I’m on Bloggingheads TV with Town Hall’s Amanda Carpenter, up now at the New York Times website. I actually like Amanda, we did ABC last week and had fun. Toward the end of the session (which you can see in its entirety here), she volunteered to host a chat on FDL with Bob Barr. I thought it was a great idea and told her I was going to hold her to it.
Anyway, we have a fundamental disagreement on Social Security. Not quite sure why we’re supposed to stay in Iraq indefinitely to caretake the Iraqis but we can’t take care of old people in the US, but I’m sure Amanda will keep trying to explain it to me and maybe one day I’ll get it.
Related posts:
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- Lieberman to Whip Up Anti-Muslim Hysteria With Homeland Security Hearing on Fort Hood Shooting
- Silvestre Reyes Announces Investigation into Violations of National Security Act
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- You can never say, “Y’know, that’s a good point, maybe I’m wrong”
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No way I’m first. Live coverage of Obama in Tampa FL
jus cogens!
Wow, fancy interface you got there Hamsher.
Blast from the past:
Wingnuts said the War on Poverty didn’t solve poverty.
But it did for old folks, which were the largest component of the poor prior to Social Security.
Amanda doesn’t understand that the private sector is only good at driving shareholder value.
It’s okay to put an entire war on the credit card, but we just don’t seem to have enough money to pay for our own people. Them oil barrons need their subsidies, ya know.
But, wingnuts have very short memories(comes with the pledge, I think) — they don’t remember what it was like for the elderly before Social Security and then the War on Poverty. But perhaps they never had contact with poor people…oh, I forgot, if you are poor, it’s your own fault.
Amanda looks awful young to have already had “25 jobs” since “starting to work at age 16.”
Maybe she needs to work on her people skills or figure out why she keeps having to change jobs so frequently…
I don’t no about anyone else but I have been paying into SS for damn near thirty years now.
So I can just write that off huh?
I don’t think that’s such a charming idea.
If the politicians would quit raiding it and actually put back the money that has been taken out where it belongs there wouldn’t be this mess.
I think even Chimpy found out people, regardless of party, want that small little item fixed and then left alone.
Thanks, Jane. That’s a great exchange you have with Amanda. Changing wingnuts’ minds one at a time-you will someday bring her into the light!
And FDR is “Probably the worst president evah”?
Ho-KAY!
Although I’m sure Little Boots appreciates the vote of confidence implicit in THAT statement.
It’s not just that wingnuts have short memories-they have selective memories. They’ll never forget appeasement, for example, which, in their definition, is all about talking, having nothing to do with outcomes.
Jane smacks another one out of the ballpark. You rock girl!
she’s useing the “me” argument and she’s actually using it effectively
what she needs to understand is that social security is NOT for her retirement, there are other programs that are included in this security for our society
she also needs to know that she has already been the recipient of the funds that have been spent on social security and she can’t “OPT OUT” unless she pays those bills
this is the argument we need to make to these people;
“why do you want to stop paying your bills, why do you insist you are here all by yourself, why do you think you could even have your job or make the money you think you want to keep if it weren’t for these programs?”
and further;
“why do you call it an entitlement program, it is a program that protects this country and her inhabitants?
why do you have trouble with the simple fact that any chain is as weak as that weakest link?
“why do you insist you can survive without the rest of us and why do you continue to take the rest of our assets if that’s how you feel?
“you use our roads, our water works, you use the public’s property to get your electricity and to drive your car over bridges
these are your expenses and you couldn’t even put food on your table if you had to pay your own bills all by yourself”
“it’s not about “you”, it’s about this country and it’s about time people like yourself started thinking about the future of this country as a patriot rather then yourself as an individual
you should ask not what this country is going to do for you, you need to start asking what you can do for this country”
we need to turn their “me” strategy back on their own brand
That is a riot.
amanada entire vocabulary consists of con talking points.
Wasn’t even a close match ;)
Maybe she needs to work on her people skills
Oh, my goodness, I think you are correct.
But, I just love the way Jane keeps her premise going, stays on point, even with Amanda interrupting her, changing the subject, giggling, and Not Hearing what the truth of the matter is.
Jane, you are an example of a person who understands successful communication.
I’m glad you like this girl. You are a better person than I.
