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Faulking Around - Jan 8, 2005 - Printable Version
- Oooooh, Look at the Pretty Girl!
by Mark Faulk
Our country is being run by magicians. Say what you will about the Bush Administration, when it comes to the fine art of sleight of hand, they are in a league of their own. Forget David Copperfield, the true Master of Misdirection is Karl Rove. Here's a little unsolicited advice on anything (you heard me...ANYTHING) that the Administration announces: don't believe it. Nothing is as it seems. With the help of their gorgeous assistants, the "Mainstream Media", they are engaging in the time-honored practice of deception, or if you prefer, the not so time-honored act of Orwellian Doublespeak.
Don't believe me? Just yesterday, the Bush Administration announced proposals to make a few "minor changes" to the way that Social Security benefits are calculated. Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? Instead of tying Social Security benefits to the rate of the increase in wages each year, which is how we've done it for the past thirty years, Bush wants to instead tie Social Security to an inflation index. (Blah, blah, blah....Did anyone get bored yet and change the channel to the "E!" Network? Well, that's what they're counting on.)
Still with us? Try this on for size. This is from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities article entitled "So-Called 'Price Indexing' Proposal Would Result in Deep Cuts Over Time in Social Security Benefits" (see....even the TITLE is boring):
"This proposal is not readily understood by the public and is complicated to explain. That may be one of its attractions to those who support it. It can be presented in a manner that sounds highly technical and does not make apparent the magnitude of the benefit reductions that will occur if the proposal is adopted."
Get it? "The American public doesn't understand it, and it's so complicated (and yes, boring) that they'll change the channel before we even finish explaining it." Before the rest of you fall asleep, let's translate this into simple terms. While they're busy talking about "wage increase rates" vs. "inflation indexes" (zzzzzzzz.....Honey, where's my remote control?), here's what they REALLY mean:
Middle-class workers who retire in 2022 will have their Social Security benefits cut by 9.9%.
Workers who retire in 2042 will have their benefits cut by 26%.
And finally, by 2075, the average middle-class worker will have their benefits cut by 46%.
That's right, if the Bush Administration has their way, your children and grandchildren will lose almost HALF of their Social Security benefits. NOW ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? While their gorgeous assistants are busy distracting you, the Masters of Misdirection are robbing you blind. While they're patting you on the back with one hand, they're picking your pocket with the other.
And the magic show is just beginning....they haven't even begun their $40 million ad campaign to convince us that privatizing Social Security is not just another illusion. Let us explain that one to you in detail......oooooh, look at the pretty girl!
If you're not easily distracted by the beautiful girl in the tight red dress, here's more about the proposed Social Security changes:
http://www.cbpp.org/12-17-04socsec.htm
http://www.democrats.org/news/200501040001.html
And if you really care about saving the Social Security system for your children and grandchildren, write a "Letter to the Editor" to your local newspaper:
http://www.democrats.org/action/
(Editor's note: I'm working on an article detailing how the Bush Administration has used sleight of hand and misdirection to promote their entire agenda, such as the "Clear Skies Act" and the "No Child Left Behind" program, but I didn't want to totally lose you by giving you too much information at once.....What the?.....Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt split up? Now THAT'S news. Dammit, honey, where IS the remote?)
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