Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, will be in New Orleans today, speaking at an annual AARP gathering. It might be an awkward setting for the far-right lawmaker -- Ryan, of course, is perhaps best known for his budget plan that eliminates Medicare, replacing it with a privatized voucher system.
And while I'm sure Ryan will offer a spirited defense, and may even come up with a coherent explanation as to why he's outraged by the Medicare cuts in the Affordable Care Act that he also incorporated into his own budget plan, there's another issue that's worth some consideration.
BuzzFeed posted this audio clip today, noting Ryan's remarks to an Ayn Rand group in 2005, in which he endorsed a Randian vision on entitlements.
"Social Security right now is a collectivist system, it's a welfare transfer system," Ryan said.
Ryan continued, describing attempts by Republicans to privatize, laughing at using the word "personalizing" instead.
Ryan says "if we actually accomplish this goal of personalizing Social Security, think of what we will accomplish." He adds "every worker, every laborer in America will not only be a laborer but a capitalist. They will be an owner of society, they will be an owner and a participant of our free enterprise system, of our capitalist system."
The Wisconsin Republican went on to characterize Social Security's Democratic champions as "collectivist, class warfare-breathing demagogues."
And what, pray tell, has Ryan proposed as a replacement to Social Security? I'm glad you asked.
Sahil Kapur had a good report on this a few weeks ago.
One of Rep. Paul Ryan's many past proposals to remake the federal safety net included a sweeping plan to privatize Social Security and risk the program's solvency in attempting to save it. He championed the idea as recently as 2010 but pushed it under the rug the following year. Mitt Romney, who recently selected Ryan to be his vice presidential nominee, is steering clear of the plan.
The proposal was in Ryan's 2010 "Roadmap For America's Future," a broad blueprint to remake the federal budget which elevated the little-known congressman into the Republican Party's visionary. It involved shifting Social Security funds to private retirement accounts as well as reducing benefits and gradually raising the age of eligibility.
Over time, the Congressional Budget Office said, Social Security payouts would "be more uncertain, despite the guarantee, because returns on stocks and corporate bonds are risky." The plan seeks to protect against market fluctuations by guaranteeing seniors a rate return at least equal to the rate of inflation, and by shifting near-retirees' money from stocks to government bonds. But funding losses from stock market swings could endanger the solvency of the program.
The Ryan plan would have necessarily meant benefit cuts for 70 percent of Social Security beneficiaries -- while delivering a windfall to Wall Street.
In fairness, it's important to note that Ryan isn't still pushing this measure -- Medicare privatization remains a key element of Ryan's plan, but Social Security privatization does not.
That said, 2010 really wasn't that long ago -- if Obama quotes from 1998 matter, Ryan's legislative blueprint from two years ago counts -- and while Ryan isn't fighting for this proposal anymore, he hasn't denounced it, either. This, coupled with this 2005 speech in which he condemned Social Security as a "collectivist ... welfare transfer system," paints a picture of a Republican who doesn't think the program should exist at all.
Maybe someone at the AARP event should ask him about this.
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Repuglicans only god is profit and they do not care who gets hurt, or killed, as long as they get their money.
It's real easy for Ryan to try and get rid of Social Security and Medicare. He should get rid of his retirement benefits from Congress. I paid for my Social Security benefits and for Medicare. I, too, have worked since I was 16 years of age. I would go to school and then work. I have, never, asked for anything I did not earn, unlike Mr. Ryan and Romney. My understanding is that Ryan got help from the Government for his college years. If so, then he is the one who received entitlement (by his definition). I paid my way through college.
Public libraries are collectivist. So are fire departments. Redistribution of wealth: evil government bandits sneaking into RomneyRyan's bedroom at night, taking money from his wallet, and allowing suspiciously brown people to read books and have their fires put out.
As I proved there is an afterlife in a previous post, I, apparently, need to point out that in any plausible afterlife, EMPATHY will be the most prevalent, abideing, constant. By looking into someone's eyes you will know their thoughts and relive their lives. This empathy is also, probably, in a large part, "justice" i.e. the torturer in this reality will relive the lives of those he tortured in the afterlife.
The obvious secular view of the world should be the "the best possible world for my granddaughter is the best possible world for all granddaughters".
Both visions contrast with the republican view "the more people starving under bridges, the better".
Let us hope that Ryan is not the Vice President and that he loses his seat in Congress as well. I am tired of hearing even the liberal media saying he is some kind genius or wonk. It would help if Cantor is gone as well.
Republican's as is their want, turned "entitlement" into a bad word. Dictionary definition is "a right". As countless others have said, we pay for SS and Medicare benefits throughout our working lives and depend on it in retirement. Ryan's comments are pretty scary in that a middle aged man still believe's in the Ayn Rand dogma. Most people forget her immediately upon leaving college and enter the real world not Rand's imaginary land. Ryan seems to actually believe his own b.s. not a good thing in a candidate. Romney knows better; he doesn't believe any of the conservative ideology which is why he can so easily change his positions. He is not wedded to any ideology. He got in trouble because he told a bunch of rich guys what they wanted to hear. Romney is your typical amoral CEO type. They just know how to make money which is not a bad skill but Romney did it in ways that hurt many ordinary citizens. Romney and Ryan will have no problem killing programs that help people and they will still sleep well at night, but for different reasons.