Why is Lady Jane wasting her time with this wingnut airhead?
what a fukkin MAROON
why we should NEVER privatise SS
Timeline 1985–ongoing
1985–1991: Savings and Loan crisis
January 1989: One-month drop sales of 12.6 percent.[1]
1986–1991: New homes constructed dropped from 1.8 to 1 million, the lowest rated since World War II.[2]
1991–1997: Flat Housing prices
1991: US recession, new construction prices fall, but above inflationary growth allows them to return by 1997 in real terms.
1997: Mortgage denial rate of 29 percent for conventional home purchase loans [3]
September 23, 1998: New York Fed brings together consortium of investors to bail out Long-Term Capital Management
1998: Inflation-adjusted home price appreciation exceeds 10%/year in most West Coast metropolitan areas[4]
1999: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, repealed the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, allowed commercial and investment banks to consolidate.
1995–2001: Dot-com bubble
March 10, 2000: Dot-com bubble collapse NASDAQ Composite index peaked
2000–2003: Early 2000s recession (exact time varies by country)
2001–2005: United States housing bubble (part of the world housing bubble)
2001: US Federal Reserve lowers Federal funds rate 11 times, from 6.5% to 1.75%.[5]
2002–2003: Mortgage denial rate of 14 percent for conventional home purchase loans, half of 1997 [3]
2002: Annual home price appreciation of 10% or more in California, Florida, and most Northeastern states.
2004: U.S. homeownership rate peaked with an all time high of 69.2 percent. [6]
2004–2005: Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, and Nevada record price increases in excess of 25% per year.
2005–ongoing: United States housing market correction (”bubble bursting”)
2005: Boom ended August 2005. The booming housing market halted abruptly for many parts of the U.S. in late summer of 2005.
2006: Continued market slowdown. Prices are flat, home sales fall, resulting in inventory buildup. U.S. Home Construction Index is down over 40% as of mid-August 2006 compared to a year earlier.
2007: Year-to-year decreases in both U.S. home sales and home prices accelerates rather than bottoming out, with U.S. Treasury secretary Paulson calling the “the housing decline … the most significant risk to our economy.”[7]
[edit] Timeline 2007
2007: Home sales continue to fall. The plunge in existing-home sales is the steepest since 1989. In Q1/2007, S&P/Case-Shiller house price index records first year-over-year decline in nationwide house prices since 1991.[8] The subprime mortgage industry collapses, and a surge of foreclosure activity (twice as bad as 2006[9]) and rising interest rates threaten to depress prices further as problems in the subprime markets spread to the near-prime and prime mortgage markets.[10] The U.S. Treasury secretary calls the “ongoing housing correction” “the most significant risk to our economy.”[7]
February–ongoing: 2007 Subprime mortgage financial crisis Subprime industry collapse; more than 25 subprime lenders declaring bankruptcy, announcing significant losses, or putting themselves up for sale.
April 2: New Century Financial, largest U.S. subprime lender, files for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
August: worldwide “credit crunch” as subprime mortgage backed securities are discovered in portfolios of banks and hedge funds around the world, from BNP Paribas to Bank of China. Many lenders stop offering home equity loans and “stated income” loans. Federal Reserve injects about $100B into the money supply for banks to borrow at a low rate.
August 6: American Home Mortgage files for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
August 7: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton proposes a $1 billion bailout fund to help homeowners at risk for foreclosure.[11]
August 16: Countrywide Financial Corporation, the biggest U.S. mortgage lender, narrowly avoids bankruptcy by taking out an emergency loan of $11 billion from a group of banks.[12]
August 17: Federal Reserve lowers the discount rate by 50 basis points to 5.75% from 6.25%.
August 31: President Bush announces a limited bailout of U.S. homeowners unable to pay the rising costs of their debts.[13]Ameriquest, once the largest subprime lender in the U.S., goes out of business;[14]
September 1–3: Fed Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole, WY addressed the housing recession that jeopardizes U.S. growth. Several critics argued that the Fed should use regulation and interest rates to prevent asset-price bubbles,[15] blamed former Fed-chairman Alan Greenspan’s low interest rate policies for stoking the U.S. housing boom and subsequent bust,[16][17], and Yale University economist Robert Shiller warned of possible home price declines of 50 percent.[18]
September 17: Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said “we had a bubble in housing”[19][20] and warns of “large double digit declines” in home values “larger than most people expect.”
