The Bush Doctrine of False Imminence Domain

[Miss Authoritiva]

From Scriptoids

Pushing for privatization, Rich Lowry, in his column "Not a Crisis, a Better Deal," compares Social Security reform to Bush's war in Iraq. Not an especially positive analogy, but maybe the most accurate.

Democrats go too far when they say, in effect, that "Bush lied about Iraq, and he is lying about Social Security." But the administration has been vulnerable to the charge of "false imminence" in both debates.

I like that: the Bush Doctrine of false imminence domain.

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There are two other problems with the imminent-crisis rhetoric. First, it emphasizes the pain -- the reductions in benefits or tax increases -- that will have to be part of the plan. Both are unpopular.

The trick here is the trick: There still will be economic pain, it just won't be discussed.

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