Commissions: Have past results been actual better govt.... OR the provision of political cover?

[Faryn Balyncd]

2002: 9/11 Commission, ("National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States")

2010: "National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling"

1963: Warren Commission

2010: Simpson/Bowles "Catfood Commission" ("National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform")

1995: Boskin Commission ("Advisory Commission to Study the Consumer Price Index" - the folks who have given us our current "no inflation" CPI and no COLA's for at least 2 years)

Will a 2011 Catfood-II Commission (this time http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1498662">BINDING) result in better government, better Social Security, better Medicare?














:kick:

[chill_wind]

1. k & R.

(Although you're in negative rec territory. Apparently you're not supposed to question the wondrous ways with which our leaders lead us)

[villager]

5. "You will take our spin, and you will like it!"

Apparently, to question the "conclusions" of various sweep-it-up commissions is to upset the very foundations of the unreccers' world!

[Marr]

2. That's exactly what that was. It was a way of beginning the dialogue and

framing the argument.

[somone]

3. Indeed

[QC]

4. As I said elsewhere, commissions are the equivalent of Pontius Pilate washing his hands

rather than risk incurring the wrath of the crowd.

They are the ultimate in political cowardice, which makes them very popular in times like these.

[blindpig]

6. Each and every time...

a subversion of democracy.

k&r

[Lorien]

16. +1

they're political cover, nothing more.

[amborin]

7. of course not; and choosing Erskine Bowles?

[Cool Logic]

8. If we have commissions, why do we need a Congress?

[xchrom]

9. Recommend

[roxiejules]

10. Helping us choose what kind of wood we want

on the handle of the axe they use for cuts.


Maple or Hickory?

[William769]

11. K&R.

After thought, Oy vey.

[KoKo]

12. K&R...They are good for "cover." If one notices the people that

are put in charge of these commissions. Many of the same names float through. Remember when Henry Kissinger was supposed to be on the 9/11 Commission until there was public outcry?

[slay]

19. To me these commissions scream cover-up - while giving the appearance of investigation, and quelling

public outcry. Warren commission? 9/11 commission? Yeah fucking right - I believe the two events covered up here went just like these commissions said - the same way I believe in the tooth fairy and the easter bunny.

We've been lied to and fucked over by our own government for a long, long time.

[No Elephants]

22. Public outcry kept Kissinger off the 911 Commission and his protege is now Sec. of Treasury

in a Democratic administration, no less.

We wuz robbed.

[EFerrari]

13. A way to contain and manipulate a controversy. That's right.

:kick:

[inna]

14. K&R. Speaking of political cover... This was considered so politically risky,

that the commission ended up being rejected by Congress, so Obama literally had to go out of his way and create the darn monstrosity by his Executive Order. Of course, now, thanks to Obama, this sick and extremist reactionary bullshit (based on the lie that SS contributes to deficit) has become part of political mainstream. :nuke: :nuke:

[Enthusiast]

15. And why in

fuck would he do that? Even the commission voted against their own recommendations. Just like the 9/11 thing, it was a total piece of subterfuge.

[No Elephants]

20. Excellent summary of facts that are, through no fault of yours,

simultaneously nauseating and infuriating. Thank you.

[myrna minx]

17. K&R n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

18. K&R

Too Cowardly to EVER put anything as important as changes to SS and Medicare before the American people to let them decide.

Thieves...

"IT'S MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW!" Well the same goes for our SS and Medicare!

[AntiFascist]

21. K&R, also notice a common pattern?

MIC-OIL getting their way each and every time. The latest controversy over Medicare/SS avoids the issue of War in the Middle East being responsible for vastly increasing our national debt. There may be some spending cuts in the defense industry, but not nearly enough to counteract the real cost of our misdirected and hubris-ridden foreign policies.

Thanks Faryn Balyncd for a very important post.

[No Elephants]

23. Political cover. Each in its own way has been a death panel. MIsuse of taxpayer dollars,

We will have more of them, the next to be appointed, I'm guessing, not too long from now.

I cannot think of anything that can be done about them, though.

Smile, wave and nod.

[dotymed]

24. Oh yes,

Commissions are a great way to cya (cover your ass), they get some of the top 2%, who know the narrative (they make it) and pretend that are actually investigating and making recommendations based on those extensive investigations.

Of course, They are paid handsomely for their time, which I suspect is divided between the golf course and the lounge. The "good ol' boys in action." How pathetic that we have become a society that accepts this shit.

[Karmadillo]

25. K&R

nt

[Somawas]

26. Commissions are, IMNSHO

the first refug4 of gutless leaders who lack the ability, intellect and testicular fortitutde to lead.

[Bluesbreaker]

27. Thanks for posting this

It's about time someone pointed out the true purpose of commissions. It's a legitimate news story, but you'll never see it on network TV or in MSM. They're owned by the beneficiaries of the commissions.

[OwnedByFerrets]

28. K and R

[woo me with science]

29. K&R nt

[MrMickeysMom]

30. I choose "B" for my answer...

In the case of the Warren Commission, the real beauty is waiting years later for the ARB to reveal how flawed it was.... By then, who lends credence to these things when there are distractions to some other shiny object.

Who decides what testimony to take and what evidence to omit?

Good thread.

[BOHICA12]

31. The '84 Social Security Commission ...

... did its job. Demographics and spending caught up with it in 25 years though.

[mopinko]

32. it's what us old hippies call a limited hang out.

air a few of the minor bits of evidence that they know go nowhere, and call it done. nothing to see here, move along.
if it is something very serious, like bush's re-election. then you hold it in the basement, and pretend it never happened.

can't say as i recall any that did anything lasting. the best was the church commission, which beat the cia down a little. didn't stick too long, tho.