On the topic of Attack Ads, part 1
The other day I received a mailer from the Democratic Party of Nevada, despite the fact that there are no registered democrats in my household. This is no surprise, seeing as they're sending these out using other people's money. It was a hit piece against Sharron Angle... again, no surprise there... Harry Reid claims that this was the race he wanted, but deep down I know he's terrified.
What did surprise me, however, was the fact that the main point of attack of the brochure, Angle's views on Social Security and Medicare, are things that a majority of Nevadans would most likely agree with. Let's review...
According to the 2009 Social Security/Medicate trustees report, SSI will be in the red by 2016. They have enough assets to sell off to keep the wheels turning until 2037, at which time incoming tax revenues will pay for the program only through 2083, and only if they cut benefits by 25%. You, the humble reader, may interpret these figures differently, but to me, it sounds like the system is pretty much fucked solid.
The dems are claiming that Angle intends to "wipe out" Social Security. And it's about damn time! There is no reason that the American people shouldn't be in charge of their own retirements in this day and age. We have access more than ever to a wide array of different investment opportunities of varying risks and returns, and investment tools and research that make managing ones own retirement a simple, almost trivial matter. Of course, the "I know better than you" Washington Politician crowd, with Harry Reid at the helm, would say that giving you control over your own financial future is a bad idea.
No, you mustn't do that... you must let the government manage your retirement for you. Only the Government can help you.
After all, they've done such a wonderful job of it so far.
Frankly, Social Security would be better off if it were being managed by Nigerian 419 scammers.
Now, I knew going into this little exercise that these attack brochures are written to be as deliberately deceptive as possible, but I never realized that the scope of the deception bubbled all the way up to the dates of the news articles being cited. I don't know if this was intentional or just sloppy proofreading, but since it's connected to Harry Reid, I'm going to assume the worst. After all, God forbid you should see the citations in the brochure in context.
Oh, if only there was some sort of service that would let you type in keywords or phrases and get a list of matching articles in return...
In an article from the AP dated June 1 (by the brochure -- May 27 in reality) the lead-off sentence starts with:
"Sharron Angle wants to wipe out Social Security..."
...and they say it like it's a bad thing. Of course, here's the part of that article that Harry doesn't want you to read:
Angle calls Social Security "a broken system without much to recommend it." She hasn't offered a detailed plan but says seniors now collecting benefits would not be cut off. Workers over time would be shifted to private retirement accounts, an idea that is similar to what former President George W. Bush proposed six years ago only to see it flop.
"I really don't trust big government," Angle told voters gathered at a private home, explaining her support for ending Social Security. "When big government gets in control, we know those great ideas turn out to be something that hits us right in the wallet."
Stop right there. "I really don't trust big government." Commit this to memory... this is going to be a recurring theme on this site.
Another article from the Las Vegas Sun, dated May 23 (oh shit, they got the date right on this one), quotes Angle as saying:
Angle wants to privatize Socal Security and Medicare.
It's a pretty damning article... at least until you realize that it's an editorial hit piece written by a progressive pundit. I love it when politicians point to opinion pieces as fact. It makes tearing them apart so much easier.
I could go over more of the quotes cited in the brochure, but it would really be more of the same... articles taken out of context or opinion pieces presented as fact. The usual tricks. Fortunately, the American people have wised up over the last couple of years and aren't going to be taken in by glossy four-color attack ads in this election cycle. America is wide awake, my friends, and they're going to be able to spot bullshit like this from a mile away.
So, enjoy your last few months in office Harry. I know you'll be just fine. After all, your retirement isn't tied to Social Security like the rest of us.
