Amac VS AARP Benefits (2020)
Amac VS AARP Comparison
Who is better, AMAC or AARP?
What is the difference between AMAC and AARP?
Let’s find out!
AMAC
AMAC is a tax exempt nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Foundation with the stated mission “to serve as the voice of Americans 50 years of age and older, and to sponsor initiatives that keep America strong.” They are located at 312 Teague Trail · Lady Lake, FL 32159. TEL: 888-750-2622
“Philosophically, the Foundation embraces the principles of the American free enterprise system and its role in achieving prosperity for this country. The Foundation is based in no small part on the principle that education is the key to Americans making informed choices for self-sustainability.”
AMAC is the largest of several organizations that purport to represent the interests of retired people from a “Conservative Perspective.” They were founded in 2007 and are a relatively young organization when compared to the AARP behemoth.
AARP
AARP has been described as America’s most powerful lobby. It was founded in 1958 by a retired high school principal who stated “AARP is not a pressure group, petitioning for special privileges and exemptions because of age and numbers.” Instead it promoted group heath insurance policies for the elderly and later added discounts for car rentals, hotels, and air travel.
What a difference a fifty short years make. The organization now has revenues exceeding 5 billion dollars which it liberally spends on powerful lobbying efforts. In 1988 it lobbied for passage of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988, which was repealed a year later when people discovered it would result in billion dollar tax hikes. During the Clinton years AARP lobbied for a massive expansion of government healthcare plans that would have resulted in massive tax increases in the form of value added taxes.
That proposal and AARP’s lobbying efforts met with opposition resulting in about 1,000,000 members quitting AARP.
It is well known that AARP lobbied for passage of the so-called Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010 (“ACA”).
ACA was voted in by stupid people
The ACA was largely the work of an MIT economist named Jonathan Gruber. To understand the motivation of those who pushed for passage of the ACA, one need only examine some of the public statements of professor Gruber: ” Gruber said the bill was deliberately written “in a tortured way” to disguise the fact that it creates a system by which “healthy people pay in and sick people get money”. He said this obfuscation was needed due to “the stupidity of the American voter” in ensuring the bill’s passage. Gruber said the bill’s inherent “lack of transparency is a huge political advantage” in selling it.
We will not argue that he was wrong. He was just telling the truth as he believed it. The bill passed and became law by the votes of people who in good conscience cannot say they support American free enterprise system.
It was a disaster, for which AARP heavily lobbied.
Who is better AMAC or AARP?
People join AARP for the discounts
AARP heavily promotes the discounts its members get when they travel. Promotional letters start arriving in the mail well before people actually turn 50. Some who may vehemently disagree with the association’s political positions join just for the discounts. They don’t stop to think that by joining they contribute to a large membership base that gives AARP tremendous clout with Congress.
Discounts are easy to get
As we have argued elsewhere, discounts are easy to get. There is no reason to join an organization just to get an easy discount.
Should you join AMAC?
We agree with AMAC’s stated goal that , “education is the key to Americans making informed choices for self-sustainability.” AMAC’s web site appears to offer informative articles in keeping with the goal of education. They may now have a large enough membership base to be taken seriously in the inevitable battle over fiscal responsibility and Medicare/social security’s sustainability.
A recent article on their site, The Scourge of Socialism Strikes Fear In the Hearts of Mainstream Democrats, is well written and warns of what may be developing among a segment of our population that is so in touch with their feelings that they are blind to reality.
In deciding if you should join ACAP or AARP, ask yourself, “whom does it benefit?”
Then join AltARP, and dedicate your efforts to helping others understand the treasure we have been given in the U.S. Constitution. When someone on the street puts a microphone in your face and asks what the 1st amendment means, don’t be like the Columbia University students who have no idea.
