The GOP's Sabotage of Social Security

[rodeodance]

The GOP's Sabotage of Social Security

Dec 21, 2004, The Nation

9 minutes ago

Robert Scheer

Just my luck: I finally get to be a senior citizen only to discover that the President considers my longevity a grave threat to the nation. Apparently, my collecting Social Security (news - web sites) checks for as long as I have left on this Earth is going to help bankrupt the economy and/or be an unbearable burden on young Americans.



That's why, after seven decades of unmitigated success in protecting seniors from the vagaries of market forces, the White House now wants to turn Social Security itself over to the vagaries of market forces. The conservative mantra, whether it comes to energy policy, war in Iraq (news - web sites) or education, is to siphon public money into the private sector whenever and wherever possible, through such gimmicks as agribusiness subsidies, school vouchers and the hiring of private mercenaries.


Greed perfectly meshes with ideology in the Republican Party, and the attempted sabotage of Social Security is just another example. While the followers of Milton Friedman talk about the free market in religious terms, Wall Street is slavering at the possibility of one of the biggest potential windfalls in human history if the Social Security spigot is turned its way. The attendant investment fees alone would be enormous--certainly higher than the minimal 1 percent overhead costs the current Social Security system consumes.


What's astonishing is that despite the recent spate of abrupt corporate bankruptcies and Wall Street corruption scandals, the President would have us believe only stockbrokers can save Social Security, and the stability of the entire fund would be tied to a stock market that has been known to tank now and again. Further, even the President's key advisors admit that the short-run cost of "privatizing" Social Security would add trillions of dollars to the Bush legacy of federal government red ink. ......

[Bozita]

1. link, please ... good, timely find

[TexasLawyer]

2. Complicit Media

It's bad enough that * and gang want to eliminate Social Security, but the MSM has been completely unquestioning re the privatization proposal.

SS is not a front-burner issue. SS is fine well into the next century, and there is absolutely no crisis. But you wouldn't know that from reading the newspaper or watching TV news.

The last thing that Bushco went out selling door-to-door was the war to eliminate Iraq's huge stockpiles of WMD. But it turned out there was no reason to go into Iraq in the first place, and we have now killed more Iraqis than Saddam ever did. A gratuitous disaster of choice, which impoverishes everyone except a few profiteers associated with the colossally corrupt * administration.

That is exactly what the * plan to save Social Security will be. But no one in MSM is calling him on this, just as MSM rolled over on the plan to invade Iraq on the pretext of WMD.

[anti-fundie]

3. Although there's no death or sex in SS reform, the MSM needs to wake up.

Is it that they all have their fat pensions secured? If Bushco wants to start privatizing things, let's start with his brain--oh, wait, it's already been done--it's called RoveRiceRummy. :puke:

[newyawker99]

4. Hi anti-fundie!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[derbstyron]

5. Hello!

And welcome to the fun and games. :hi:

[anitar1]

6. Fun And Games At My Espense!

May they rot forever--

[mutius]

7. Remember

remember the great depression with the market collapse in the 30's. Social security is the peoples money. not bushes. before this guy took office there was enough money till 2075 with no problem. he does not have to worry when he leaves office he will get 400,000 a year plus the billions he made with the Saudis. So why steal the money? it's not right.

[mutius]

8. What happened

to we the people? they stole our country. 59,000,000 people how dumb can the be? chimp said, bend over. 59,000,000 said, how far? :grr:

[dubyaD40web]

9. LAT

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/commentary/la-oe-scheer21dec21,1,2971179.column?coll=la-headlines-elect2004-comment