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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (79550)	2/9/2010 12:36:14 PM
From: coug	Respond to of 89467

Wondering if this is the beginning of serious worldwide monetization of all debt starting with Greece?.... PMs and the general market just jumped big time now.. Got those dogs??... :)

To: stockman_scott who wrote (79550)	2/10/2010 8:42:27 AM
From: Crimson Ghost	1 Recommendation Respond to of 89467

NY TIMES OUTLINES DEMOCRATS' AGENDA: CUT MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY Shamus Cooke, Counterpunch - It's official: the Democrats are coming after Social Security and Medicare. All the backroom scheming and political conspiring is finally out in the open. In an unusually long, 1,800 word editorial, entitled The Truth about the Deficit, published February 7, The New York Times -- cheerleader for neo-liberalism -- gives its solution to the country's debt problems. The main idea is summed up thus: "To truly tame deficits will require serious health care reform [Obama's plan slashes Medicare], the sooner the better. Other aspects of the long-term fiscal problem - raising taxes and retooling [reducing] Social Security - must take place in earnest as the economy recovers." Later the article is clearer: "And then there is Social Security. What is needed is a combination of benefit cuts and tax increases that preserve the program's essential nature." Of course those surviving on Social Security already live in poverty and cannot afford "benefit cuts." Also, to make a dent in the deficit, benefit cuts to social security will have to be quite substantial, to the point where the program's "essential nature" will be destroyed. The New York Times acknowledges that such a course of action will be completely undemocratic and unpopular, but that politicians "must gather the political will to do what must be done" How can politicians destroy these cherished social programs in the face of such popular resistance? By trickery, of course. And this is exactly what Obama has proposed with his "bi-partisan deficit-reduction commission." This idea puts Democrats and Republicans together to create a plan to destroy social programs. This way both parties share the blame, so that no one is to blame. The New York Times reveals Obama's hidden motives: "The deficit commission that Mr. Obama intends to establish could be helpful in breaking this logjam [resistance to cutting social security], by calling for necessary changes that politicians would be loath to broach without political cover." Labor unions and community groups also understand Obama's treacherous motives. Dozens of them - including the AFL-CIO and Change to Win - signed a statement condemning the goals behind Obama's "deficit commission." . . .