More links
Whats the matter with Chisago county? One look at the NYT’s article on how and why people who receive benefits from the government think they don’t, and considers the ’causes’ slid into the article as ‘fact’.
Payroll tax cut undermines Social Security An article in the LA Times that considers the messages involved in using the payroll tax as a stimulus
Hat tip Nancy O. for both articles
The Chisago county article is great as far as it goes. But it ends up going nowhere. There is no great mystery about the beliefs of the people. They have been lied to by a pervasive propaganda campaign. Ordinary people do not have the time or the skills to examine even rather simple “problems” like Social Security, so they believe what they are told, or some garbaged up version of it they concoct out of what they can remember of what they are told and their own “ideas” about the way the world works.
What they need is not more academics worrying about why the people believe nonsense, as a really serious effort to educate them about the facts. That may be impossible, given the difference in resources between those who know the facts and those who lie about the facts. But it shouldn’t be as hard as trying to explain… or convince… anyone of the “truth” as between “liberal” and “conservative.”
SS is a rather simple thing, and could be explained, without invoking ‘faith’ in fairly few words. But the Big Liars won’t let the people hear those words, and unbelieveably, neither will the “defenders” of social Security.
here they are: Social Security is not welfare. It doesn’t cost “the government” anything. It will never be a burden on the young. It pays for itself… that is, the workers pay for their own benefits. They can continue to pay for their own benefits forever, either with no change at all, or with a tiny increase in the payroll tax to keep up with their rising standard of living.
You need to keep it simple without misleading them. But above all, you need to say it again and again.
And again.
The Chisago county article is great as far as it goes. But it ends up going nowhere. There is no great mystery about the beliefs of the people. They have been lied to by a pervasive propaganda campaign. Ordinary people do not have the time or the skills to examine even rather simple “problems” like Social Security, so they believe what they are told, or some garbaged up version of it they concoct out of what they can remember of what they are told and their own “ideas” about the way the world works.
What they need is not more academics worrying about why the people believe nonsense, but a really serious effort to educate them about the facts. That may be impossible, given the difference in resources between those who know the facts and those who lie about the facts. But it shouldn’t be as hard as trying to explain… or convince… anyone of the “truth” as between “liberal” and “conservative.”
SS is a rather simple thing, and could be explained, without invoking political ‘faith’ in fairly few words. But the Big Liars won’t let the people hear those words, and unbelieveably, neither will the “defenders” of Social Security.
here are the words: Social Security is not welfare. It doesn’t cost “the government” anything. It will never be a burden on the young. It pays for itself… that is, the workers pay for their own benefits. They can continue to pay for their own benefits forever, either with no change at all, or with a tiny increase in the payroll tax to keep up with their rising standard of living.
You need to keep it simple without misleading them. But above all, you need to say it again and again.
Hiltzik is of course correct.
But don’t look at the comments, they will scare you to death… these people vote.
One thing, though, restoring the payroll tax will not be a “huge tax increase.” It could probably take place without anyone noticing, if not for the demagoguery. At worst (best), it could be phased in fairly rapidly so no one was caught with a paycheck a 100 dollars less than he had budgeted for. And it should probably be phased in while another tax cut, not tied to Social Security, replaces it.
I am not fond of ANY tax cuts at this time, But the payroll tax cut is a self inflicted wound, and we probably do need to avoid sudden shocks to the patient.
It is astonishing that Hiltzik still has his Press Card Pass. Because he has been spot on about Social Security for so long that I am surprised he hasn’t been bound hand and foot with Dean Bakerand consigned to the briny deep by the VSP. The Very Serious People.
I am a big Hiltzik fan and what is gratifying for me he not only knows that but is appreciative. Because he reads AB too, or at least the SS parts.
Anyhow one of the (few) good guys in the MSM.
Press Club Pass.
Note to Bruce: don’t let clever substitute for proof reading. Again. And still. Sigh.
How people answer questions depends on how you set them up. If you talk to them about the crushing costs of entitlements…”like SS”, they may apologize to you for having to take SS benefits. I would bet maybe a quarter that in no other context would they say that their SS is a problem for the country. And, why would anyone have to apologize to some stranger about being retired and receiving SS, anyway?? But, here we have two writers who report people’s responses to leading questions just “saying what the people said.” Right. Grrrrrrr. NancyO