September 18: The Fed lowers interest rates by half a percent (50 basis points) to 4.75% in an attempt to limit damage to the economy from the housing and credit crises.[21]
September 28: Television finance personality Jim Cramer warns Americans on The Today Show, “don’t you dare buy a home—you’ll lose money,” causing a furor among realtors.[22]
Whoa, dude, I missed the part where you should right all that off?
I heard Jane say Social Security is Not in trouble.
Were we listening to the same interview?
that was supposed to include “market corrections” sorry
so that the wing nuts that listen to her see the other side of the argument
the thing is when they hear the “talking points” they cheer
I love to talk to these people using their own talking points, I love to talk about how unpatriotic they are, how they want welfare, how they don’t want to pay the bills they’ve amassed or pay for the services they’ve used
I just love to use their own talking points to shut their face
Take the SS and Medicare tax caps off. Problem abated materially.
simple answers to simple ques….
old people just need to find their own sugga momma
Ebbers was one of the founders of WorldCom, first known as LDDS, and was its CEO from 1985 until 2000. When the company’s shares were at their height, Ebbers was nearly a billionaire, though he held those shares until WorldCom filed for bankruptcy in July 2002, three months after he was forced to resign and one month after the fraud was uncovered. His company reemerged from bankruptcy as MCI (nasdaq: MCIP – news – people ) and now faces competing takeover bids from Verizon Communications (nyse: VZ – news – people ) and Qwest Communications International (nyse: Q – news – people ).
yea JUST TRUST EM……..right?
by the way, here’s an excellant point to make to anyone that wants to make believe it is in trouble;
“the assets that your parents invested in social security were missapropriated and given to the wealthy
that was a loan and those assets need to be returned to the coffers they came, we cannot have the wealthiest people on the planet putting your parents investments in their own private bank account
we need to get those assets back they are not theirs to keep earning our dividends”
their heads explode when I hit them with their own talking points to show how idiotic their position is
Miss Amanda needs a little dose of reality.
At twenty five years of age she doesn’t have the life experience yet to see through the eyes of experience.
I would like to ask her if she might have some relatives who are old enough to be SS recipients and have her have this conversation with them.
Just have to say that Obama is giving a great speech in Tampa.
people who dont have a working knowledge of the stock market,can loose every friggin penny they own…its totally manipulated
Well, I think they file ‘appeasement’ under the same header as ‘bipartisan’, which we all know means ‘Agree with me or I roll over you.”
I know, my point was if they actually got their grubby little hands on it and privatized it.
They could break a cast iron anvil with a rubber mallet.
Well, let’s see… There were the 10 families she babysat for (once each), the time she took care of her mother’s friend’s dog that weekend, those 8 jobs at upscale boutiques that only lasted 2 or 3 days each because the customers were just SO tacky, and then she got funneled into the wingnut welfare pool and that takes care of the rest…
Social Security won’t be bankrupt in 2042.
In 2042, using current assumptions, Social Security would pay less than 100% of current benefit levels.
Those assumptions tend to be conservative, of course, unless you’re using assumptions to bolster privatization. Then, of course, growth will be HUGE.
Also I’m sorry we didn’t get the rundown on FDR: worst President EVAH!
they would steal every last farthing,of this im sure
I totally misunderstood your comment. Sorry.
FDR …sigh
OfT, Jane you (or anyone at FDL) might consider finding a financial accountant who could do a thumb nail evaluation of U.S. Presidents after 1900 (or whatever they want, as long as it includes FDR). When we talk about “building” the US, I bet a financial accountant could show that no one did more of it than FDR.
GOP hasn’t learned that cheap can be expensive. In many cases “privatization” is nothing more than cannibalizing assets (infrastructure) that the taxpayers and Democratic leaders invested in for decades and longer.
In the shadow of the sub prime collapse, lenders and rating agencies more than ever demand government balance sheets contain solid collateral. That collateral, it might be a building in a prime piece of commercial real estate, might be easy to sell, but what does the government replace it with on its balance sheet? The thugs love cash flow. So they sell some of these long term assets, claim a budget “surplus,” and then spend it. Now the cash is gone and the county or state balance sheet is significantly weakened.
stop wars…END CAPS….all solved magically…money reapears in coffers,make corps offshore pay TAXES for gov contracts,etc,etc,etc
(once each)
You crack me up!
Fer sure, I wouldn’t let her babysit my fish.
Not sure how to take that.
