Entitlers, entitlees and the entitled

Congress is both an entitler and an entitlee. It makes the laws about entitlements and at the same time votes itself a raise in salary and perks whenever it feels like it. While many Americans are losing their pensions, members of Congress are pensioned at the taxpayers' expense.

Other entitlees are the wealthy who make their money by the work of the entitled. They are rewarded by big breaks on taxes, because they are the large contributors to campaign money for Congress. They have also been given help with the "Estate Tax" decline. They make their heirs entitlees by use of the trickle down theory.

The entitled are the working stiffs, who paid taxes into the Social Security and Medicare funds. This gave members of Congress more money for earmarks and pork so they could keep getting elected. Then Congress decides it does not have enough money for even COLAs and some members of Congress want to emasculate both successful programs. These programs are advertised as only benefiting seniors but they are actually good for young people also because they give them some security for when they can no longer work (and the pension they were hoping for is gone and their 401K money has tanked in the stock market). Medicare also gives them health care in spite of outrageous health costs.

Since the wealthy have largely made their fortunes off the investments and purchases of those who will be dependent on SociaI security when they retire, it is only fair that the wealthy pay higher taxes so that the money taken from the Social Security fund can be returned to it.

The myth of bipartisanship

A few days ago I watched C-SPAN again and was treated to a fictional account of what bipartisanship is all about.

Here is the scenario: The President starts from a weak position as he did in the health care issue. He makes speeches that say that he will not sign any law that does not include taxing billionaires.

The Tea Partiers believe that in the interest of compromise and bipartisanship, he will cave in.

I listened to the House Republicans and some Democrats thanking the president and the other Democrats for their bipartisanship approach to a deal.

The president was like the parent of a kidnapped child forced to pay ransom. "Give us what we want or we're going to let the government default," the Tea Partiers wrote in their ransom note, and the president and moderate Democrats gave them the satchel full of unmarked bills and the getaway car.

It may be that in acquiescing the president in acquiescing is playing politics. He may believe that the Republicans have again over-reached and have hurt their chances in the next election with their tactics.

While I do not believe the deal was a good deal. I do not think there was much choice. 2012 will tell us if the poor, middle class and seniors are going to be willing to take another stand for their interests or of they've given up the fight and will allow the Tea Party to take greater control and begin the dismantling of Medicare and Social Security and continue the widening of the gap between the rich and everyone else.