Will the GOP Succeed In Destroying Social Security This Time?
By Thom Hartmann A...
This week, the Republicans began rolling out their classic "Two Santa Claus" scam. When Reagan became president, the national debt was less than $1 trillion. One of his advisers suggested that Republican presidents should jack up the debt as hard, as high, and as far as possible with massive spending on the military and other things that gave them their donor class big bucks. Then, as soon as a Democrat becomes president, they should all start screaming about how bad the national debt was so they could use that as a justification for cutting Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, food stamps, and all the other social programs that Republicans say are socialism.He said that the Republicans needed to become the "tax cut Santa Clauses" and use these deficits to force the Democrats to "shoot their Social Security Santa Claus." Reagan took his advice and tripled the national debt; Bush and Trump both doubled it. Now that Republicans are becoming more and more convinced that a Democrat will be elected president next year, expect to hear, as started today on Morning Joe, lots and lots of screaming about the national debt coming from the GOP. once that mean get some traction, they will then start talking about "entitlement reform," which is GOP code for cutting Social Security and Medicare.
-Thom
Comments
#2
Is it possible to get Tom Steyer on the show? He is a numbers guy.
#3
He's been on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI8IzHwA6_g
#4
Thanks. Long time podcast subscriber that misses very few shows. Recently on Vacation though. I like Tom Steyer first because of his age (62). I am 69 and feel that even Elizabeth (same age as Hillary) is too old for the job at hand. Tom Steyer is a self made Billionaire which took some smarts to achieve. He is progressive and an outsider from the Washington swamp. MBA from Stanford. We have a long ways to the primary. Name recognition is difficult to get in this country. Everything that I have heard from him has been good.
#5
I have to admit, I still favour Bernie, having heard so much from him over the years. If I had a vote, I'd be paying more attention to the others.
When I hear somebody has an MBA, I tend to wonder if they have been thoroughly indoctrinated in the current economic system, since the universities will want to fit them for jobs in that system. But obviously Steyer is not one of the herd.
#6
I like Bernie also. But I am 69 and think of working long hours under stress like I use to and have no desire for more. Even Jimmy Carter said that if he was 15 years younger (80) he could not handle the job. And he is doing good at 95. No matter what I will vote for the Democratic nominee and Trump is proof that age has its affects.
#7
Trump has shown that you can work shorter hours. lol
Bernie would be able to surround himself with competent people which woiuld ease the burden.
And if he resigned after a couple of years, his VP would be well prepared to take over the job and win the next election and train up their own successor.
#8
They don't call the Republicans the party of "NO" for nothing, when it comes to any benefits to the common working person. Instead: The GOP shovel the money to the rich, and eliminate any help program that would feed, clothe, house a needy person.
I'm old enough to remember when there was true democracy in the '60-'70, when life was not an endless grind of struggle to survive, and Republicans were more sane and mature.
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Bernie and Liz need to publish their Medicare for all programs. With numbers and dollars. I have to admit I am confused by it but realize that it would save a lot of money. But by not having a solid econmical layout with charts and pictures and arrows. The naysayers are publishing outrageous trash with no mathimatical backup. The other day I saw a 48% sales tax and it would cost trillions.