I ain’t going to be around long enough to collect any of it anyway. Shit, I’m lucky to be alive now. When they upped the retirement age to seventy for my generation I wrote it off then. Now it’s just the price of doing business.
Ouch.
Normally, one doesn’t brag about 25 jobs in 9 years or so…
This person just can’t relate to The Great Depression and why coming together to help fellow citizens might have been a good thing.
Sadly, many kids like Amanda feel this way because they are just getting used to managing their money. I had one young lady at work (several years ago) ask why she had to pay taxes for the fire dept. She’d never need them…
immaturity at its best. They look at their salary like an allowance.
Liars lie.
its intertube lingo;simple answers can solve the SIMPLE problems..complex problems …not so much
Most people in their 20s and 30s don’t expect to get any money out of Social Security. I remember my father and uncles talking about Social Security and how it wouldn’t be there when they retired.
When I was in my 20s and 30s, I didn’t expect to get any money out of Social Security.
My dad’s been retired for 15 years now and he and my mother have collected Social Security.
My father and uncles felt (then) the same way I did when I was Amanda’s age. I’ve made contributions to a good pension plan, it doesn’t matter if Social Security is there for me. What is important is that it’s there for my parents.
What concerns me about Amanda is that she might be typical of her generation: What’s in it for ME? Why should I work to support someone else’s parents? Privatize the thing so that what’s mine is mine, by golly.
The greed is astounding.
I wouldn’t let her in my home.
yea and im supposed to listen to her…hahaha WHY?
As I’m thinking about it, I can understand how someone might resent paying any taxes at all when the rich folks don’t have to pay at the same rates. I wonder what she would say when learning that her own party allows only the rich to keep their money.
FREAKIN ZILLIONAIRE …John McSame COLLECTS his SS
Busted,
I’m with you. 37 years payin in and some 25 year old wit thinks it ok now to say…. oh well.
In ‘86 we the people began to pay in more than the system needed to prepare for now. That means that for the majority of my working life my contribution was greater than the system required so that the money would be there for ME when I retire. I will take to the streets over SS.
Oh yeah….Jane, you’re my hero.
Busted
Just tell her, “I’m so glad you will be supporting your parents in their old age. That’s wonderful!”
;)
Yeah, good job Jane and I also appreciate the fact that you know how to “stage” your webcam interviews. Pretty flowers there vs. the stark white wall. My eyes thank you.
So, you’re dissing my assertion?
I am of the opinion that we are in a depression right now, obviously not as severe as the “great” depression but that WAS the “great” depression and all depressions are not as severe
there was even a story last week of people giving their pets for adoption because they couldn’t afford the food!
a man was crying over giving up his pug
my dad has a pug and man, they are little clowns and they know it, I cannot believe anyone could ever give up their best friend
ding!
you beat me to it!!!
It’s the “The line stops here” generation.
What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is mine. Very very selfish.
hehe, I used the wrong quote tags up there from a differant forum
*preview is my friend*
The changes put in place by FDR and the Democrats then have kept us from a second Great Depression brought on by Bush and the Republics now.
I’ll be shoulder to shoulder with you.
yea …give em some more of your money to steal/lose
The Bush Who Stole Florida Teachers’ Christmas
by LondonYank [Subscribe]
Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:21:36 AM PDT
Jeb Bush was one of 3 people managing the investments of the Florida State Board of Administration. The SBA runs an investment pool of municipalities’ cash and also the state’s $170 billion pension fund. The SBA administrator appointed by Jeb is Coleman Stipanovich, brother of J.M. “Mac” Stipanovich who managed Jeb’s campaign for governor and advises Katherine Harris.
The SBA investment pool is now frozen after $10 billion was withdrawn, and what’s left is financial toxic waste. Hundreds of Florida cities, counties, school districts and fire departments are at risk of defaulting on salaries over a payroll weekend.
I heard her say she wanted to be rich. Far as she’s concerned that solves every problem she could ever possibly have. Spoiled, naive, immature. Hey, Amanda, I’ve got an investment opportunity here you’ll just love. Double your money in 6 months. Guaranteed. You just need to put 100 grand up front. Cash. Deal?
“So, wingnut, do you think we should just let people starve in the streets? What about taking care of blind people? They’re on their own too?”
Dear Amanda,
It’s extremely impolite to interrupt someone with whom you are engaged in a debate. As you grow in years, you might want to learn to listen, instead of shouting down differing arguments. Listening will have you learn stuff, intead of repeating discredited talking points from the hate media.
