Digby has a good look at the cover story Grandpa Simpson and his cronies are using to sell us on Social Security cuts: It’s all about the grandkids! If you love them, you have to cut it!
And you know, it’s crazy. The Beltway elites have done such a good job on this, I can’t even convince my own kids they can count on Social Security. They’re convinced it’ll be gone by the time they need it.
When I was at that AmericaSpeaks town hall, the middle-aged people there weren’t buying the con. “Of course I care about my children and grandchildren — that’s why I not only don’t want to cut Social Security, I want to expand it,” was the common sentiment expressed. (And believe me, the organizers pushed that idea of sacrifice hard.)
They figured out that with massive school loans, no jobs and no retirement plans, Social Security was the only thing they could count on for their kids, and they were quite protective of it — for their sake.
Those rich, old weasels will never have to worry about their grandchillin’s wealth, or lack thereof, anyway.
Dandy, I was having a similar thought. Simpson and Peterson and the rest are leaving their children and grandchildren huge fortunes. These future kids won’t be working jobs that we have and they won’t have to depend on Social Security. They’ll have family trust funds to rely on and corporate/government sinecures.