You got a sense from some of the coverage of the Simpson/Bowles deficit commission report that their right-leaning prescription was exactly the kind of solution the corporate media could get behind. Charlie Rose could apparently only find two panelists who wished the commission had gone further with its spending cuts.
On NBC‘s Meet the Press (11/14/10), the panel discussion featured former Fed chair (and Ayn Rand devotee) Alan Greenspan and far right former Republican politician Newt Gingrich.
On the “other” side was Harold Ford, currently the chair of the right-leaning Democratic Leadership Council. A debate from the near-right to the far-right, in other words.Vanity Fair journalist Bethany McLean was on hand too.
As if the panel wasn’t tilted enough on its own, host David Gregory was posing questions designed to keep the discussion off to the right:
I don’t see why, for instance, some of these suggestions, Harold, on Social Security are going to be demagogued to death. Why, in 50 years, people can’t look at raising the retirement age and have that be a serious discussion point?
It’s worth repeating (as Dean Baker did here) that the retirement age is already rising, and will continue to do so–though for whatever reason many reporters and pundits either don’t know this or just don’t mention it.
And for his part, Ford was doing his part to bash the liberal wing of the Democratic party:
There are smart, sensible people in both parties. As long as you don’t allow the far left and the far right, again, to crowd out the predominant middle, we can get a lot of this done. If that means making tough choices on Social Security–I’m 40, I’m willing to give mine up, and I think a lot of people my age who may reach a certain income level are willing to do the same.
I guess the good news is that Ford is wealthy enough to not need Social Security. Of course, rich people deciding not to take their benefits would have no serious impact; taxing their income, on the other hand, would. As Doug Henwood put it, raising the cap on taxable income “would eliminate the system’s alleged long-term problems forever, according to the Congressional Budget Office.” I wonder if Harold Ford would get behind that idea.
I posit that many right wing, wealthy business people advocate cutting SS to reduce the matching payroll tax they must pay full time employees. Less payroll tax, higher profit. Why is no one talking about this?
It has been decades since we have been privileged enough to see actual left/right discourse on ANY news program….it ended years before Robert McNeil left his PBS program, which used to feature a broad spectrum of opinion, usually around a round table, discussing the issues of the day.
Now, what we have is exactly what is presented above: Right versus hard right….for example during the run-up to the illegal invasion of Iraq there were NO anti-war voices presented on any mainstream media. Moderates like Juan Williams are presented has representing the left. When is the last time you saw anyone interview Noam Chomsky? Who will REPLACE Noam? And forget about seeing someone like an Alexander Cockburn anywhere near a national news program.
Sad to say, The Charlie Rose Show was also not representing anyone on the left who had anything to say about this Simpson/Bowles nonsense. And why is it that the answer to any problem is cut corporate tax and cut tax for the wealthy and tax the middle class more. I thought shared sacrifice was the thing to do but the poor and middle class are doing all the sacrificing not the rich.
I look at this as all things on the table for the great accounting.Of course SS will be the last to go.The Fed wont divy in and the government will refuse to cut spending and again it will be left to WE THE PEOPLE large and small
At this point in our 95% corporately-controlled media/press, could we at least get some closed-captioning from the remaining 5% which is borderline free? Maybe they could create an App for TV? When Harold Ford speaks, for instance, the caption would read (just like at the bottom of those life insurance and attorney adds) â┚¬Ã…“The following is a paid endorsement,â┚¬Ã‚ or â┚¬Ã…“This actor has been compensated.â┚¬Ã‚Â
Regarding David Gregory and Meet the Press, a key quote (which sums everything up): â┚¬Ã…“â┚¬Ã‹Å“Meet the Press’ allows you to frame the conversation how you really want to.â┚¬Ã‚Â
And That’s Not the Way It Is
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/opinion/26rich.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=And%20That%92s%20Not%20the%20Way%20It%20Is%20&st=cse
Obama Put Social Security on the Table
http://seaclearly.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/obama-put-social-security-on-the-table/
P.S. An associated App would be the translator: Following will be a five minute infomercial on the Deficit Commission:”Harold Ford and David Gregory will now promote austerity measures which will never touch them, because these are the current roles they are paid to play. Etc. Etc.
(*Ads, not “adds,” above)
UNEMPLOYMENT AND LAY-OFFS ARE MUCH HIGHER FOR THOSE OVER 45 YEARS OF AGE. FOR THOSE OVER 55 YEARS, IT IS EVEN MORE. WHERE ARE WE GOING TO FIND JOBS FOR THESE PEOPLE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY. OR, DO WE EXPECT THEM TO JUST DISAPPEAR???? BUSINESSES ARE CENTERING THEIR EMPLOYMENT NEEDS AROUND YOUNGER APPLICANTS WHICH THEY CAN START AT LOWER PAY. AND, HAVE WE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ALL THE LAY-OFFS OF EXPERIENCED WORKERS IN ALL FIELDS???? AND CREATING PART-TIME JOBS AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT THAT WON’T PROVIDE ANY “PERKS” THEREFORE REDUCING COSTS TO EMPLOYERS ONCE AGAIN.
