Steve Forbes just spoke to my class on social security

I couldn't believe it. This guy trotted out every lame talking point Bush and Rove have ever come up with.

no trust fund? check

4-14 trillion dollars? check

minorities getting screwed? check

better rate of return? check

index to inflation rather than wages? check

When it came my turn to ask a question, I asked about the trust fund and the IOUs. He claimed they were unmarketable securities and therefore not the same as real treasury bonds. Not sure why that would make a difference...

Get this, he also said that the 4-14 trillion debt was already there, but he claimed that social security benefits are not guaranteed, that congress can change them, which would mean the 4-14 trillion wasn't there, so...:silly:

My class ate it up. I tried to bring up some of the facts, but I am not very good at it, I tend to get agitated rather easily, and I don't make the case in a coherent fashion. But, still...

This is very sad.

Steve Forbes knows a lot about inheriting money, that's about it.

Steve is the guy who trotted out the flat tax in 96, claiming that a 17% rate on income alone would be enough to balance the budget. This was such a blatant lie that Dole and Buchanan felt compelled to attack him during the primaries.

In short, he's got a history of making 1+1=45.

It was live on C-SPAN too, so if there are any C-SPAN fanatics, they might have caught it.

I just saw Michael Moore's documentary "The Big One"

In the film Moore in his typical humor show a video of Steve Forbes for about one minuet and he never blinks.

Moore said he aske a doctor if it were possible for a human to not blink for a minuet. Doctor said it was impossible.

Moore's conclusion Forbe's must be an alien.

In Franco Zefferelli's Jesus of Nazareth, the actor playing Jesus was filmed to make it appear that he never blinked.

Can it be...? :silly:

There is something just otherworldly about him.

Totally under rated film.

No trust fund? There was until * raided it for the general fund.

4-14 Trillion dollars? Only if you extend life expectancy to 150(!) and keep retirement @ 67.

Better rate of return? Not after you factor in the fees from the brokers.

I have NO filter whatsoever, so I would have most likely called him a fucking liar.

I tried again, to counter forbes to my right wing roommate, and he said that he was sure I would make a conscientious effort to see both sides of the issue before I spouted left wing rhetoric.

How perfectly condescending.

All in same day H&E has to see a leading Republican hypocrite AND converse with a winger roommate. You are lots braver than I. Time to shower off the layer of slime you must feel from the encounters!

So many hypocrites, so little time - BUZZ Flash motto

My other roommate is also a republican, but he isn't here, fortunately. He's the nicer one of the two, doesn't mumble so much either.

Time to hit the showers!