Comments on: Harsh Benefit Cuts http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/29/harsh-benefit-cuts/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:58:51 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Judi Blue http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/29/harsh-benefit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-6661 Judi Blue Sun, 01 May 2005 05:22:05 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1746#comment-6661 Actually, this "new" proposed benefit cut was outlined in the NY Times some months ago as a Bush administration proposed option to turn social security into a welfare benefit for the poor - I believe Paul Krugman had some very enlightening insights about this. In any event, it's obvious that Bush has pulled the "cut" threat out of his magic hat so middle class Americans will now (he hopes)clamor towards his "privitization package". Fear tactics- that's what I call it. Never, ever, underestimate the covert manipulation behind every proposal that comes out of this president's office. He and his cronies are determined to destroy our way of life. Actually, this “new” proposed benefit cut was outlined in the NY Times some months ago as a Bush administration proposed option to turn social security into a welfare benefit for the poor – I believe Paul Krugman had some very enlightening insights about this. In any event, it’s obvious that Bush has pulled the “cut” threat out of his magic hat so middle class Americans will now (he hopes)clamor towards his “privitization package”. Fear tactics- that’s what I call it. Never, ever, underestimate the covert manipulation behind every proposal that comes out of this president’s office. He and his cronies are determined to destroy our way of life.

]]> By: This Space For Rent http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/29/harsh-benefit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-6662 This Space For Rent Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:29:48 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1746#comment-6662 <strong>21st Century Welfare Queens</strong> Greg over at the Talent Who has linked to Kevin Drum's summation of Bush's Welfare scam plan, with commentary of his own: Kevin's got the details on the Bush Social Security plan. It turns out that my initial impressions were... 21st Century Welfare Queens

Greg over at the Talent Who has linked to Kevin Drum’s summation of Bush’s Welfare scam plan, with commentary of his own: Kevin’s got the details on the Bush Social Security plan. It turns out that my initial impressions were…

]]> By: Ross A Lincoln http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/29/harsh-benefit-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-6660 Ross A Lincoln Fri, 29 Apr 2005 18:58:33 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1746#comment-6660 Kevin is being too kind, once again, to the Bushies. The president's plan seems obvious to me: He wants to take away the shared stake we all have in SS, by making it something only poor people benefit from in the long term. it's a divide and conquer strategy. He's clearly waging class warfare, by making it so that the lower middle to extreme upper classes won't give a shit about SS, something they won't even benefit from. Furthmore, he's laying the groundwork now for people to actually <i>resent</i> SS recipients in the future. Seriously, think about the difficulty trying to get non-poor people to approve school funding in poor areas of a city. No matter how beneficial it may be to the community overall, the right wing have enabled a culture of selfishness so successfully that even lower middle class people are pissed off about school funding. "<i>Why should I pay for the schools of kids who don't live I my neighborhood and whose parents are too poor to work</i>". This is not a straw man argument, I have heard people say that very thing to me more times than I care to rememebr. Essentially, Bush is changing tactics - The new plan is to sound like he cares for the poor, but in the long run to turn future SS recipients into the "Welfare Queens" of 2015. And if we let him get away with it, you can bet we'll hear aguments about a "Culture of saving and hard work" used against what little remains of SS by this time. Kevin is being too kind, once again, to the Bushies. The president’s plan seems obvious to me: He wants to take away the shared stake we all have in SS, by making it something only poor people benefit from in the long term. it’s a divide and conquer strategy.

He’s clearly waging class warfare, by making it so that the lower middle to extreme upper classes won’t give a shit about SS, something they won’t even benefit from. Furthmore, he’s laying the groundwork now for people to actually resent SS recipients in the future.

Seriously, think about the difficulty trying to get non-poor people to approve school funding in poor areas of a city. No matter how beneficial it may be to the community overall, the right wing have enabled a culture of selfishness so successfully that even lower middle class people are pissed off about school funding. “Why should I pay for the schools of kids who don’t live I my neighborhood and whose parents are too poor to work“. This is not a straw man argument, I have heard people say that very thing to me more times than I care to rememebr.

Essentially, Bush is changing tactics – The new plan is to sound like he cares for the poor, but in the long run to turn future SS recipients into the “Welfare Queens” of 2015. And if we let him get away with it, you can bet we’ll hear aguments about a “Culture of saving and hard work” used against what little remains of SS by this time.

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