I made the mistake of listening to NPR for about 15 minutes this morning and got to hear Andrea Seabrook present a Bart Simpsonesque explanation of debt economics. Here's Andrea:
"...so it's useful to take a moment and just remind ourselves of the big picture here. The financial world is already kind of skittish; the markets haven't tanked, but investors are on alert. They're still recovering their confidence from some pretty hard shakes in 2007 and 2008. Now they're watching other countries - especially Greece - deal with the effects of too much government debt built up over years of spending. And then they look at the US...and the benefits the government has promised to people who are retiring cost way more than it can afford... Investors see serious work that needs to be done..."
Just a few notes on Andrea's brilliant analysis:
- The Big Picture: You might be thinking that she would mention the collapse of that little old $8 trillion housing bubble [one of those "hard shakes"], or wage stagnation that drives down consumer demand, or the whole ponzification of the US and global financial markets, or....
- Greek Debt Crisis as caused by "years of spending": It's hard to imagine a more stupid summary of the complex Greek situation involving complicated Eurozone history & politics, investor predatory practices, and fallout from the US economic crisis - unless the purpose of the analysis is to promote the FOX/Republican (and now Democratic leadership) line that government spending is a bad thing.
- Retirement benefits are more than government can afford: well what can you say to this pure propaganda about Social security - except to note that it fits with NPR's regular assaults on this successful government program.
7 comments:
Since the broke, criminal enterprise AKA BankOfAmerica is a 'sponsor', S4=0 would be expected to both ignore the causes of the economic downturn, and over-hype the deficit. Regarding the recent 'tax holidays' from Social Security,
DemocracyNow! covered the long term effects of what will eventually be the bringing of the Social Security fund into general revenues, from where it can be 'reappropriated'. S4=0 radio is, of course, trying to spread an alternative story, part of keeping the masses ignorant. That being stated, I doubt very much that Seabrook would know the difference.
I imagine Lord Lloyd Blankfein with one hand in an elegant white glove and the other controlling a Seabrook sock puppet which, in turn has a roast leg of lamb in one hand and a microphone in the other.
"How many men would go to a barbeque and take off 99% of the food from the table that was intended for the rest of the people to eat? The only way you can provide enough food for the people to eat is to make that man bring back some of the grub he aint got no business with."
...wait, wrong script. Who but the Huey Long on my teleprompter?!
my p b upside down
Social Security has a surplus because the money to it pays out is taken in taxes before it is due to be paid.
If only the current wars of choice were funded by tax increases before the invasions were started, it is likely that these wars would not even have been started if they had to be paid for in advance.
Instead of shutting down Social Security it should be held up as an example how of wars should be financed.
Word!
Seabrook is a stupid twit, not unlike most of the rest of the announcers on NPR.
Any who are not stupid (and the list is very short) are CIA plants.
But Seabrook is too stupid to be a CIA plant, so she must be a twit.
QED
God forbid that NPR should look at the 'big picture' of using tax cuts and the wars to put the fiscal squeeze on 'big government.' Gosh - it must be those evil public workers who are bankrupting America!
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