Sunday, May 08, 2005
Why are these people smiling? A civilized debate about Social Security??
It is possible to debate Social Security without name calling, and even with the parties acting as if they actually like each other personally.
Here's proof on video: John Shoven of Stanford, co-author of one of my favorite books on the history, politics and economics of Social Security and a strong proponent of private accounts, versus Peter Orszag of MIT, co-author of the only actual plan from the Democratic side to preserve Social Security as much as possible as is.
(Not that you could call his a "Democratic" plan as no Democratic politician I know of has endorsed it, being that it calls for both tax increases and benefit cuts, as any paygo solution for Social Security must. But it is refreshing to see someone from the Democratic side actually admit there are problems with Social Security that need to be dealt with.)
Those smiles are unnerving.
It is possible to debate Social Security without name calling, and even with the parties acting as if they actually like each other personally.
Here's proof on video: John Shoven of Stanford, co-author of one of my favorite books on the history, politics and economics of Social Security and a strong proponent of private accounts, versus Peter Orszag of MIT, co-author of the only actual plan from the Democratic side to preserve Social Security as much as possible as is.
(Not that you could call his a "Democratic" plan as no Democratic politician I know of has endorsed it, being that it calls for both tax increases and benefit cuts, as any paygo solution for Social Security must. But it is refreshing to see someone from the Democratic side actually admit there are problems with Social Security that need to be dealt with.)
Those smiles are unnerving.
