WE DON'T NEED a charm offensive; we need a candor offensive. The budget debate's central reality is . . .
. . . that federal retirement programs, led by Social Security and Medicare, are crowding out most other government spending. . . . Until we openly recognize and discuss this, it will be impossible to have a "balanced approach" -- to use one of President Obama's favorite phrases. It's the math: . . . .
It's already happening. The military is shrinking and weakening: . . . . As a share of national income, defense spending ($670 billion in 2012) is headed toward its lowest level since 1940. . . . "Domestic discretionary spending" -- a category that includes food inspectors, the FBI, the National Weather Service and many others -- faces a similar fate. . . .
Nor will states and localities escape. . . .
. . . . Choices are being made by default. Almost everything is being subordinated to protect retirees. Solicitude for government's largest constituency undermines the rest of government. This is an immensely important story almost totally ignored by the media. . . .
Liberals drive this process by treating Social Security and Medicare as sancrosanct. . . .
Hypocritical conservatives are liberals' unspoken allies. . . .
What frustrates constructive debate is muddled public opinion. . . .
Only the occupant of the bully pulpit can yank public opinion back to reality. . . .
[But] Obama hasn't spoken intelligently or openly about America's aging. . . . It's true that Republicans should also accept higher taxes -- but only after the White House engages retirement spending.
Little is possible while public opinion remains frozen in contradiction. This mistake lies in thinking that the apparent paralysis isn't policy. It is. Government is being slowly transformed into a vast old-age home, with everything else devalued and degraded.
(Robert J. Samuelson, "America the retirement home," washingtonpost.com, March 17, 2013 (emphasis added)).
Mr. Samuelson is right, as usual, but he's too kind to the president. It's bad enough that Mr. Obama won't rationalize Social Security and Medicare. It's worse that he stacked Obamacare, also sancrosanct, atop the whole tottering mess.
Comments