Conspiracy theories

Oh, I was not aware our concerns were so so basic and stupid.

Before we get lost in the policy details, let's be clear about what this Social Security reform debate is really about. It's about the market. People who instinctively trust the markets support the Bush reform ideas, and people who are suspicious oppose them.

The people setting the tone for the opposition to the Bush Social Security effort depict the financial markets as huge, organized scams where the rich prey upon the weak. Their phrases are already familiar: a risky scheme, Enron accounting, a gift to the securities industry, greedy speculators preying upon Grandma's pension.

Funny, I thought our distrust is based on the fact that Bush hasn't given any indication as to how he expects to pay for privatization, other than to pretend that we can leave the money he borrows off the books because of some fairie accounting that takes into account future wished-for savings.

Or that the "crisis" is somewhat overblown and could be averted through relatively modest reforms.

Or that privatization hasn't worked in other countries.

"Before we get lost in the policy details," indeed.

But we now see that the fix is in. When Brooksie gets his talking points -- divert attention from financing by accusing critics of being conspiracy-minded wingnuts -- you know the campaign has begun.

But never mind: the same people who claim that Social Security isn't an independent entity when it runs surpluses also insist that late next decade, when the benefit payments start to exceed the payroll tax receipts, this will represent a crisis - you see, Social Security has its own dedicated financing, and therefore must stand on its own.

There's no honest way anyone can hold both these positions, but very little about the privatizers' position is honest. They come to bury Social Security, not to save it. They aren't sincerely concerned about the possibility that the system will someday fail; they're disturbed by the system's historic success.

For Social Security is a government program that works, a demonstration that a modest amount of taxing and spending can make people's lives better and more secure. And that's why the right wants to destroy it.