dupe

[kpete]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=429245&mesg_id=429245
The spoiled-brat American electorate

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, September 3, 2010

My guess is that with a decided advantage in campaign funds, along with the other advantages of incumbency, Democrats will be able to mitigate these prospective losses -- perhaps even relieving Nancy Pelosi of the hassles of moving. But there's no mistaking the public mood, and the truth is that it makes no sense.

In the punditry business, it's considered bad form to question the essential wisdom of the American people. But at this point, it's impossible to ignore the obvious: The American people are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats.

.........................

The nation demands the impossible: quick, painless solutions to long-term, structural problems. While they're running for office, politicians of both parties encourage this kind of magical thinking. When they get into office, they're forced to try to explain that things aren't quite so simple -- that restructuring our economy, renewing the nation's increasingly rickety infrastructure, reforming an unsustainable system of entitlements, redefining America's position in the world and all the other massive challenges that face the country are going to require years of effort. But the American people don't want to hear any of this. They want somebody to make it all better. Now.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090203992.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[pipi_k]

1. It's not just politics...

I don't know about the rest of the world, but it does seem like Americans are heavily into instant gratification in just about every facet of their lives.


Fast food isn't FAST enough.

People want to lose weight virtually overnight...without doing the necessary work. Take a pill...whoooo!!! Ten lbs gone overnight!!!!

Grow hair instantly!

Don't save for a house or car...no...borrow and go into debt so they can have it NOW.

And probably a whole host of other things I can't think of right now.

And it's the same with politics. Things broken? We want it fixed NOW. Never mind that there are probably a hundred issues that need attention. People want their own passion to be among the first ones to be fixed NOW.

Or else they're taking their baseball and leaving the game.

sigh...

[HughBeaumont]

7. Americans don't know how to do ANYthing slow. Neither do the people they work for.

That's where the impatience and instant gratification comes from.

We want all deliverables fast cheap and perfect. Mere profit isn't good enough. If businesses aren't constantly improving quarterly numbers, they start-a-firin'. We cannot grow old, fat or dumb. We want our employees to have multiple degrees and be knowledged in several subjects and get all of this done with as fast as humanly possible. If the sports team you assembled around your superstar doesn't win a title NOW, dismantle it and get more free agents. If you're not up on the latest language, learn it in 6 weeks and buy the software for it. If humans aren't productive every second of their lives, what the hell is the problem?

We're killing ourselves trying to keep up with this impossible and seemingly endless quest.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. And half of those saying they don't approve of the GOP in Congress will turn around and vote for

them.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. The "spoiled brats" are the politicians taking the voters for granted.

Not to mention taking payoffs from the corporations to get elected.

[area51]

4. "an unsustainable system of entitlements"

Sounds like he's talking about SS and Medicare/Medicaid, as opposed to the MIC.

[HughMoran]

5. Dupe.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=429245&mesg_id=429245

[LaurenG]

6. Take a look at the poll next to the article

I think the pollsters are going to be surprised this year.

[OHdem10]

8. He has a point. However, No POLITICIAN has done a detailed

explanation of why we are in such a mess. The Jobless
Recoveries were going strong during the Bush Administration.
Salaries for the Middle Class were dropping since the
eighties.

I am NOT an Isolationist. Let us get that out first.

Much of this joblessness is the result of poorly devised
and poorly managed Trade Policies. Globalization Crisis.
We are headed toward becoming a Banana Republican. Our
Leaders want to pretend we are in some business cycle and
"The Invisible hand of the Market will right all wrongs."

To them, I say respectfully--it is not going to happen.

As usual they jump on Education. Do not get me wrong.
Education is important. THIS IS A LONG TERM FIX. It
will be years before todays 1st Graders are ready for a job.
As I said, Education is important. Do not try to distract
the millions of workers who need jobs now. WHAT IS YOUR
PLAN, I ask both parties for the displaced workers especailly
what is your plan for out neighbors who salaries have fallen
and they are working at salaries much lower than anytime
in their life??

Education is a long term fix. What do we do in the short term???

[glitch]

9. "reforming an unsustainable system of entitlements" I'd like to see that 'unsustainable' backed up

I suppose that makes me spoiled.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. It's pretty much established that with 78 million Baby Boomers starting Medicare, the

costs of the program will more than double.



The largest single factor in rising costs in the decade ahead is looming entrance of the Baby Boomers into the Medicare system starting in 2011. Those 78 million people born from 1946 to 1964 are sometimes called "the pig in the python." The projected effect of their enrollment in Medicare is a rise from 45 million beneficiaries now to over 67 million by 2020.

That alone will boost costs by 50%, even if the costs per beneficiary remain static. Unfortunately, decades of data suggest costs per beneficiary will continue rising by about 7% per year. Based on a reasonably conservative extrapolation of current economic trends, we get a scenario in which Medicare/Medicaid costs will consume fully half the federal budget by 2020.


See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/cAw1te

[glitch]

11. That's one. Any others?

When discussing reforming "entitlements" articles like this really should be specific, especially in light of the climate in DC. This is not an aside line, becomes inflammatory when calling voters spoiled brats. IOW, not helpful.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Thousands. But perhaps you should check out the CBO estimates.

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/90xx/doc9042/03-14_Spratt-FiscalGap.pdf


http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba662

"Social Security versus Medicare. Politi­cians and the media focus on Social Security's financial health, but Medicare's future liabilities are far more ominous, at more than $89 trillion. Medicare's total unfunded liability is more than five times larger than that of Social Security. In fact, the new Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in 2006 (Part D) alone adds some $17 trillion to the projected Medicare shortfall - an amount greater than all of Social Security's unfunded obligations."

[glitch]

13. Entitlements is a dog whistle for Social Security in this case, as I think you are well aware.

But yeah, let's look at reforming thousands of smaller 'entitlements' and not mention SS.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. What?