President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Medicare Bill at the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri.
You've survived the claims that you're nothing more than
socialized medicine that would enslave doctors and patients alike and practically bankrupt the nation's wage-earners while they struggled to pay payroll taxes to take care of wealthy old people. (At least 49 years ago they were beating up on the rich undeserving instead of the poor).
You've survived privatization and voucherizaton and every call that you must be cut at the altar of the deficit. So far. In fact, you're improving all the time. Good job, Medicare! And good job to all the people—elected and otherwise—working to make Medicare stronger and better.