The House is on Fire and Fred Hiatt Is Worried About What Color to Paint the Kitchen

You have to love Fred Hiatt and the Washington Post's oped page. The country is suffering through the worst downturn in 80 years. Tens of millions of people are unemployed or underemployed. Millions are facing the prospect of losing their homes. And tens of millions of baby boomers are looking at a retirement where they will be entirely dependent on their Social Security and Medicare.

With this state of affairs, they naturally rise to the occasion by denouncing politicians for being insufficiently attentive to "needed Medicare and Social Security reform." Of course, people familiar with the Congressional Budget Office's projections for Social Security know that there is no need for Social Security reform. The projections show the program will be fully solvent for the next quarter century even if no changes are made. Even after it is first projected to face a shortfall in 2038 it would still be able to pay more than 80 percent of projected benefits. It is difficult to see why dealing with a projected distant and modest shortfall should be a priority given the economy's current situation.

As all policy wonks know, the problem with Medicare is the problem of U.S. health care costs which are more than twice as high per person as the average for other wealthy countries. Therefore the issue should be fixing the health care system. If the United States faced the same per person health care costs as other wealthy countries we would be looking at huge budget surpluses in the long-term, not deficits.

"If America doesn’t tackle its debt problem, everything else is at risk: economic growth, the safety net for the poor, investment in research and roads."

Yeah, things might get bad if we don't start taking the Post's concerns about Social Security and Medicare seriously. It would be great if the Post's oped staff could get access to government data on unemployment, housing equity and family wealth.

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Cocky Conservative's Claptrap Conundrum
written by David, January 30, 2012 7:18 AM

Izzatzo is wrong, Hiatt uses inductive tyrannical reasoning (the logical error of "proof by authority"), there's nothing empirical about it.

Just More Fear-Mongering about the Debt
written by PAUL, January 30, 2012 7:42 AM

Hiatt and the rest of the Cons never bother to acknowledge the facts: the current rate on 10 yr. T-Bonds is less than half what it was during the Clinton budget surplus years. If they ever did, they would have to explain why their phony fear-mongering makes no logical sense.

Clearly, the U.S. government could borrow much more money and solve its economic crisis, but then Hiatt would have nothing to be paranoid about.

What's the problem?
written by John Q, January 30, 2012 9:11 AM

WaPo writers and their friends all have jobs or secure incomes.

Therefore there is no unemployment problem.

...
written by leo from chicago, January 30, 2012 10:14 AM

Can we dispense with the word 'reform' when referring to Social Security, Medicare or any other program that your average working American depends on.

What's really meant is 'cut back' or 'reduction' so people, particularly journalists and economists, should be honest and brave enough to call it that.

MEDICARE $$$
written by clarence swinney, January 30, 2012 10:39 AM

a. ONE A DAY PILL=RIP OFF
GO TO ONE A WEEK=86% LOSS OF REVENUE FOR PHARMA
I WAS TO TAKE ONE A DAY. NEVER. TOOK ONE A WEEK=ALL OK 86%=lOSS OF BILLIONS

B. VETS ADM GETS MEDICINES 40% LESS THAN MEDICARE. RIP OFF.

C. UNTIL OIL REPLACED THEM PHARMA MADE MORE PROFIT ON DOLLAR SALES THAN ANY INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS

D.OUT OF TOWN-DINNER-WIFE LEFT ARM NUMB. NEXT DOOR SMALL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
TWO TESTS-ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE-NITRO PATCH ON CHEST FOR NIGHT. BILL. I NEEDED NITRO PATCHES. $6,000. YES $6,000.

PAL CLOTH GAUZE ON ARM SHOULDER TO ELBOW
BILL FOR JUST GAUZE $600.
BOUGHT ROLL TO DO TWO ARMS FOR $20.
TO HOSPITAL RAISED XXXX. CUT TO $100.

THESE HAPPEN THOUSANDS OF TIMES DAILY IN AMERICA
LAND OF FREE SUCKERS.

apparently
written by joe, January 30, 2012 12:13 PM

Hiatt didn't get the memo that we closed the gold window.

...
written by two beers, January 30, 2012 12:27 PM

David,
Lay off Izzy. He's another data point in the study showing that low IQ people generally become conservatives.

Sticks In The Craw
written by Jeffrey Stewart, January 30, 2012 1:52 PM

"If America doesn’t tackle its debt problem, everything else is at risk: economic growth, the safety net for the poor, investment in research and roads." -F. Hiatt

So Mr. Hiatt's solution to possible future safety net problems is cutting the social safety net now! We have to cut the social safety net now so it doesn't have to be cut in the future!

Does anyone notice a contradiction here?

...
written by Union Member, January 30, 2012 4:23 PM

Washington Post readers should know that Pepper Spray is a Social Media for the "Reforms" of a NeoCon Spring.

The House is on Fire and Fred Hiatt Is Worried About What Color to Paint the Kitchen

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