Barbara's Not Worried

My Mom's Not Worried About
My Social Security Plan

In another woeful attempt to shift attention away from Karl Rove, President Bush is back on the road with his Social Security Privatization and Revival Tour. Friday, as the LA Times tells us, he pitched his tent in Atlanta and took his mom along to help him preach to the masses. Well, not really the masses, since attendance at this "public event" was restricted to loyalty oath bound Republicans.

Democratic Veteran has the best take on the "Bamboozaplooza Tour" and mommy's involvement.

...There is nothing any doctrinaire republican hates worse than the most successful social insurance program in history...it proves they are wrong and always have been about many things, including the economy, the role of government in helping and protecting it's most needy citizens and being able to run a massive program successfully with minimal to no 'outsourcing' of the fundamentals of the program.

Now, does the BitchBushMom want to tell us how brave and how much guts her half-wit offspring has for not showing up to do his service in the National Guard? After all, when the rubber met the road there, he was off in some rest area playing water-polo with ambitious secretaries and working on getting listed as a liver transplant recipient.

News that the President has not forgotten about gutting Social Security stands in stark contrast to the harsh realities of the financial situation of the vast majority of Americans. As this article points out:

A majority of Americans have less than $25,000 stockpiled for retirement; many experts say a healthy nest egg is at least $500,000.

Not only has the average American's purchasing power declined over the last five years, but the cost for non-discretionary family spending has increased dramatically.

...compared with a generation ago – in dollars adjusted for inflation – the average family of four spends 69 percent more on a mortgage, 90 percent more on health care, 100 percent more on child care and 38 percent more on taxes. Families actually spend 21 percent less on clothing than in the 1970s, 22 percent less on food, 44 percent less on appliances and 30 percent less on furniture. Even though families spend 20 percent less per car, the need for a second vehicle has boosted overall car costs 58 percent.

So, the cost of what we need to live has increased dramatically, but we are saving less, while making more big ticket purchases. Purchases spurred on by consumption oriented economic policies. If, that consumption slows down, the economy will tank and, if Bush gets his way, those with less put aside for retirement than his mommy, will be screwed.