Thursday, October 26, 2006
I hate it when Bush has a good idea!!
So as you might have noticed I am in general not the biggest fan of Bush's political decisions but in this one case it appears that I have no choice.
In the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401330.html
Thats right it is Social Security. It was a big time issue earlier this year and it appears that the President has decided it would be a good time to bring it up again for some reason. The reason is a mystery but his position that Social Security should be privatized is the same. Of course the fantastic article does not go into the details as to how this is going to happen it spends more time on how the Democrats and AARP are immediately flaming the issue. Yet they have no ideas of their own that I have heard. It seems like all they are focusing on is the fact that the guaranteed benefits would go away in favor of private accounts that actually have a person's name on it.
Based on the talks we had on the subject in class it really makes me pretty disappointed that a man whom I generally do not like at all can be so bold as to forward the massively unpopular idea of Social Security Reform and all the other parties (grossly overpowered political lobbies... ahem AARP cough cough... included) can think to do is try to shoot it down without providing ides of their own.
Not knowing the details on Bush's plan I can;t really say I agree with it or not but I can say it is appalling the way the opposition is handling the situation.
In the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401330.html
Thats right it is Social Security. It was a big time issue earlier this year and it appears that the President has decided it would be a good time to bring it up again for some reason. The reason is a mystery but his position that Social Security should be privatized is the same. Of course the fantastic article does not go into the details as to how this is going to happen it spends more time on how the Democrats and AARP are immediately flaming the issue. Yet they have no ideas of their own that I have heard. It seems like all they are focusing on is the fact that the guaranteed benefits would go away in favor of private accounts that actually have a person's name on it.
Based on the talks we had on the subject in class it really makes me pretty disappointed that a man whom I generally do not like at all can be so bold as to forward the massively unpopular idea of Social Security Reform and all the other parties (grossly overpowered political lobbies... ahem AARP cough cough... included) can think to do is try to shoot it down without providing ides of their own.
Not knowing the details on Bush's plan I can;t really say I agree with it or not but I can say it is appalling the way the opposition is handling the situation.
Comments:
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I'm curious why you seem to make policy and politics personal? After all, you said you don't like the man that is President. In may case, last night as I watched the politicians during election coverage I realized that I don't really think much of most of our elected leaders as people. But, I often agree with the policy positions advocated by various elected leaders.
I think there are economic reasons to conclude that politics is mostly about party and little about person. One I think we mentioned in class that voters are rationally ignorant. Parties organize to win elections and they win elections by putting together coalitions of interests. The coalitions are of course put together by party promises to deliver special interest legislation upon election. So, regardless of whether a politician is a jerk or a principled hero and patriot, it is mostly the logic of the party that determines most of the politicians vote.
With respect to social security, I suspect those people you would have hoped would see the wisdom in social security reform, are people who know they need to follow the logic of their policy on this specific policy issue. Would you agree?
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I think there are economic reasons to conclude that politics is mostly about party and little about person. One I think we mentioned in class that voters are rationally ignorant. Parties organize to win elections and they win elections by putting together coalitions of interests. The coalitions are of course put together by party promises to deliver special interest legislation upon election. So, regardless of whether a politician is a jerk or a principled hero and patriot, it is mostly the logic of the party that determines most of the politicians vote.
With respect to social security, I suspect those people you would have hoped would see the wisdom in social security reform, are people who know they need to follow the logic of their policy on this specific policy issue. Would you agree?
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