Grow up.
quite the opposite
I share your observation perris, just commenting on the FDR thingy from the young lady.
Sad story about the pets. I hadn’t heard that. :(
I agree that there is absolutely no concept of the “common good” generally speaking. I do think that volunteerism may have been on the rise (totally talking out my you know what) but I don’t know if we’ve recovered from the ME generation thing yet.
The long answer for these peeps is “yes.”
Amanda better hope she does get rich or she may have to move in with her kids if she has any or they let her when she is old.
yes, they think people should starve in the streets and they think blind people should just die
they are trying to bring back robber baron economics, they want everyone to pay their bills and they want to pay for nothing themselves
these dumbasses….fall for it EVERYTIME….lol
Good point.
Even I have SOME manners.
Belch.
Except privatize doesn’t mean what she thinks it means. Under Bush privatization plans, she would not get what she is currently paying into Social Security and even if she made a profit on her investments most of the profit from them would be stripped off before she ever saw a dime of it.
I’d like to see George Bush and the SS opponents in Congress put their retirement pay at the mercy of the stock market.
My 401(k) has lost more than $7,000 during the not-a-recession. Basically, I’ve been working for nothing for four months. And I’m supposed to happily give up the one stable component of my retirement?
Amanda, fuck you and the pony you rode in on.
hey,some peeps her age contract lukemia,or have strokes…she is a simpleton
uhm yes
People don’t really understand what a social saftey net is, until they have to apply for assistance.
A fellow was telling me how awful it was to put someone in a nursing home. How he and his siblings would never ever do that, they’d take care of Mom, wouldn’t take money from the government, etc.
OK, I said, but what if we’re talking about YOU? You have to be in a nursing home, are your sibs going to pay for your wife and kids’ dental care, medical, your mortgage, your care…? For years? Don’t you see it’s better to spread this out over millions of people than just you few siblings? THat’s why it works!
I never heard another word from him.
Excuse you!
Yeah, Q, I noticed that she also said “well we can talk about X, if you don’t want to talk about Y” when Jane very much wanted to talk about Y and was disagreeing with her. What a way to change the subject!
Maybe I’m just denser than usual today. Sorry.
I see perhaps $4 trillion in annual US income above the $100k level (of course, not all of it “earned income” that would be SS/Medicare taxable absent the cap).
I base that on stuff I took out of Census.gov “Table HINC-06. Income Distribution to $250,000 or More for Households: 2006″
Just a rough estimate, but there’s money there.
why should salaries be capped anyway…i dont understand the rational
Jane,
Poor Amanda, as you were mopping the floor with her and her ridiculous arguments. She praddled on about her inability to hold a job. 25?
People always say that, but then who is in the nursing homes? Folks will never admit that they might need to do it…good shot at talking about them going to a home, though.
Amanda, fuck you and the pony you rode in on.
*
Man-oh-man. Nothing like an uninformed, pretty little petulant big mouth to get us going this morning, eh?
Watching her interrupt Jane, she reminded me of another youngish foot-stomping mouthpiece. Who, who?
Oh yeah. Now I remember. Maybe this young lass has fantasies of being McCain’s press secretary. hmmmm?
all BUSHCOs Pioneers..on Wall street have been pushing this idea…cause after the dot com bubble,people have NOT TRUSTED wall street for good reason,little or No oversight…so if peeps dont WILLINGLY GIVE THEIR MONEY….take it anyway
Jesus Christ, is Amanda stupid. That’s like debating an Abercrombie & Fitch greeter….
yea with the Julia Roberts smile,hair….and HIGHLY arched eyebrows
empty vessel
I want Amanda to explain this privatization:
Insurers Faulted as Overloading Social Security
My Dad died two weeks ago after 6.5 years in a nursing home with dementia. Luckily, the VA picked up his tab (disabled WWII vet). My Mom is now in long-term care as well. Private pay, to the tune of about $75,000 a year. I moved them both here from Florida last year.
She appears to have acute TPAS (talking point anger syndrome) combined with SFL (scorn for liberals)and MFB (mush for brains) in spades. Perfect representative for their side. Has she ever been on Kevin James’ show?
GOP hasn’t learned that cheap can be expensive. In many cases “privatization” is nothing more than cannibalizing assets (infrastructure) that the taxpayers and Democratic leaders invested in for decades and longer.
