insurance to older Americans.

[muir_redwoods]

Is there a seniors organization formed in opposition or as an alternative to the AARP?

[WaterDragon]

Indeed there is...check out the last paragaph of the article.

[day10]

Possibilties:

NASCON

USANext

[JackSplatt]

We mark all their solicitations "Refused - Return to Sender"
and put a note on the back to the effect telling them to stick their leftist crap where only a colonoscopy will find it. Hopefully they get charged with return postage.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Better to mail back their envelope (they pay the return postage) with a note on what scum they are.

[R. Scott]

I was a member of AARP long ago. I did a lot of traveling and they had some good discounts on hotels, motels and campgrounds. Now that I’m retired and have no need for travel – besides, I have other discounts available now – I want no part of AARP.

[JLGALT]

"Is there a seniors organization formed in opposition or as an alternative to the AARP?"

Check this site out.

http://www.nascon.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=25

[JLGALT]

If you'd like to find out what AARP members are talking about please check out the site below. Just enter as a guest. But, be advised, most of the posters on their message boards are very far leftists!
http://community.aarp.org/rp-legislative/start

[wita]

I cringe every time I go to register at a motel, as a grey haired person, and see the discount for AARP members. I think something needs to be done about an organization that is so obviously partisan and I would guess a non profit. If a religion were to do what they do, they would be subject to losing their status as a non profit and the advantages that go with it.

I'm betting that discounts for the elderly might be the only reason that people are sucked into giving their money in support of such a mockery of everything the older generation should hold sacred. It became abundantly clear to me during the reign of the Clinton's, what AARP was all about, money and left wing/ liberal politics. The elderly make it all possible.

[sneakers]

LOL! I sent mine back with a similar message!

[YOUGOTIT]

"I would guess a non profit."

Not really they were taken to court and made to pay several million in corporate income tax that they said they did not owe. Further, They receive from the federal government (our tax dollars) approximately $10,000 to $15,000 for job placement for senior citizens. The normal job placement service is approximately 1/3 of that but our congress keeps giving them the money because the AARP will do everything they can to defeat them if they do not vote to give money to the AARP.

It is a sad fact that our congress is bought and paid for by the AARP when it comes to buying votes and giving them money.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I have the same reaction. I always tell the desk clerk that AARP should not rate a discount. Fortunately, there are several other ways to get discount. I am a Federal Employee and frequently can get a discount, even when I am not on TDY. AAA discounts are usually the same.

[petkus]

The Discounts of AARP are deceiving. You can good deals without the AARP.

AARP financially decieves senior Citizens. AARP puts forth a Mutual Fund managed by the Scudder Fund which does not have the greatest track record. AARP benefits from using the their Logo on all of these types of financial transactions.

There is not such thing as a free lunch. The AARP is an $800 million dollar corporation that benefits the Management of this group & their political agenda. Have you ever seen any of their wealth trickle back to the Members in terms of any dividends?