Wednesday, February 9, 2011

They Want Your Social Security

This is excellent. In the video below, Cenk Uygur again states the facts about social security and comes to the unavoidable conclusion that Republicans, and a few blue dogs as well, are absolutely lying about social security.

Republicans say we must cut back benefits because they are hurting the deficit, but social security does not add to the deficit or debt. It continues to pay for itself and then some; roughly $2.5 trillion in surplus. Cenk notes that the surplus has been "borrowed," which points more to Congressional thievery, and not to any shortcomings with SS.

Cenk lays all of this out very well. It is a fantastic spectacle to see conservative politicians insist the working class must work even harder, and sacrifice even more, after extending tax cuts to the wealthiest two percent. It is all incredibly blatant, almost like a clumsy parody. I never thought I would see such a brazen and concerted effort to turn over ever more wealth and power to the financial elite.

I agree with Cenk that Republicans want to privatize social security for the benefit of Wall Street. And they are indeed lying when they say we must cut back now so as to ensure social security's future. Their long-term goal is undoubtedly to gut social security and privatize retirement. But their short-term goal is reduce benefits so that SS will begin running up an even greater surplus, one they can continue to borrow from, just as they, Republicans and Democrats alike, have been doing for years. They will take whatever surplus is created and spend it on war and tax cuts. They don't give a shit about fixing social security, and they don't want to pay back the trillions they have already borrowed. But if they want SS to be the perpetual golden goose, they have to convince you that it is a failure and that we cannot afford it. Republicans won't raise taxes, but they can get the same result by slashing benefits to middle class retirees. They have no problem doing that.


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