Social Security Round-Up for 2/28
First, the retirement program has a $2.6 trillion surplus; it’s an island of green in a sea of red ink. Second, virtually all of the nation’s long-term deficit can be blamed on interest on the national debt and rising health-care costs. Third, the idea that pensions must be cut relies on two assumptions: that the Social Security program is in trouble, and that its revenues cannot be increased – neither of which withstands examination.
It’s true that our political dialog is focused on some problems that are not acute while ignoring those that are. But you’ll notice that it’s not the Tea Party agenda actually being enacted so much as the Tea Party’s corporate owners. They are making a big play to completely defund and totally defang the left. The real Tea Party agenda (culture war issues) is being passed in the House, but it’s mostly bread and circuses — and it’s keeping liberals occupied playing defense. (In this environment you can’t take anything for granted — you never know who the Democrats will sacrifice.)These irrational budget “fixes” are shock doctrine moves, obviously coordinated by the GOP down to the state level.
Isn’t it funny how the corporate conservatives always offer the same solutions to every problem? Even when the solution doesn’t really have much to do with the problem? Iraq didn’t attack us, and Social Security doesn’t have anything to do with deficits. But the “solution” to 9/11 was to attack Iraq, and the proposed “solution” to deficits is to “fix” Social Security. And the “solution” to state budget crises is to get rid of public employee unions. Why?
Got a crisis? A tax cut will fix it. Getting rid of unions will fix it. Privatizing Social Security will fix it. And gutting government solves everything. Doesn’t even matter what the problem is!
*Top Obama Economic Aide: Social Security Reform Not A Part Of Discussion On Fiscal Future:
The latest move in that direction came on Tuesday, when Jason Furman, deputy director of the President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, insisted that talk of Social Security reform “is not one you care about” if “you are worried about our long-run fiscal future.”
“The reason you care about it is because you want to strengthen Social Security,” Furman added in a speech at the progressive nonprofit group NDN. “It is such a critical part of our social insurance, the bedrock of retirement security for senior citizens, one of the leading anti-poverty programs for children, critical support for people with disabilities. And for all those reasons and the fact that its solvency … is another 26 years, till 2037, the real motivation is strengthening the program.”
At one point, the host asked McCain about the future solvency of the Social Security program. The host asked if there’s a simple solution to future shortfalls like saying that “everyone that’s under 50, you get to retire at 67.” McCain replied by saying that the program could be changed by increasing the eligibility for benefits by “a month every year or so” or by lifting the payroll tax cap. He went on to malign the program, saying that the system is “basically…already” bankrupt and that it’s a “Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff would be proud of”
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