---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of the alternatives we face in…"
description: "\"Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term spending growth, moving Medicare to a voucher system seems only mildly unfortunate - and nothing a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg"
---

#  Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term…

![“Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term spending growth, moving Medicare to a voucher system seems only mildly unfortunate - and nothing as compared with a debt-driven economic crisis that could stem from inaction.” quote by Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg)

> “Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term spending growth, moving Medicare to a voucher system seems only mildly unfortunate - and nothing as compared with a debt-driven economic crisis that could stem from inaction.”

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Switching Medicare to vouchers is a modest issue compared to the larger risk of a debt-fueled crisis if no action is taken.

**In simple terms:** Vouchers are a minor problem versus a debt crisis.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize preventing debt crises over minor reforms.

Themes

healthcare policy economics risk management

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

policy economic

When to use this quote

- government budgeting
- healthcare reform
- economic forecasting

Key Concepts

public finance social safety nets policy analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the long‑term impacts of voucherizing Medicare?
- How can we balance reform with fiscal stability?

A Different Perspective

Vouchers may not address underlying systemic issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Economic crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-crisis/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the market driven economic system is the most productive system, but to have that work in the world, you've got to also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lowry/i-think-the-market-driven-economic-system-is-the-most-productive/)

[Mike Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lowry/)

> [While the path to wealth is clearly marked, few are willing to adapt themselves to the modest discipline that the journey requires. Instead, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/while-the-path-to-wealth-is-clearly-marked-few-are-willing-to-adapt/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Often, what you see in the media is driven by economic forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/often-what-you-see-in-the-media-is-driven-by-economic-forces/)

[Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/)

> [Household spending growth has been particularly solid in 2015, with purchases of new motor vehicles especially strong. Job growth has bolstered household income, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/household-spending-growth-has-been-particularly-solid-in-2015-with/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

> [I will never turn Medicare into a voucher. No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-never-turn-medicare-into-a-voucher-no-american-should-ever/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [If you ask an economist what's driven economic growth, it's been major advances in things that mattered - the mechanization of farming, mass manufacturing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/if-you-ask-an-economist-what-s-driven-economic-growth-it-s-been-major/)

[Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/)

> [If we don't get a grip on government spending, there will be no growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/if-we-don-t-get-a-grip-on-government-spending-there-will-be-no-growth/)

[George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/)

> [You're having government spending on the economy being cut almost everywhere. That means that the only source of spending for growth has to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/you-re-having-government-spending-on-the-economy-being-cut-almost/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [The Romney-Ryan plan would replace the guarantee of Medicare with a voucher that wouldn't keep up with costs. Congressman Ryan says that he wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/the-romney-ryan-plan-would-replace-the-guarantee-of-medicare-with-a/)

[Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/)

> [ \[Debt\] It has driven thousands to drink, and the worry and anxiety it has created have literally taken the lives of many of our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-richards/debt-it-has-driven-thousands-to-drink-and-the-worry-and-anxiety-it/)

[Stephen L. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-richards/)

> [There is a lot of fiscal conservatives in the United States senate that didn't vote for that because we understand that national security spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/there-is-a-lot-of-fiscal-conservatives-in-the-united-states-senate/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [The Republicans want to turn Medicare into a voucher plan that will end guaranteed coverage of medical bills for the elderly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/the-republicans-want-to-turn-medicare-into-a-voucher-plan-that-will/)

[Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/)

> [The world has never been as divided as it is now, what with religious wars, genocides, a lack of respect for the planet, economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-never-been-as-divided-as-it-is-now-what-with-religious/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [African Americans are doing a lot already, but I think we have an opportunity right now to change politics in a way that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/african-americans-are-doing-a-lot-already-but-i-think-we-have-an/)

[David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/)

> [Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future. The current economic crisis may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-porritt/fundamentally-transforming-the-foundations-of-the-economy-is-the/)

[Jonathon Porritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-porritt/)

