tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20834426.post8851418142789756207..comments2023-09-03T02:36:17.415-07:00Comments on Bruin Democrats: Krugman on Social SecurityExarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16774296503648266079noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20834426.post-86124242925883937622007-11-16T17:15:00.000-08:002007-11-16T17:15:00.000-08:00Anecdotally, I'd argue there is a Social Security ...Anecdotally, I'd argue there is a Social Security Crisis. My girlfriend works for a Social Security Law Firm in Los Angeles and often is in charge of scheduling hearings. Unfortunately for many disabled people, there are not enough hearing judges to efficiently process Social Security Applicants because Social Security is underfunded. Most people must wait a year for a hearing, and when you have a serious life-threatening disability a year is just too long.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06720483895860744639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20834426.post-11549225252717212402007-11-16T12:31:00.000-08:002007-11-16T12:31:00.000-08:00Bruinkid, it's not only about finding common groun...Bruinkid, it's not only about finding common ground, but also creating common ground. That's what the 2008 campaign, and every other presidential campaign, is about--leadership! Perhaps after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we have all forgotten what political leadership looks like. <BR/><BR/>I also don't see the virtue in opting for a pessimistic view that working with Republicans is impossible. As Joe Biden pointed out in yesterday's debate, there are plenty of Republicans in the Senate who oppose Bush's strategy (or lack of strategy) in Iraq, but due to party politics, they are too timid to oppose it forcefully. When we have a new president in 2008, whether it's Hillary, Obama, or Edwards, I think there will be significantly more bipartisanship on changing course on Iraq. That's not even optimism; that's just politics.<BR/><BR/>I also think it's unfair to singly attack Obama on calling for bipartisanship to fix social security. The Clintonians can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that Hillary has also called for the creation of a bipartisan commission to come up with a solution for social security.<BR/><BR/>On the whole, I agree with Krugman. There isn't really a social security crisis. There is no impending social security apocalypse. However, that does not mean that inaction will suffice, which even Jonathan Chait admits. Ultimately, something will have to be done about social security. When it runs dry, policymakers will have to raise taxes or legislate some other kind of adjustment. Bruinkid and Krugman gloss over this aspect in their arguments.<BR/><BR/>By the way, Krugman totally ripped -off Jonathan Chait's "TRB" column in late October's edition of The New Republic. The only difference is that Krugman added some Obama bashing and left out the fact that even though there may not be a social security crisis, something will still have to be done in the future. If you're going to regurgitate someone else's arguments, you should at least have the decency to regurgitate the finer points of their argument as well. This is one of the most disappointing Krugman articles I've read. I usually really dig his writing, but this column is a heaping pile of bullshit.Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661587548878315noreply@blogger.com