The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. It was created in 1913, the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly the panic of 1907.

The Federal Reserve System has existed to this day, evolving and expanding since then to meet the needs of the times, including the events of the Great Depression.

Social Security in the United States refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program. The original Social Security Act was passed in 1935 and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a part of his New Deal. As was written of in an earlier column, Germany had become the first nation in the world to adopt an old-age social insurance program in 1889, designed by Germany’s Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck.

By dollars, the United States Social Security program is the largest government program in the world, and the single greatest expenditure in the US federal government today at nearly 21% of the federal budget.

Medicare is a social insurance program of the United States government, and it provides health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over. It operates as a single-payer health care system in the US.

The Social Security Act of 1965 amended the social security legislation to include Medicare, and it was signed into law in July of that year by President Lyndon Johnson.

President Barack Obama was not born in 1913 when the Federal Reserve System was established. He was not born in 1935 when the Social Security Act was passed and signed into law. He was not yet graduated from high school when Medicare was added to the Social Security Act in 1965.

And yet, the “teabaggers” who gathered in Washington last weekend hold him responsible for “socializing” our government. They liken him to Hitler without understanding the vast differences between socialism and Nazism.

What is worse are the politicians who do understand those differences “playing” to the fringe, demagoguing to the obvious “hate” messages appearing on the placards. These politicians decry Obama’s efforts, suck up to the crowds and soak in the applause and adulation.

The crowds have no idea, though, that not a one of those politicians would ever vote to dismantle social security, would never vote to rid the government of the single-payer system that is Medicare. If you think those “teabaggers” turned out in good numbers, wait until the baby boomers get wind of any Republican efforts to rid us of the two most important socialized insurance programs in the world.

Fortunately, the most recent poll results show sufficient support for the notion of health care reform among both the general public and the health care provider community to believe the “teabaggers” just don’t have the votes. This is, after all, still a democratic republic, and a majority of the votes on any piece of legislation is required before it becomes the law.

What final shape and form the health care legislation will take remains to be seen. Every reasoned and reasonable person believes doing nothing will have adverse effects, and it is to be hoped for that something good will come of the debate in Congress.

Let’s face it – health insurance companies are already deciding the quality and quantity of our health coverage now. No specialized care consultation can occur without a primary care provider’s referral – - and the approval of one’s insurance carrier in many instances. Length of stay in many medical facilities is determined by one’s insurance carrier already, and not the treating physician. Treatments for life-threatening conditions are subject to one’s insurance carrier’s approval first.

These (and I hate to use the words) “death and near-death” panels already exists – - they are our health insurance carriers. What recourse does anyone have against them for denial of a treatment or a consultation? Who do we turn to when we lose a loved one, Granny even, when a health insurance carrier denies a treatment that pushes her out the door?

These are not easy issues, and these are not easy times. People gather and shout and raise their fists, and carry loaded weapons to public gatherings and signs filled with hateful words, and they call the President of the United States a racist.

Yet, the issues they protest have been with us for decades, and the current President had nothing to do with their creation – - The Fed, Social Security, Medicare. Health care reform debate goes all the way back to President Theodore Roosevelt, and that makes the issue more than a century old. The very same arguments made against President Harry Truman’s efforts more than 60 years ago are being made once again today by insurance companies and those in their bags.

Still, these people march on. Fringe politics, to be sure. Whacko in many instances, one sign over the weekend reading “We’ve come unarmed (this time),” a pretty extreme sentiment. Answers are few, frankly, but again the votes are not there for them, notwithstanding the pandering pols who spoke to them over the weekend.

It would be good and wise for everyone to breath deeply and think this thing through, to read the history of the programs these folks preach against, to understand truly the ramifications of doing nothing on health care reform, of dismantling The Fed, Social Security and Medicare. It’s not likely to happen, but it would be a good start.

Unless, of course, this whole “teabagging” thing, these vicious and hateful, hate-filled attacks on President Obama have less to do with the issues and more to do with him, or something about him, like the fact he is the first man of color elected to the White House.

After all, these programs and the issues surrounding them existed during George Bush’s presidency, too. Remember? That was just last year, and the seven years before that.

It is an old axiom in the legal profession that when the law is against you, argue the facts; and, when the facts are against you, argue the law. It’s counterpart in politics is to make your points, get your votes, win the shouting match, by attacking the person rather than the issue. Be louder, more vicious and dividing, and drown out reason and logic and common sense.

For the moment, the “teabaggers” don’t have the votes to carry their hateful messages into Congress with success. And according to that sign, they don’t have the guns yet, either. Let’s hope it stays that way.