Comments for President Obama and the Gang of Six Want to Cut Social Security and Medicare, but Readers of the NYT Probably Wouldn't Notice at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 4 out of 4 comments http://www.cepr.net Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:24:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/president-obama-and-the-gang-of-six-want-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare-but-readers-of-the-nyt-probably-wouldnt-notice#comment-10117 I keep seeing these complaints about the terrible "journalism" we suffer. Glennzilla goes on about it almost every day, and Brad DeLong has at least one "Why Can't We Have A Better Press Corps" article almost every day. But. you know, I'm 74 years old and I remember the press always being like this, since I was a child. From old newspapers I've read when doing research I don't think they were any better in 1895, or 1845, or 1775, for that matter. Some have been better than others. Bloomberg isn't bad, and the Christian Science Monitor is usually OK. Now we have access to Al Jazeera English, which might encourage American media to do a better job, but that will probably turn out the same as Detroit competing with the Japanese auto makers. I enjoy your rants, but I think it's like bailing a boat with a sieve. - Procopius Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:30:29 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/president-obama-and-the-gang-of-six-want-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare-but-readers-of-the-nyt-probably-wouldnt-notice#comment-10114 I don't know, I think "cost-savings" would mean that it will save money given the same level of benefits. That would be qualitatively different from "cuts to benefits," which would save money sure, but it will also cut benefits (duh). I think reporters would be more likely to call it "cutting benefits" if the method of cuts were more obvious like raising the eligibility age. I think the financially illiterate just like to say "chained CPI" and be proud of themselves. - apeescape Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:13:35 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/president-obama-and-the-gang-of-six-want-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare-but-readers-of-the-nyt-probably-wouldnt-notice#comment-10103 Melissa is partially right. There are a lot of folks out there who can see through this. There are however, a lot of folks who apparently can't see it for what it is. Otherwise, why do the same yahoos keep getting voted into office to pull this crap? Journalism has largely abandoned its function of evaluating the truth of claims, as opposed to proving "balance" by quoting Republicans (Capitalist party #1 - in this corner mining, oil small business) then giving a competing quote from Democrats (Capitalist party #2 - in this corner Finance, entertainment, trial lawyers). Little evaluation or even fact checking enters. I would like to see a headline in any paper that reads as follows. "Republicrats: Capital Gains tax cuts stimulate the economy. Evidence: Not So!" Or: "Republicrats: Government Spending a drain. Evidence: Two Wars" - Jeff Z Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:00:06 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/president-obama-and-the-gang-of-six-want-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare-but-readers-of-the-nyt-probably-wouldnt-notice#comment-10085 Hmmm..."cost-savings changes to entitlement programs." Let me think, I don't have a college degree, but I'm pretty sure it means exactly whagt it says...cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Some of us normal folks in America are a lot smarter than you give us credit for and understand this "convoluted" language. - Melissa Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:33:55 +0100