Deaniacs for Bush

WSJ.com ^ | 2/20/04 | James Taranto

[swilhelm73]

"I have to vent," Mr. McEntee, the often blunt leader of the nation's largest public service union, said in a leisurely interview in his office here. "I think he's nuts."

[BushisTheMan]

I think you and I agree.

[Imal]

Please do. The nuisance of one-issue primadonnas needs to be addressed.

If something isn't done about them, I won't vote for Bush.

[Samwise]

[mountainfolk]

The latest would most likely be (g) du jour.Today a Christian conservative group is upset because Pres Bush has not publicly taken a stand against the San Francisco gay marriage fiasco. And how can he expect their vote if he doesn't do so? All of these groups need to rethink their attitudes. They are not doing Pres Bush a favor by voting for him. He is generally on their side, with perhaps a different approach to an issue, and they throw him out at their own peril. It is their own hides at risk and George Bush is the only leader I can see doing what has to be done to save America from domination by the socialist, communist, UN. Will John Kerry or John Edwards keep our enemies at bay? Now theres a joke. We should all be thankful that we have Pres Bush willing to go for another term and we must do everything in our power to get him reelected. I say welcome, Deaniacs, the freedom you save will be your own.

[beckysueb]

Whats funny is these deaniacs are so smitten with Howie that they thought we were turning our backs on Bush and falling in love with Dean! LOL. They were so happy with all the Republicans who finally saw the light. These people are obsessed with Dean. I don't know how many funerals they've had in DU. LOL

[Luke21]

I agree. Anyone willing to join us will be treated as friend, not foe. Bush is not perfect, not even close. But I'm not crazy. BUSH 2004.

[Tamzee]

WSJ jipping blogs for content ?

Taranto does "Best of the Web" every day and sometimes he hits on an interesting blog. I have it delivered to my email daily, it's worthwhile reading :-)

[m1911]

Actually, you paid for all those who were already using the programs. There is no "trust fund", there is no account with the many dollars you paid waiting for you to collect. It's called a Ponzi scheme, and as long as there are many payers for each payee, it works great. But the boomers are too big a group of payees for the payers to support.
So yes, I and Afro_conservative will have to pay for the benefits you use. And so the cycle continues, and I am ready to retire, I can kvetch about all the money I paid so now I'm the one who's entitled to someone else's money.

This is why entitlement programs will NEVER die.

[MEG33]

LOL!

[BushisTheMan]

Why do you think I have been paying social security benefits all my life? To give them to you when you get old? Don't think so. I paid for them; I plan to use them.

[BushisTheMan]

LOL

I'll add that one to the list too.

[BushisTheMan]

I might have posted too early. I think you were agreeing with me.

[blackie]

I'm using mine and yours, too. :):)

[Imal]

When it finally comes down to it, most of those threatening to jump ship or sit on their hands will be unable to.

Having been a one-issue primadonna myself (type RKBA-1, of the species molonus labeus), I believe I have some insights into the mentality.

Anyone who cares as much as they do about their pet issue will find it impossible step aside and let others decide it for them. The passion that drives them to complain will also drive them to vote, since ultimately, the vote is the most potent form of complaint.

Even the purest idealist must indulge in a little pragmatism now and then.

[Consort]

Considering how rampant it is around here, it's not surprising to see it there.

They share the same mindset.

[Billthedrill]

ROFL! That is just too doggone cruel...

[m1911]

No, I'm afraid I wasn't agreeing with you. Your money is gone, given to the millions of seniors and disabled Americans who came before you. The only way they can pay you the money you want is to take it from me and others who are still working. And when I retire, my money will have already been spent to pay you and others, so someone else will have to pay for me. The cycle never ends, at least as long as there are enough payers to cover the costs without breaking their backs. I suspect by the time I retire, that point will have passed. Oh well, at least I can feel good about not having any savings because I had to pay for your retirement, right?

[BushisTheMan]

You aren't paying for my retirement. I paid into a "government" plan for my retirement. Where the money comes from, I don't know or care. My money went in for me, it should come out for me.

It the system is broken, don't blame me or refuse me the benefits I paid for.

[m1911]

You may want to read what the Social Security Administration themselves have to say about it:

Q: Does Social Security have dedicated assets invested for my retirement?

A: Social Security is largely a "pay-as-you-go" system with today's taxpayers paying for the benefits of today's retirees. Money not needed to pay today's benefits is invested in special-issue Treasury bonds.

Q: I hear that Social Security has a big financial problem? Why?

Social Security's financing problems are long term and will not affect today's retirees and near-retirees, but they are very large and serious. People are living longer, the first baby boomers are five years from retirement, and the birth rate is low. The result is that the worker-to-beneficiary ratio has fallen from 16-to-1 in 1950 to 3.3-to-1 today. Within 40 years it will be 2-to-1. At this ratio there will not be enough workers to pay scheduled benefits at current tax rates.

---

Since you don't care where the money comes from, I doubt the fact that Social Security had to be given a special exemption from the racketeering laws because it is a Ponzi scheme, which would be illegal for anyone but the government, bothers you. With your cavalier attitude toward the source of money, are you sure you're not a Democratic fund-raiser?

[BushisTheMan]

Well, I paid for other retirees, and the young people can pay for me. That's how the system was set up and that's how it works now.

You seem to act like I've not done my share for others and that I'm trying to get a free ride (a la DemoRATs). I'm a tax paying, law abiding citizens who is about to retire.

Do you think I should be screwed over for the young people today who don't give a crap about anybody but themselves?

Don't call me a Democrat...those are fighting words!