In my view, all Americans stand to lose if the Republicans win control of Congress – not just the obvious groups like unions, women, ethnic minorities, students, would-be immigrants and so on. The GOP’s obsolete ideas and plutocratic policies will spell immediate misery for all but the filthy rich. And even they can look forward to ultimate disaster as the society disintegrates, taking them down along with everyone else.
A demographic group that spans all races, professions and genders can expect to be among the first to suffer.
I’m talking about you working stiffs who are panting down the home stretch of your careers, counting the days to your retirement.
If the GOP gets in, those days will suddenly multiply. The home stretch will stretch and stretch and stretch…
The Campaign for America’s Future spotlighted your peril today with an email that began:
The Republicans have made big promises to their ultra-wealthy financial backers: Should they take the Senate, they promise to cut ‘entitlements’ and pass the savings on with more tax cuts for the 1%.
Entitlements. That’s what politicians call your Social Security and Medicare. And you need to qualify for those before you can retire, don’t you?
But you can expect a retirement age of 70 if the Republicans get their way. And say goodbye to Medicare as we know it. The GOP has a privatization plan for that popular program waiting in the wings.
The Campaign for America’s Future backs up its warning with these observations:
- Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who would become chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, proposed legislation to raise the retirement age to 70 and supported President Bush’s plans to privatize the system.
- Representative Bill Cassidy, who hopes to replace Mary Landrieu as senator from Louisiana, has pledged to raise the retirement age to 70 and turn Medicare into a voucher program.
- Senators Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz both refer to Social Security as a “Giant Ponzi Scheme.” Cruz went further, going on the record with the Texas Tribune for privatization. As Texas solicitor general, he even sued the federal government to strike down Medicare’s prescription benefit.
- Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona said he’d prefer “savings in entitlement programs rather than defense spending.”
I know you might not agree with the Democrats on everything, but if you are looking forward to retirement, are you prepared to spend several more years in that job of yours to back up your ideology?
I know I wouldn’t if I were you. But I am already collecting my retirement checks. It’s your retirement that’s at stake here.
