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Oh sure, bring facts and actual economics into the discussion.
You are indeed correct to mention that ignoring subsitution tends to make the CPI overstate inflation by around 0.5% historically. The whole Paasches vs. Laspreyes indexes thing. (Forgive my spelling, it's been a while. )
We'd be lucky to scrape up 5-6 regular posters around here that could reasonably have the discussion you are describing.
US retirement benefits are on the low side of other western industrialized nations.
I don't give a rat's ass if chained CPI is a better indicator of inflation. I freely admit that.
Using that will reduce benefits over the current method by 7%. That is the deal that's coming down.
It's a benefit cut and doesn't ask the rich in this country to pay an extra dime, even thought the gap between rich and poor is the greatest in our nation's history.
I guess Ryan's plan of a 10 year gradual reform with options is starting to look good eh ?
Hey..the voters were more concerned with their social issues, gay rights, woman's rights, Black rights, Hispanic rights
then they were over fiscal issues and government program funding.
Cave to the GOP. Obama has been an enemy of senior citizens for his entire life. It would be his biggest pleasure to cut benefits to seniors and be able to blame it on the GOP. Does anyone remember the extra taken from seniors by the Obamacare. I do. Any senior citizen that thinks Obama is his friend doesn't need any enemies.
Yes, the Dems cannot bring it to themselves that their own party is willing to make cuts to SS.
And if they do it will because they are FORCED to do it.
Yeah..well we'll see how this plays out. Just remember a Dem holds the veto pen and has for 4 years.
Rest assured knowing the ultra rich in this country will not be forced to purchase less luxury goods because you bent over and will be taking a 7% cut in SS benefits, rather them them paying slight higher tax rates. Suckers.
I am pretty sure the taxes on the ultra rich are going to go up a fair amount.
I view the fiscal "cliff" as a good thing and think we should go over it, then once we go over we could start working on how to fix this country. While it might hurt a bit at least we could start getting money back into the system and some sane spending responsibility while spreading the pain out. I think caving in and giving the 7% for SS is pathetic and is just another way to screw the younger generation. Which if you think about it that is all the older generation has continually done. They enjoy the benefits there grand parents and even parents have given them and like a bunch of spoiled little children want everything but don't want to give anything to the younger guys. Which is why schools have sky rocketed in prices because those above continue to underfund them. We have crumbling bridges and roads in this country and yet every idiot out there is screaming DON'T TAKE MY MONEY !!!
While I did vote for obama for president I voted Green party the rest of the way, I think the green party is what democrats used to be, just like I think libertarians are closer to what republicans used to be like. I think the modern D's and R's have blended to become the Corporate party and both groups work hard to shut up any opposing view points within there parties. I mean look at what happens to the moderate republicans they got railroaded out of office and replaced by TP lunatics or Corporate owned GOP. Even within the Democrat party most of the "TRUE PROGRESSIVES" have lost in favor of the mainstream corporate democrat. I think this country is sick, and I think obama is more a center-right democrat, how else can you explain his constant "caving in" to republican demands EVEN BEFORE they reach the table. I suppose one would just have to hope the republicans in control are dumb enough to say no and continue being the party of no.
But then again what is the point of having this "fiscal cliff" if both the republicans and dems can just as easily proactively enact bills to counter any cuts?
They are going up by a paltry amount, far lower than they were under Reagan.
The dividend tax, which is how people like Romney and Adelson make a lot of their money should triple. I have not seen any political will to save the low dividend rates.
Greenwald specifically sources and links to the Administration own words that indicate they wanted all along to cut benefits.
I think, in an extreme world, need and want are synonymous. In an ideal world, we would not see ANY cuts to these programs, rather improve it. But we don't live in one and denying that only spells disaster.
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