Be-Think [Please visit BeThink.org]

SOCIAL SECURITY, WHEN “NEVER” IS DEFINED AS "2042" ©

When did definitions first become malleable? At what point did people begin to adjust these for context? Each time I hear President George W. Bush say that he needs to “educate” America, to tell us the “truth” about Social Security, I wonder. Mr. Bush claims that he wants to “teach“ the nation. However, the evidence shows that he intends to “persuade” us. Since Bush 43 took office, definitions have been destroyed in deference to political or personal agendas. “Promotion” passes for “instruction,” and the General Accounting Office repeatedly reprimands this administration for such.

I trust that distortion existed long before the year 2000, or even 1945, when George Orwell first published his political spoofs. I know that George W. Bush did not invent propaganda; nor did George Orwell. However, when I listen to this President, I cannot help but think of the relationship between the two. One wrote of the power of persuasion in political forums and the other is out and about, acting on it.

As we see, hear, and read, King George II is asserting his power. He is speaking to the people, repeating his rhetoric, determined to prove that if he says it often enough the people will believe. He says the Social Security program is in “crisis,” there is a “problem.” The system is flawed and it will go “bust.” Yet, I read economists assertions, reports stating that Social security will never go broke. Experts say, as long as payroll taxes are paid into the system, the program is secure.

When I hear the administration claim what authorities say is false and unfounded, I think of Animal Farm. The idea of “Newspeak” beckons. I remember ‘the ruling elites can and do easily use language to persuade those of lesser means; they present incorrect or illogical thoughts as though they were fact.’

I recall 1984 when President Bush praises a program of privatization and individual accounts, then, affirms that this plan will do nothing to address the dilemma of solvency. I remember the theory of “doublethink.” I witness that, indeed, people can hold two contradictory beliefs simultaneously, and accept both of them as truth.

George W. Bush speaks and the concepts of George Orwell echo in my mind. I trust that Orwell’s writing did not bring these practices into our lives. Nonetheless, as our President chatters, I feel as though I am trapped in an Orwellian novel.

1984, 1988, THE BRAVE NEW WORLD, 632 AF (AFTER FORD) ©

Now, two of these dates have passed with little of the predicted fanfare. You may recall the fears and fiction of 1984 by George Orwell; however, do you recall the folly and fortunes told by George W. Bush?

It was 1978, congressional candidate George Walker Bush was campaigning. He went out on the Texas stump and began speaking of the inevitable, the demise of Social Security. He predicted its bankruptcy and stated that by 1988, the system would be “bust!” He was not alone in this fostering of fear; there were others. They focused on the faults within the Social Security system and not the benefits. They each presented these flaws as fatal.

According to many sources, the Economic Policy Institute among them, those fighting against Social Security protections were not the poor, the downtrodden, the disabled, the elderly, dependent children, or those whose income left them little extra for saving. They were not those that needed the protection of a system such as this. For the most part those that protested the structure were persons with ample wealth and prosperity. Their concern was often for having more while here on Earth and leaving more for their progeny. They were interested in their own profits and not in the poverty, provisions, and the potential for those less fortunate. Those speaking out against Social Security believed that any individuals can, and should be able to take care of themselves alone, regardless of the circumstances.

* Please listen to Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich speak on the Social Security Surplus!

To read the text of this commentary, please refer to “Connect the Dots,” a piece published in The American Prospect.

THE POWER OF PROPAGANDA ©

They and he plot, plan, and then the ploy . . .
Pay pundits to pass on the message.
Massage the message through the media.
Create what appears to be a news-broadcast, and is in actuality,
An advertisement for their, for his, agenda!

They and he do this with programs such as Medicare.
They and he seek the support of those most involved and most influential.
The American Association of Retired Persons,
An organization that was once an advocate for those that worked hard all their lives,
So that they might enjoy their elder years,
Is now, another authorized insurance establishment,
One with their own interests in mind, and just as his,
Making more money is behind their actions.

They and he present programs that stress success,
[Please read further for the rest of my reflections. See below.]

Also offered are these reports on Medicare Reform, 'No Child Left Behind,' and Social Security.
Please review "GAO: Bush Administration Illegally Used Taxpayer Funds for Medicare Propaganda"
Please weigh the words in “The San Diego Union-Tribune, Who will profit from Medicare reform?"
Please Download "Are_schools_cheating_poor_learners?" pdf
Please pursue further, 'Every Child Left Behind,' By Britt Robson"
Please ponder this offering, "Washington Post, Administration Paid Commentator, By Howard Kurtz"
Please read and reflect, "New York Times, Social Security Bashing: A Historical Perspective
Download "Social_Security_a_historical_perspective".pdf
After, Another, "Max Speaks" on Social Security and more listen