(BooRadley, you are so right. This year alone, privatization at the IRS cost the government $37 million. Back in 2006, the IRS estimated that, over a 10-year period, a privatized IRS collection effort would bring in $1.1 billion, vs. $87 billion if the IRS could hire enough staff to do the job. But Congress (at the urging of Guess WHo) refused the IRS’ budget request and now another chunk of our change goes swirling down the pipes (and into the pockets of some campaign donors, no doubt).
TBogg rocks.
yea Wallstreet investment bankers who make 1/2 a BILLION dollars should guide the little peoples investments
BWAHAhahaha
In their rosy vision, charities would step in to fill the needs.
If that isn’t stupid pie in the sky thinking, I don’t know what is.
I’ve talked to several libertarians who feel that taxation is pure theft, and charities will fill every crack. We just haven’t given them a chance, that’s all. Charities are wonderful (I know I don’t have to tell you!) but my goodness, it’s very hard to raise money.
She’s as thick as manure and only half as useful.
Sorry to hear you lost your pop.
I missed the part of her wanting to be rich. Probably because I’ve heard it so many times before from young folks.
I’m proud to say my daughter (only 16) takes on the kids at her school (granted they are even younger and don’t get it) when a food drive or some such thing comes up. Many will say they can’t afford to donate anything. I always respond to her stories by saying someone always has more and someone else always has less. Just help.
Some obnoxious ones ask why should they care?
My daughter says, kiddo, remember Katrina? If Katrina happens to you, no ones gonna help you. Pow! right in the kisser.
Thanks, Raven. He slipped off peacefully.
every case is different{{{{{hugs}}}} pats on the back
And for those people the charities don’t help, well, I’m sure Amanda would be in favor of bringing back debtors’ prisons.
Seconded.
ok must go clean yard,yea i could use some more cow dung Amanda
(((BobbyG)))
I know. It’s hard. I haven’t had to do it (yet) myself but I know the day of reckoning will come sooner than I think. I was with my mom when she took her FIL (my dad’ dad) to the home. She just broke down on the sidewalk when we left.
Make that privatized debtors prisons.
Oh, Mandy!
My thoughts are with you, your family and friends. Keep your head up.
Well are we done stickin’ it to Amanda?
How do we reach someone like her in order to help her realize what her best interests are?
Do we start a Save the Selfish charity drive?
My typical day recently, ’til Pop died. Now just Mom.
Right! Thanks for the clarification.
Oh, that just did it. I never, ever, ever like that song.
I’m shaking my head so hard over this thread, I’m afraid I’ll get whiplash.
Gotta go. :)
a good read
http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm
Is that one of those Heathers I’ve heard about? Do you think “grandfathering” the system is okay with her because she doesn’t want her aged parents moving in with her? I wonder if she knows she’ll be paying for her parents’ “grandfathered” annuities. I have a feeling it might be tough shit for her old dodd and mummy if she realized that.
There is an new thread……
http://firedoglake.com/2008/05…..g/#respond
((Bobby))
We must be on the same page. I really want to go get some gardening done….
(and thanks Busted.)
[edited by mod to remove advocacy of violence]
Damn, that touched me right to the core. Lost my 86 year old dad last summer, taking care of my 87 year old mom. Beautiful, yet, heartbreaking. Thanks.
We have to keep telling ourselves, like they do, that it’s all their own fault.
Amanda can’t possibly be 25 maturity-wise…13, 14 tops.
Even when a policy that is a safety net, takes people out of poverty or anything hinting of helping other americans is proven to save money, lots of money, the R’s refuse to believe it or pretend not to believe it.
I have even re-learned how to change diapers! LOL!
Man…
I really get weary of the Next-of-Kin thingy sometimes.
The wealthy write the tax laws and would probably exempt anyone making over 100 grand from all taxes if they thought they could get away with it. If your wealthy you don’t have to pay for anything like police, fire, etc. The little people pay that stuff for you because you’re wealthy and believe that your shit don’t stink.
Wowwowwow.
I guess I can figure out why boosh ‘won’– why hasn’t she gotten one of those plummy jobs at DOJ/WH/Green Zone yet?
selfish to the core.
(Jane– you look so very beautiful and the look of astonishment on your face is priceless!)
