From The Ramparts

Food For Thought

“Start with the irrefutable fact that Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. The payroll taxes of today's workers go to today's retirees. And when today's workers retire, they'll be supported by the next generation's payments into Social Security. In other words, Social Security is a compact between generations, based on trust. I pay into Social Security to support my parent's generation in their retirement because I trust that my children's generation will pay into Social Security to support my generation in our retirement. If their Social Security payments are diverted into their own private accounts, their money won't be there for my generation's retirement. The compact will be broken.”- Robert B. Reich A Really Dumb Idea

The two most important issues facing AmeriKKKans today are the fascists’ attempts to roll back the clock to a 19th century climate of ruthless and cold-blooded monopoly capitalism/government collusion and the expansion of the US global empire. Both of these issues are inter-related because they are part of the plutocrats’ (the ruling elites who control both major political parties) agenda to reshape not only AmeriKKKa but the world in their demonic image. The reckless fiscal policies and pathological imperialism of the Bush administration are part and parcel to this agenda. The corporate media is the propaganda arm of the plutocrats who own or directly control the handful of conglomerates that own all the media in the US and the world. The role of the media and other social conditioning institutions is to promote the New World Order agenda by dummying down the masses by creating diversions, broadcasting anti-intellectual program content that discourages critical thinking and promotes values and a “reality” matrix that facilitates people falling for the lamest okey doke imaginable. For example the NeoCons who presently control the government are really NeoConmen. Traditional “conservatives” stand for limited government, fiscal responsibility, state’s rights, limited foreign entanglements, rigid race and class stratification and laissez faire economics. Except for the race and class stratification, the NeoCon agenda is the exact opposite of the traditional conservative doctrine. The NeoCons are radicals hell bent on altering AmeriKKKan culture and ushering in a society reminiscent of mediaeval era peonage or colonial indentured servitude and serfdom. The escalating federal deficits the NeoCons have promoted by their foolhardy tax cuts for the super rich, will ultimately force federal and state governments to curtail spending on their social programs such as education, social welfare programs and infrastructural maintenance. This is their way of subtly undermining these programs. The bogus War on Terrorism has become a giant sink hole sucking billions of our tax dollars that could go to universal health care, roads, river dredging, police and firemen, schools and alternative energy research to improve the quality of life here but will go to the military, special interest groups and the corporate defense contractors who fund and bankroll both major political parities. In the absence of social programs the populous will be forced to fend for themselves at a time when personal savings are at an all time low in a culture which places a premium on selfishness, youth, wealth and affluence.
The NeoCon’s radical agenda is designed to sabotage the remaining vestiges of the New Deal and Great Society social programs while simultaneously expanding the US global empire. We see this in Bush’s most recent budget. In it, he is asking for more funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention the one in Columbia and the wars they are planning for Iran and Syria) but at the same time he is recommending cuts in programs for the elderly, college students, veterans, education, subsidies for police and fire fighters and farmers. His assault on Social Security using scare tactics reminiscent of his equally fictitious claims about what happened on 9-11, the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction and an Iraqi link to 9-11 will do the same thing his bogus War on Terrorism is doing, insure huge pay days for special interests (Wall Street investment brokers) but do nothing to “fix” the most successful social program in the nation’s history (a program by all honest accounts is not really broken) and in the process further bankrupt the nation. Thus far the nation has taken a “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame, on me” posture and vehemently opposes Bush’s privatization of Social Security. In the face of rejection of their latest lies, the Bush administration, the Wall Street bankers and special interest groups are preparing to spend millions of dollars in media ads and a PR blitz to further obfuscate the truth about Social Security privatization. Whether they succeed or not remains to be seen. If they fail, they will undoubtably try again later. This is why we must be vigilant and well informed. We must emulate our young folks who are shunning enlisting in the military because the risks of dying for a lie outweigh any benefits they might accrue. We must avoid falling for the lies and propaganda emanating from the White House, fascist think tanks, elite PR firms and the prostituted media. Think for yourself, glean as much information as you can and then act in your and our communities best interests.

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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 4:54 AM