The Obamba Shuffle

Obambi, Obamba, Obamaaaaha! here we go again.  Just over a month after being elected on a promise to fight for the working class, President Obama has signalled his willingness compromise with Republican demands  (1) by reducing Social Security cost of living adjustments; (2) by not extending the payroll tax cut and (3) by not raising taxes on household incomes in excess of $250,000 a year.  In Obamaland, "negotiate" means: meet the enemy 90% of the way and then compromise on the rest.

Enemy? Absolutely yes.  The Republicans are waging furious class war against everyone who works for a living wage or who, having worked all his life, depends on Social Security to survive.  We don't care what chants the acolytes of Moloch sing, taking from the poor to give to the rich makes you an enemy of mankind... at least in the Christian guidebook.

Absolutely not. No, no, and again, no.

According to the New York Times' newscast (121218), the negotiations are being held behind closed doors.  So much for Obama rallying the public for the public good.

According to Jeremy Peters of the New York Times, the adjustment to the CPI index for Social Security is sort of "an accounting trick" which will take place "down the line" while helping massage the negotiations through now.

How come such "accounting tricks" aren't played on the rich or on the Pentagon or on corporations like Apple and Google who avoid taxes by setting up phony offices in the Orfice Islands?

The Social Security cost of living adjustments are not tricks.  They enable social security payments to somewhat keep pace with inflation.  When social security barely allows retirees to keep head above water, not adjusting the index downward results in drowning.

Social security outlays are not the cause of the deficit. The cause of the deficit as any idiot ought to know are the Bush Tax cuts for the corporate rich and military spending.  You don't fix an injury to the left foot by cutting off the right.

There is no need to increase the social security "payroll tax" because Social Security is in fact quite solvent. Nor will this increase do zip to solve the deficit problem. The increase on this tax is simply gratuitous and vindictive class warfare.

There is a need to restrain Medicare spending; but, once again, Obama and his GOP Buddies punish the wrong party. 

There was a time when medical care was not big business.  It was conducted on a "not-for-profit" basis, as it should be and is almost everywhere else save Molochland.  Today, illness is the sweet calf of corporate profit.  Since illness scares people, they can be easily blackmailed into whatever ransoms "health" care harpies demand.

It is correct to put limits on Medicare subsidies for corporate health care providers. But what is not correct is to impose cost controls and at the same time let health care providers opt out of the system and not accept Medicare patients at all.  Such a way out will result in a two-tier health care system: one for Obama and his HinWi pals the other, like deteriorating ghetto schools, for everyone else.

Washington is a cesspool of filthy lucre and lies. 

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