In the 2000 Election, the majority of voters under 45 believed that Social Security was in crisis, and wouldn’t be around for them. These attitudes were the result of the 30 year right wing campaign to demonize government and discredit Social Security, and it worked — but like all right wing propaganda, it is outright lies salted with selective half truths.
In 2000, Bush grabbed the third rail with both hands and survived. In 2005, he was defeated by DFH bloggers and Nancy Pelosi Democrats.
The most important step in pushing back is to disconnect the arguments about Social Security and Medicare — Social Security is on sound financial footing, but Medicare is in trouble because the entire US health care system is broken.
(((BobbyG))) another hug (I’m a big believer in hugs).
What a good son you are and doing right by your parents to have them close to you. You’re doing all you can do and with lots of love.
My dad doesn’t have alz’s, but the conversation you had with your dad is very similar to those with my dad because of his hearing but mostly because of his attention span. He was never a good listener anyway…btw, you have a lovely voice.
hang in there buddy!
(((BobbyG)))
I’m very sorry to hear that. My best to you and you family.
What angie said.
Thanks (BG blushes…).
My “radio” voice is here at my podcast site, LOL!
I actually don’t.
Wonderful writing, Bobby. Once again, touching right down to the marrow. Thanks for sharing.
You bet. 10 years. Still seems like last week.
:(
I’m sorry for your loss, Bobby. I do know that it never goes away, does it?
No.
Thanks for the kind words.
Hey wangster.
You never fail to crack my shit up!
Bobby!!!
As I’ve told you before, Wednesday night is take mom for a walk in the park night – me, my sissy (my son and husband) and I. We usually get takeout food to eat at mom’s afterward, but today I’m baking a chicken and making some salads to take over there.
Oh, and, baking some chocolate chip cookies, too.
We love them while they are still here — which is not to say we love our daddies any less, now that they have left this earth — they’ve flown away.
(”I’ll fly away….”)
1. Can anyone point me to a concise explanation of why SS won’t be in trouble? I tend to be persuaded by the past Comptroller General of the US’s opinion that it is. This is not the same as favoring privatization – see below.
2. I know of another country also running an annual surplus on their national pension plan. Instead of borrowing all of it for current expenditure, they have set up a governmental investment fund that is buying a wide array of equities in all sectors, domestic and foreign. They ARE still putting about 40% into national bonds (i.e. borrowing it). So when the surplus runs out, they will have dividends and sale of equities to make up the shortfall without borrowing (at least for a while). How is this not better than either the current system or privatization?
the only “trouble” it faces is the fact that the administration uses the excess to fund other programs, reagan used social security to give tax presents to the wealthy, clinton did the same thing however greenspan raised the social security tax when it was pointed out boomers would soon be eligable
I believe the only time the ss is not solvent is in worst case scenario and even then it would still be solvent if we reclaimed the assets that were taken from the program
LOL! reality truly is da best medicine.
Would so appreciate your encyclopedic brain noodling on the Spike Lee smackdown from Cannes on Clint Eastwood’s
racist, revisionist history in his recent critically “acclaimed” Iwo Jima film. Our local DFH Dirty Harry email alert join me in thanking you in advance for any music linky you may suggest to enhance our next Clint Watch email alert. ;~)I’m sorry I came to the conversation so late and hope you get this link.
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/mo…..urity.html
And please bear in mind that SS is not a pension fund but an insurance fund that covers orphans and the disabled as well as seniors.
That’s right Jane! The right wingers of America like the idea of stealing large sums of money fast, so privatizing Social Security is one more way to do it! Savings & Loan, invading Iraq, have been the two other ways in recent history…
Great video. The right winger is a dumbass who only has right wing slogans. Hysterical.
Jane, it’s admirable that you are willing to take on these people. That is my first thought on this debate. My second thought is why are you wasting your valuable time trying to get to sane ground with someone so selfish and self centered who is representing (the voice of) the most selfish and self centered portion or our society today?
You are a highly valued voice for the sane America where I was born and raised. That America I see assaulted and threatened and damaged almost daily since Bu$hCo took office. We need you in better corners than with these creatures who look and speak like humans, but are inhuman and inhumane in public and private practice.
Rethink your battlegrounds? Talking to someone like this is generally a waste of breath and energy. I wouldn’t SAY that had Amanda Carpenter come to any intelligent change of heart and/or mind in the course of this discussion.
JANE! We LOVE you. Come back!!!!!
hehe
thanks Mommybrain.