Social Security - Another Fabricated Crisis

The current administration that claims there is crisis in Social Security is the same administration that claimed there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, claimed Iraq possessed the nuclear capacity to strike the United States, implied an imminent threat to America, claimed a link between Iraq and al-Qaeda, implied Iraq had something to do with 9/11, and then waged war on a sovereign nation without just cause.

In the absence of any factual data George Bush’s claims of “imminent threat” became the truth upon which we would invade and now occupy Iraq. No WMD were found, the nuclear capacity myth was exposed and then some, no al-Qaeda connection was confirmed, and Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Yet no one has accepted responsibility and no one has been held accountable. Today Americans pay one billion dollars a week for this “intelligence failure”, this tragedy, this disaster, this fiasco, this out right lie.

The press participated in the deceit and deception of the fabricated crisis in Iraq by repeating the mantra of WMD. That 42 percent of Americans still believe Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11 is a testament to their success but it doesn’t say much for nearly half our population. Fortunately as the father of the Republican Party once observed “you can’t fool all the people all of the time”.

In Austin, Texas, 1999, while Governor George Bush was putting together his presidential campaign with respect to Social Security he said "I'm really committed to these private investment accounts." He had already accepted the Project for a New American Century conclusion of preemptive war as his formulated foreign policy doctrine. The same document which put Iraq on the most wanted list before 9/11.

Now President Bush claims that as early as 2018 taxes will have to be raised or Social Security benefits will have to be reduced, by 2040 the system will be bankrupt, and the only solution is the “private investment accounts” which he neglects to mention he was already committed to in 1999.

In reality, the crisis in Social Security as described by this administration is being manufactured to attain an economic policy goal based on greed that will profit Wall St at the expense of Main St. In reality “private investment accounts” involve risk in order to secure a profit. In such a scheme providing a “safety net” is cost prohibitive.

In reality Social Security provides a safety net. In reality when President Bush says he wants to save Social Security the lie of this fabricated crisis is exposed because when you do away with the concept of an economic “safety net” you do away the philosophical basis for Social Security.

Indeed the real crisis involves the role of the media. This time will the press perpetuate another crisis manufactured by the current administration with its questionable credibility and with its history of “faulty intelligence” in order to secure consent for a sole solution which favors the privileged while ignoring other more equitable solutions e.g. eliminating the tax cap while capping benefits at the higher end of the spectrum?

In the “ownership society” who will accept responsibility and who will be held accountable when the less privileged who lose it all fall through the cracks to economic destitution, emotional despair, and abject poverty when the safety net is removed? This time will the media expose the lie before the reality of empty rhetoric causes more human suffering?


i recently submitted the above to a local newspaper in the capital district area of new york and i really don't expect it to be published for the paper i submitted it to is the same paper i wrote a scathing letter to a few years ago when requesting the termination of my subscription because they chose to exercise the freedom of the press by supporting john sweeney for congress. for those unfamiliar with mr sweeney's claim to fame he was one of the 4th reich's brown shirts that was sent to florida to shout down and shut down the vote in 2000.