THE RESULTS OF THIS BUSINESS PLAN, FOR ME, SEEMS TO LIMIT THE VIEW OF ITS OUTCOME ; NO REAL THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN BEYOND A SHORT RANGE PERSPECTIVE.
ARE WE THINKING THAT THEIR FAMILIES WILL FOOT THE BURDEN OF THEIR NEEDS FINANCIALLY??? WHAT ABOUT HEALTH PROBLEMS WHICH INCREASE WITH AGE??? COSTS FOR INSURANCES???
IF I CONTINUE THIS THREAD, I SEE THAT FAMILY “NEST EGGS” WILL BE DEPLETED FOR RESPONSIBLE, CARING FAMILIES AS A RESULT. SO NOW WE CAN SEE THE YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME AFFECTED.
JUST ADDING MY 2 CENTS.
How much of the bloated defense budget is based on necessity to protect “our national interests and our nationa security” and reality as it is? How much is based on the desire to protect corporate foreign policy and neo-liberal policeies (is their a diference) that has created and continue to creat so much of hate directed against the USA and its “allies?” While the pubic suffers the few gain from the pain of the masses whom they blame on everything, and why should the wealth received tax cuts and unemployed are denied their needs, as equality of the sexes in pay et al is also denied by an insande GOP and others who back their idiocy? Also at fault is the mainstream media assists in the lies, deceit and lack the effot to do real investigavtive reports because of the monopolistic control of the media by a few corporations whose interests are in profits not truth, justie or the news we get from other sources but not from them?
Don’t use all-caps, Jeri, okay? Wow! I knew Harold Ford was a dumb asshole, but I didn’t realize how big of a dumb, dumb, really big asshole he was. He’s “willing to give up” his SS? Huh? What in God’s name is wrong with this clown? I’ll bet Greenspan about threw up his breakfast hearing this bit of groveling and scraping. Gingrich? He probably sat there looking like Buddha, sagely nodding. Ford is the absolute epitome of the modern, DCCC Democrat: a complete coward and fool, ready to sell off everything, a man with no scruples or principles whatsoever. Jesus!
The whole thing is a dog and pony show, only instead of a laugh and a good time you get robbed and screwed by corporate lackeys and media whores.
……And a government gone insane
Social Security has over 2 trillion of working peoples’ contributions that the greedy 1% and friends are drooling over. Social Security has nothing to do with the debt. All this payroll tax holiday and age raising noise is smoke screen to keep folks from talking about raising the cap on Social Security income so that the very wealthy pay more of their share. Wealth is not built from the rich. It is built from the work of people producing goods and services. The wealthy depend on the middle class and working poor to support the commons the wealthy use in excess. It is time for us to raise the Social Security cap, raise the taxes of the upper 1 to 5% to pre-Reagan levels, bring home the troops and support life giving rebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan [much cheaper, more efficient, more effective than billions to support killing and war]
Multinational corporations are in mop up mode taking over our country. Corporations are not human, have no soul, and are merely tools. It is time we understood that we have shovels running the country, and they will bury our freedom if we don’t wake up. Corporate government is fascism.
Liz
Wealth is not built from the rich?Actually most wealth is built from regular people with a dream and a lot of hard work laying it all on the line and taking the chance to someday become rich and prosperous.A chance they would not take in a world that would not allow or demonize them for succeeding.This is the end result of your theory’s and that of many progressive libs.It is simply class warfare.Union men are working men,and a Dr that works 14 hours a day 6 days a week and is on call the rest of the time is scum.
My father taught me to choose a path.Work hard and educate myself to prepare myself ,and aim for the stars.Your feeling seems to be that if i have reached the stars my father created an enemy of the state.And lord help me if with my wealth I expand into other areas.And gasp…incorporate.Now the 42 people I hired and give healthcare to and good wage (and as good a work experiance as I am able to create) are innocents working for a bounder.
Social security is not the issue.Of course we can pay more into social security.But where will you stop?What tax level will you promise to be our ceiling?And how many new taxes will you create for the so called rich to carry?There is an old saying”.Give a pig a finger and he will take a knuckle”.You simply have no off switch.And the so called rich cannot be your bank.You see.WE DONT TRUST YOU!That is why the fight is so down and dirty at times.Is it liberal fascism or corporate?If this is going to be the only signs we paint we got a long way to go.
And honestly..bringing the troops home now in Afghanistan at this time would more likely result in disaster and death for the people there on a massive scale and a resurgence of the same folks who hit us on 911.You might want to rethink that one.