Am I the only one who thinks the whole "cut (millionaire taxes) and gut (Grandma's pension and healthcare)" thing has become a bit too obvious lately? Or is it that the stark choices evident in deficit reduction talks are just forcing this discussion to be more obvious than it used to be?
Typically I think of republicans talking about fiscal responsibility, "strengthening Medicare for future generations", or just talking about how taxes are too high for "business".
But the recent significant pushback against, for example, the idiotic idea to raise the Medicare retirement age, suggests that people are getting a little more aware of the real goals of the reactionary Republicans. To all of us paying attention, it's long been obvious that Republicans don't care about the deficit, only about cutting taxes for the wealthy and gutting Medicare/SS/Medicaid. But I have the distinct sense that the worm is turning here, it was just too obvious when House Repubs wouldn't even back a tax increase on income over 1M per year, and it's too obvious now that they're threatening a financial meltdown just to gut social programs. Your average person is starting to become aware of this, and now is the time to use it to our advantage.
Follow me below the turning worm for an example, and to discuss how pushing the cut and gutters off the fiscal cliff and smack into the debt ceiling will minimize the current "crisis" damage, and maybe make some headway in what would otherwise be a tough 2014.
I had coffee yesterday with a very conservative friend of mine, still grieving over the election. He's 52, and even he had heard about recent talk of cutting Social Security and especially raising the Medicare retirement age. He and his wife are absolutely counting on these programs being there for him, and their financial and retirement plans are based on the assumption of Social Security and Medicare existing as we know them.
As we all know, the term "tax and spend" liberal has become such an effective slur that Democrats are afraid to even bring up the idea of raising taxes. Not being willing to use the T word almost got Obamacare rejected in the supreme court (crazy but true, if Roberts hadn't assumed it was a tax penalty, it'd be over).
And, as we all know, no one likes taxes, even if the spending parts (at least when specifically mentioned) are immensely popular. Hence, the slur works, especially if you don't specify the spending. Even the word spend in this context just feels irresponsible when you don't mention what it's for. All in all, a VERY effective slur.
It's time to make "cut and gut" as toxic as tax and spend. The advantage here is that, when you give people an honest choice about what we should do about spending, they DO want to raise taxes, at least more than they want to gut anything, and MUCH more than they want to gut Social Security and Medicare benefits.
Why is now the time to strike with cut and gut? Well, I really believe the crazy folks stepped into it on this debt ceiling hostage business. As Paul Krugman writes, this is not just a worsening of the recession (as in the fiscal curb) that could occur if we breach the debt limit:
First, this is seriously risky business. The fiscal cliff would have been a known quantity: basically, a negative Keynesian shock to the economy, which is something we understand quite well, and furthermore something that would have built only gradually over time. The risks, in short, were somewhat contained.
By contrast, nobody really knows what happens if America defaults, even briefly. The whole structure of world financial markets is built around the use of Treasury bills as the ultimate safe asset; what happens if they lose that status? It would certainly be an interesting experiment, but one best carried out if you have plenty of bottled water and spare ammunition in your basement.
Karl Rove, some
Republicans in congress, and even
John Boehner are all now trying to back away and say, "of course, we wouldn't really block the debt limit increase". Business leaders are starting to get
more than antsy about the potential disaster as well.
In sum, we have Republicans threatening financial catastrophe in order to slash social programs. Since 2/3 of House Republicans just voted against even raising taxes on millionaires, could it ever be made more clear that the deficit is no concern of theirs? That "cut (millionaire taxes) and gut (Grandma's Medicare and Social Security)" are their real priorities?
The House Republicans thought the debt ceiling would provide them leverage to cut spending, instead, it's OUR leverage to highlight the "cut and gut" priorities of these deficit frauds.
Say it again with me. These "cut and gut" Republicans are risking global financial catastrophe just to gut Medicare and Social Security. They wouldn't even vote for a miniscule millionaire tax increase, but now they're risking a global financial meltdown to cut Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. These recent events have made their agenda just a little too obvious, average folks are noticing that gutting these programs is being discussed and they don't like it. There's no better time than now to give that swinging pendulum a little shove.
One more time. First, push them off the cliff: They wouldn't even vote to raise taxes a tiny bit to avoid sliding back to recession. Next, crush them against the ceiling : Now they're threatening global financial catastrophe to extract cuts from Medicare and Social Security. Deficit a priority for them? Obviously not enough of a priority to raise millionaire's taxes by 3%. Gutting Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security a priority for them? Only enough to risk a worldwide financial crisis!
We can't just go after the crazies though, they wouldn't even be there except for the enablers who let them get away with it. Some of them are pundits, some are "reasonable" Republicans in congress who maybe even voted for the fiscal curb deal, some are deficit scolds like "fix the debt". We need to be accusing THEM of threatening catastrophe just to gut Medicare and Social Security. If they say they aren't, ask them why don't the denounce loudly these people who are holding the global economy hostage for that goal? I want Boehner begging interviewers to be clear that the "debt limit is off the table" and we're only trying to resolve the sequester. Put the enablers on the record denouncing holding the debt ceiling hostage.
"Do you, maam/sir, support using the full faith and credit of the United States as a bargaining chip for cutting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare?"
The short term benefits of this are clear, a better deal to get through the next 3 months and hopefully prevent further hostage taking (would've been easier to do this the first time, Obama). The long term benefits are clear too. This is the clearest time to highlight what these cut and gutters are all about. Protecting the last millionaire in order to gut our Medicare and Social Security. NO concern for the deficit or they'd have at least raised a few folks' taxes. MUCH concern for gutting social programs or they woudln't be threatening default. Most people know exactly what they would choose if they had to pick between raising some taxes or cutting some benefits. It's time to ask every Republican up for election in 2014 what they would do. Are they just another cutter and gutter? One question for them: "if you had to choose between raising taxes or cutting Medicare benefits, which would you choose?" Ask them! Make that question the "what do you think about abortion in the case of rape?" of 2014.
I'm no optimist about the chances of gains in the House or Senate in 2014, but do I intend to push cut and gutters off the cliff and against the debt ceiling until then? You bet. They made their intentions too visible, and to my surprise, I guess I am planning to make them pay for that.
If it has the advantage of making Obama and the very serious people realize "cut and gut" is more toxic than "tax and spend", so much the better.
Gotta work, sorry this was sloppy and a bit repetitious, thanks for listening.