The One Percent Want Your Social Security and Medicare and Steven Pearlstein Is Trying to Help

[swag]

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Steven Pearlstein, the Washington Post business columnist, often writes insightful pieces on the economy, not today. The thrust of his piece is that we all should be hopeful that a group of incredibly rich CEOs can engineer a coup.

While the rest of us are wasting our time worrying about whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney are sitting in the White House the next four years, Pearlstein tells us (approvingly) that these honchos are scurrying through back rooms in Washington trying to carve out a deficit deal.

The plan is that we will get the rich folks' deal regardless of who wins the election. It is difficult to imagine a more contemptuous attitude toward democracy.

The deal that this gang (led by Morgan Stanley director Erskine Bowles) is hatching will inevitably include some amount of tax increases and also large budget cuts. At the top of the list, as Pearlstein proudly tells us, are cuts to Social Security and Medicare. At a time when we have seen an unprecedented transfer of income to the top one percent, these deficit warriors are placing a top priority on snatching away a portion of Social Security checks that average $1,200 a month. Yes, the country needs this.

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[peacebird]

1. It is time we reign in the masters of corporations. They are NOT the solution, they are the Problem

[closeupready]

4. While I don't think it's all of them, where are those who check others

amongst their rank?

In other words, when you have - for example - a brother or sister who is behaving problematically or who is bringing disgrace or dishonor on the whole family, don't you step in and say, 'hey, I'm worried about you, and this is why'?

I don't see that happening. Rather, they keep silent as others among them grasp for public resources, buy elected officials, shortchange their employees ... All materially benefit when the crazy, greedy few make outrageous demands.

[Citizen Worker]

2. And they'll get it with bi-partisan support. We should all be asking democratic candidates during

public forums if they intend to support or to improve Social Security and Medicare and watch them try and wriggle off the hook! Don't let them off without a simple one word answer, yes or no.

[paparush]

3. Erskine "The Godfather of NAFTA" Bowles.

That man is a threat to working class people everywhere. And, he never seems to stop.