Article: McCain Demogogues and Lies About Social Security

Calling 'Social Security' an 'absolute disgrace', John McCain wants to force you to turn over a portion of your hard earned wages and salaries to Wall Street insiders! When Wall Street is crooked and ailing, Dr. John McCain's prescription: 'Just keep on doing whatever makes you sick'. McCain's campaign could not have picked a worse time to invent and exploit a phony crisis. Can you say 'idiot'?

At a time when Wall Street is proven to be sick, crooked, bloated, corrupt, and voracious, McCain proposes to force young workers to trust Wall Street with their money. Meanwhile, Wall Street will be bailed out --at your expense --and no one bothered to ask your opinion! It's the most draconian legislation since George Bush declared himself a dictator and declared the Constitution 'just a goddamned piece of paper!

Like the rest of the GOP, John McCain uses the Orwellian terms 'privatize', 'privately managed accounts', etc to describe what amounts to the dismantling of Social Security --the ONLY government program that works.

McCain calls Social Security 'an absolute disgrace!' It is --in fact --the government's only unqualified success. His plan to force younger workers to trust Wall Street with their savings will be another AIG disaster --but McCain will give workers no choice. It is literally 'your money and your life!'

Would you patronize a doctor if he told you: "just keep on doing whatever it is that makes you sick!" Meanwhile, Dr. John tells you in effect: "let's just keep on sending your money up to Wall Street! They need it more than you do!"

The annual report of the Social Security system's trustees reveals a system in pretty good financial shape. In fact, it would take only modest injections of money to maintain that system's current benefit levels for at least the next 75 years. Other reports, however, appear to portray a system in deep financial trouble. For example, a 2002 Treasury study, described on Tuesday in The New York Times, claims that Social Security and Medicare are $44 trillion in the red. What's the truth?

--New York Times

Social Security is in even better condition than the Times have described. According to the Treasury study --there is NO Social Security crisis.

Here's a hint: while even right-wing politicians insist in public that they want to save Social Security, the ideologues shaping their views are itching for an excuse to dismantle the system. So you have to read alarming reports generated by people who work at ideologically driven institutions -- a list that now, alas, includes the U.S. Treasury -- with great care.

First, two words -- ''and Medicare'' -- make a huge difference. According to the Treasury study, only 16 percent of that $44 trillion shortfall comes from Social Security. Second, the supposed shortfall in both programs comes mainly from projections about the distant future; 62 percent of the combined shortfall comes after 2077. .

--PAUL KRUGMAN, Social Security Scares

What McCain will not tell you is that the source of the 'crisis' is the shortfall caused by Bush's tax cuts --not Social Security. Krugman reminds that Social Security --"unlike the rest of the federal government" --actually runs a surplus! The GOP has always coveted the 'surplus'. The GOP has always schemed to get its mitts on it. The downside of this success is that GOP leeches have fought a war of naked aggression with looted Social Security revenues.

Another problem is Bush's tax cut. It benefits only the very, very wealthy. Unless you are among Bush's 'base', in fact, an elite of just one percent of the nation, you are screwed. The lingering effects of Bush/GOP incompetence will continue to be the source of real problems and real crises. That will continue to be the case until GOP crooks and liars are shown the door, hanged for mass murder, or hauled before the ICC at the Hague.

McCain's record on this issue is full of lies and distortions based on the GOPs disingenuous philosophy of 'laissez faire' --deregulation and weakened consumer protections. McCain calls his proposed theft of Social Security --'reform' and wrote an article in which he praised banking deregulation and promised the same for the health insurance industry. [What has either industry done for you lately?] Is McCain senile or just out of touch?Is he aware that the people of the US are now 'bailing out' the Wall Street fat cats? Nevermind! Just keep on doing whatever makes you sick!

In the meantime, send McCain a message! Bombard his hide out..uh...headquarters. Tell him in all caps:

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SOCIAL SECURITY BUT THE GREEDY BASTARDS ON WALL STREET AND IN WASHINGTON!

STOP LYING ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY!

STOP TRYING TO MANUFACTURE A CRISIS!

STOP DEMAGOGUING THIS ISSUE!

KEEP YOUR MITTS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY!

You might also remind the fuzzy cheeked idiots in your congressman's office that Paul Krugman was right and prophetic when he said that the biggest risk facing Social Security was and remains 'political'. McCain's demoguogery is proof of it. As Krugman asked "Will those who hate the system use scare tactics and fuzzy math to bring it down?" Of course they will! It's the GOP way!