## More by Jacob Weisberg

> [As far apart as they are theologically, Mormons and evangelical Christians may have more in common with each other anthropologically than they do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/as-far-apart-as-they-are-theologically-mormons-and-evangelical/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Political analysts tend to overinterpret the results of isolated elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/political-analysts-tend-to-overinterpret-the-results-of-isolated/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Seeing the rich and famous screw up makes us feel superior, or at least not quite so inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/seeing-the-rich-and-famous-screw-up-makes-us-feel-superior-or-at/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and participation in international institutions all serve to erode the legitimacy of repressive regimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/trade-tourism-cultural-exchange-and-participation-in-international/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [The cradle-to-grave welfare state diminishes individual initiative and can breed a pervasive sclerosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-cradle-to-grave-welfare-state-diminishes-individual-initiative/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [America's sanctions policy is largely consistent and, in a certain sense, admirable. By applying economic restraints, we label the most oppressive and dangerous governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/america-s-sanctions-policy-is-largely-consistent-and-in-a-certain/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [You may or may not agree with Obama's policy prescriptions, but they are, by and large, serious attempts to deal with the biggest issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/you-may-or-may-not-agree-with-obama-s-policy-prescriptions-but-they/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [The invasion of Iraq was, in ways that have since become hard to dispute, a terrible mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-in-ways-that-have-since-become-hard-to/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [In practice, conservatives are no less inclined than liberals to adopt superior stances or to tell people how to live their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-practice-conservatives-are-no-less-inclined-than-liberals-to-adopt/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [The leader who loves books that tell him he is great and right may be worse than the leader who does not love books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-leader-who-loves-books-that-tell-him-he-is-great-and-right-may-be/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Without medical records that he hasn't released, we can't know whether Gingrich may have inherited his mother's manic depression. Nevertheless, one observes in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/without-medical-records-that-he-hasn-t-released-we-can-t-know-whether/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Members of the middle class do not have to worry about falling off $250,000 sailboats because they don't have $250,000 sailboats to fall off of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/members-of-the-middle-class-do-not-have-to-worry-about-falling-off/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnastics team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [Northeastern conservatism is moderate, accepts the modern welfare state, and dislikes mixing religion with politics. Western conservatism is hawkish, hates government, and embraces individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/northeastern-conservatism-is-moderate-accepts-the-modern-welfare/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

> [The most important newspapers in this country need to exist. Our democracy needs them. Life as we know it would be unthinkable without them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-most-important-newspapers-in-this-country-need-to-exist-our/)

[Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

[Explore all 104 Jacob Weisberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/)

## More Crisis quotes

> [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/)

[Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [The crisis of our diminishing water resources is just as severe (if less obviously immediate) as any wartime crisis we have ever faced. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wright/the-crisis-of-our-diminishing-water-resources-is-just-as-severe-if/)

Jim Wright

> [It is popular to call it a crisis of the Western world. It is in fact a crisis of the whole world. Communism, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/it-is-popular-to-call-it-a-crisis-of-the-western-world-it-is-in-fact/)

[Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/)

> [The financial crisis we are facing today arises from the fact that there is almost no more social, cultural, natural, and spiritual capital left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/the-financial-crisis-we-are-facing-today-arises-from-the-fact-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/)

[Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/)

> [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

> [Disasters affect every state, and North Carolinians have given our own tax dollars to help neighbors and those in other states in times of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/disasters-affect-every-state-and-north-carolinians-have-given-our-own/)

[Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/)

> [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/)

[Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/)

> [When this coronavirus crisis is over, what kind of society will we be? A more important question is what kind of society do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/when-this-coronavirus-crisis-is-over-what-kind-of-society-will-we-be/)

[Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/)

> [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/)

[Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/)

> [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [Firstly, economic globalisation has brought prosperity and development to many countries, but also financial crises to Asia, Latin America and Russia, and increasing poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lindh/firstly-economic-globalisation-has-brought-prosperity-and-development/)

[Anna Lindh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lindh/)

> [If we Europeans are not in a state to be able to solve the refugee crisis ourselves, if we only depend on Plan B…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/if-we-europeans-are-not-in-a-state-to-be-able-to-solve-the-refugee/)

[Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/)

> [Urbanisation is not a crisis but an opportunity, seeing it as a crisis is wrong. And not just villages, we want everyone to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/urbanisation-is-not-a-crisis-but-an-opportunity-seeing-it-as-a-crisis/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

[Browse all 3,419 Crisis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term spending growth, moving Medicare to a voucher system seems only mildly unfortunate - and nothing as compared with a debt-driven economic crisis that could stem from inaction.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacob Weisberg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlling-long-term-spending-growth/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crisis"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlling-long-term-spending-growth/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/jacob-weisberg-5003_crisis_of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlli_2419245.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Of the alternatives we face in controlling long-term spending growth, moving Medicare to a voucher system…” — Jacob Weisberg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jacob Weisberg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Of the alternatives we face in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlling-long-term-spending-growth/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/of-the-alternatives-we-face-in-controlling-long-term-spending-growth/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
