The latest polls are show that Dubya's Social Security plan is losing support. This has his team going out to campaign for the changes. For some reason, this all seems eerily familiar, and I guess I'm not alone with that line of thinking. Back in 1993-94, Clinton introduced his Health Care plan and the Republicans were pretty much united in opposing it. Clinton tried to rally support and the plan died without ever coming to a vote on either floor in Congress.
What's also familiar is that even though the plans put forth are bad, the opposition seems to ignore that there is a big problem facing the nation. A decade ago, the Republicans were the ones blinded by ideology (government intervention into the markets) and ignored the real fact that the nation's health care system was in dire need of repair. Today, the Democrats are blinded by ideology (government programs are sacrosanct and don't need to be changed) and ignore the fact that something needs to be done to shore up Social Security from the coming Baby Boom storm. Clinton's health care plan was too clunky to really get anywhere. Bush's plan for private accounts doesn't really do anything to fix Social Security. Both plans were bad, but that didn't mean that there was no problem.
It's sad that politics has become a version of "kick the can." The Opposition is no longer interested in working on pragmatic solutions; only about winning the game. What happens when Social Security is beset by the Baby Boomer rush to retirement and the health care system is in shambles?
At some point you wonder if either party really cares about America. I think they are more worried about protecting their bases and vested intrests instead of working together to solve national problems. It's ridiculous and sad.
Posted by Dennis at March 4, 2005 12:11 PMTo J.S.,
I believe that Dennis likes to start off each subject, but I would like to offer a thought. The religious battlelines parallel the political ones bcause Bush's plan is to divide and conquer. In his second term, he cares not what your political affiliation is - he just wants ultimate control of our privacy, women's rights, entertainment, news reporting...the list goes on and on. "Thus, inwardly armed with confidence in God and the unshakable stupidity of the voting citizenry, the politicians begin the fight for the remaking of the Reich..." Adolph Hitler
While I can't disagree that the parties are way out of touch with the ideal of working for the good of the country, I have to mention that the Opposition has watched "bipartisan" bills be changed substantively in conference committees that they are shut out of over the last few years.
Does something need to be done? Yes, and sooner rather than later, but the Opposition has plenty of reason to think that working with the majority party will just result in legislation they never voted for being back-doored in.
So we wait. The upside is that there will be Social Security in the future, the downside is that the restructuring required will be more expensive.
Posted by: shamanic at March 7, 2005 03:48 PMHow can u even compare the Clinton health care plan to the Bush SS plan. I assume you are comparing the reactions. But that is not fair.
First. the clinton health plan was led by Mrs. Clinton (unelected), who held meetings closed to the public.
As far as the SS issue. The Dems are the ones who have shown an unwillingness to budge at all. Bush has gone as far as to suggest he was open to a tax increase. What have the dems done? They have not moved one inch. Their only answer is, just raise taxes enough to fix the system.
I often wonder about both parties and their committments. I think it is clear at this point that while the people who get involved with the parties generally want to do a good job and want to improve their country (at least at first), they get sucked into a large institution which warps the way they think. Both parties are so large now they have taken on lives of their own.
Posted by: christopher at March 5, 2005 09:21 AM