The working people who don’t pay income tax, that is by and large the result of Republican policies,” said Michael Linden, director of tax and budget policy at the Center for American Progress,
Here is a fun little factoid from Bruce Bartlett, who served in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, writing in The New York Times: : "During the 1990s, about 24% of filers had no income tax liability, but this number took a big jump during the Bush Administration as Republicans added a large child credit to the tax code. The percentage of filers with no income tax liability rose to 36.3% in 2008, from 25.2% in 2000."
But this is the problem. Most people do not know they do not pay tax, are on the Gov. dole, or get tax deductions. Many people just see that each week money goes out for taxes so they feel they paid fed. taxes. if they get a "refund" check they just feel they paid the fed. taxes and that they overpaid.
Nor do many people knwo what tax deductions they are even getting like the child deduction or the earned income credit. they do not do their own taxes.
THis is a REAL problem. They think food stamp fraud is rampad the biggest concern. they do not see that they are on the dole and getting breaks and not paying income tax but rather payroll tax which they do not understand the difference.
They do not absolutely do not understand that Romney and Ryan want these tax breaks slashed and no more refund check. and more they will have to pay more in taxes. They think its truly someone else just like the 47%.
Could you guys please do a segment on this. Its a huge problem.
I guess Ryan and others have forgotten who paid for ss and medicare, the American taxpayers. So in a way, it is an investment we made. So at least give us back what we paid into it, no interest, that is fine.
Rachel as a Vetran of foreign wars, I served 2 tours in the war zone some 42 years ago probabley before you were een born,,, I am a member of about all the Vetrans orginizations in America possible. I support our Troops in every way I can, I want to say thank you for your every effort in support of our troops, you make me very proud to be a fan of yours. It discusts me the way Polititions use our Military for their own political gain and then do nothing for them when the opertunity arrises, thank you for pointing out the Vote taken last week and the GOP voted down the Vetrans Jobs Act, even 4 GOP members help to write it and then voted NO on it.. How could they,,, well just for political gaine,, nothing else.. Thanks again and we love you Rachel...
Romney is quoted as having said with regard to comments that he needs to turn his campaign around that this is not necessary because, " We've got a campaign which is tied with an incumbent president to the United States." Beyond the employment of such an odd choice of prepositions does anyone actually know what this statement might mean in regular earth person talk?
Entitlement is a TEA-Republican phraseology much like "some people say" has been widely used in an attempt to make the FOX-hole look more fair and independent in news coverage. They are never specific as to whom or who spoke those words they said some people say! If you think a voucher-ed Medicare will work, look closely at your states voucher-ed Medicaid program. Let's all remember Paul Ryan is of the same caliber as Todd Akin of scarlet (R) fame. These times are tough and rough on the floundering TEA-Republican nationally and many are distancing themselves from the Romney/Ryan Ticket.
I just saw Romney on 60 Minutes tonight. He said his plan will not raise taxes on middle income because middle income people will not have to pay taxes on interest, dividends and Capital Gains. I am so relieved that my .01 per month interest income will not be taxable.
What rock did he crawl out from under? Middle income people do not have spare millions to invest for those kinds of earnings!!!
Wow, an idiots quotes rise to the top of the heap, as if more important or valid, or possibly the opinion of the 'average' American. All I know for sure is that if the economy continues to only benefit a few, the crap being published at the top of this column will be the last thing on anyone's mind while they abuse, steal and kill each other because that's the only way they will be able to satisfy their needs. Taking away Medicare, Medicaid and other 'fall-back' income options when in a downtrodden economy is like pulling the rug from under the most effected. It will surely lead to a rise in crime because society is an attempt to create an environment where everyone who is a part of that society is involved in each others welfare. Chaos is the result when each of us has to fend for ourselves, and those who have the most to lose in such a societal cacophony of abandonment are the rich. As is the case in most societies, as we see in present day Europe, the gov usually has the a-holes who, unfortunately, also have the military, so there arises a period where the affluent in the gov are like, "kill the peasants; protect the ruling class". It will be interesting to see how the gun-toting Retardicans handle it when they realize they've been screwed, but they have to guns, the 'equalizer' in this case.
I'm retired and so far protected from the thongs of SS and the republican party. But I do have a RR retirement and pension that is separate from SS but done in the same manner we simply paid more for a better retirement. I the same as the people that paid into SS would be deeply offended to hear the money I contributed every payday for 43 years for my retirement and pension were thought of as a welfare program How dare that idiot stand before a camera and a audience and a nation and tell such lies.