Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but it was already impossible to say which was which. (George Orwell, closing passage from Animal Farm)
It would be so refreshing to be wrong about this guy, but Obama is giving a talk today on the deficit. I’m hiding my wallet. It’s me he’s after.
Food for thought:
1. The deficit only becomes a “crisis” when the two parties decide it is a crisis. We didn’t have serious deficits until World War II, when they consumed more than half of the economy. Then they got paid back. After that, we were pretty much deficit-free until 1980, when Ronald Reagan took office. Through Reagan, Bush and Bush again, we’ve been on a merry spending spree. Now they decide it’s a problem. Hmmmmm ….
2. Since he took office, Obama has expanded the Central Asian war global war on Islam, extended the Bush tax cuts, and has now started a war in Libya. But when it comes to social programs, man, we are fresh out of cash!
3. He’s going after Medicare and Medicaid. That’s been the whole point of the Kabuki Theater of the threatened shut down of government … a three act play, and today is the third act.
Hope to be wrong. I hope he talks about how Social Security is not part of the General Fund and is not running in the red. I hope he talks about how private sector health care costs (run up by the private insurance cartel) and not just Medicare and Medicaid, are bleeding us dry. I hope he talks about how there is no known connection between economic vitality and tax rates. I hope he distinguishes himself in some manner from the two parties, and acts like a leader.
Hope to be wrong.
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Follow-up: I heard parts of his speech but the phone at that moment started ringing. What I heard is somewhat encouraging – although he acts as if our whole political debate is contained in the short walk between the two parties, he did say some things that are encouraging: One, he acknowledged that the health insurance companies are not good “persons” (Citizens United variety), and so refuses to voucher out senior health care and expose our seniors more to those persons than has already been done via Medicare supplements and Medicare Advantage; two, he acknowledged that Social Security is not causing any part of the deficit (music to my ears); three, he acknowledged that the tax code needs to be simplified (I just did a return that is 159 pages long for a guy who has some oil and gas and some rental properties – that’s absurd!); and he said again that he will not extend the Bush tax cuts (he already backed down from that fight once, so I’m not trusting here).
All in all, his message was tailored for his liberal base, and so resonates. Devil will turn up in details.
Piece of Mindful 