'The Raiders of Your Lost Retirement' #6
What a strange strange trip its been these last weeks for those of us who really want to see our safety net preserved and improved. After all Social Security has worked, has not affected the deficit, and we should defend it with whatever it takes.
Will Democrats Cut The Safety Net?
Remember when kos wrote this?
You see, Republicans want to destroy Social Security, and Democrats want to ... destroy it a little less? God, I hope not. But that's the Obama people got last week.
That was after the first debate. Then Joe Biden reassured us. Then the WH walked it back.
Then Obama won the election and this week met with labor leaders and once again we were reassured.
Senator Bernie Sanders for months now has called on the President to come out and clearly state he won't allow cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, but the President has apparently not yet satisfied Senator Sanders request.
Bernie Sanders, Progressive Senators Pressure Obama Not To Cut Social Security (VIDEO)
WASHINGTON -- A group of progressive lawmakers led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday called for protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits in any deficit reduction deal.
"We're going to send a loud message to the leadership in the House, in the Senate and President Obama. Do not cut Social Security, do not cut Medicare, do not cut Medicaid," Sanders said. "Deficit reduction is a serious issue but it must be done in a way that is fair. We must not balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children or the poor."
Watch video from the press conference above.
Thursday's press conference was the latest in a series of high-profile events surrounding negotiations to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff," a set of tax increases and spending cuts set to go into effect on Jan. 1. Although no immediate economic damage will be inflicted if Congress and President Barack Obama fail to act by the new year, several months of higher tax rates on the middle class would likely throw the country into a recession.
Obama has said forcefully that he will allow the Bush-era tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 a year to expire at the end of the year, but he has been much less clear about the fate of Social Security and Medicare. On Wednesday, Obama told reporters he wants to cut "a big deal, a comprehensive deal" with Republicans to reduce the federal budget deficit that will tackle "entitlements."
No Deal, Mr. President
We should not accept any deal that cuts to our poor little safety net. In addition to SS, Medicare, and Medicaid, Meteor-Blades wrote earlier this week that millions of children and families will be affected by the is a Republican move to end Unemployment Benefits soon. These will throw our economy back into recession, put more into poverty, and possibly even ruin our parties chances in the future. We surely cannot let this happen, but neither should we allow the entering into of any deal that will trade away other parts of the net.
Instead of being on defense or sitting passively waiting , we have to go offense because far to little is being done for the millions unemployed, still being foreclosed on, being ruined from student debt.....
World Wide Fight Against Austerity-- Let's Do This !
We must upgrade our actions to stop the vulture captalists and stop the latest efforts at Shock Doctrine fail. We need creative ideas to energize our citizenry like other places around the world. There's a growing movement to fight austerity globally ,with huge strikes in Europe and South America.
Occupy has a creative move to take it to the vulture capitalists and buy up debt. .
Democracy Now!
Idea is to expose the predatory debt system like Occupy did with the 1% meme, motivate people to educate themselves and get involved.
350.org is going after Wall Street/ Big Energy Companies by going to Universities and getting them to divest.
Progressives ?
Like Bernie Sanders and others, we should jump up and take action now. We learned in 2008 we cannot, we must not sit silently.
AFL-CIO Trumka has diary on the rec list which encourages progressives to get involved with the 100 city action to stop austerity moves.
CLICK We Have Eight Weeks to Protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
First They Came For The Postal Workers
What's really at stake here is a move to privatize more of our public common good, our common assests, our common wealth.
HT to Pluto:
Privatization and Failed Government in the US
David KERANS | 18.10.2012 | 00:00
SNIP
Across much of Europe, so-called «austerity programs» have not only ravaged state spending on employment and the social safety net, but have opened the door to a wide range of schemes to privatize public assets, ranging from mineral resources to utilities, schools, land, roadways, etc. Much of the wealth societies have built up for public benefit over the last few generations or more is now at risk of falling into private hands, with serious, far-ranging consequences. SNIP
How Serious Are YOU About Protecting Our Net?
The threat from 'the Raiders of Your Lost Retirement' is real. How far will you or I go to meet it?
Sanders' press conference, which comes ahead of an Obama meeting with lawmakers on Friday, showed some Democrats are already digging in their heels as negotiations begin.
"Over my dead body will we cut benefits to Social Security and Medicare," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
What action ideas can you share?
Appreciate your comments below....