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I subscribe to the American Progress report, a daily email update of links and news.

I am generally supportive of the points that they make, but this just blew me away.

SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT IN CRISIS: According to a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office, over the next 75 years, the Social Security shortfall is projected to be 1 percent of all taxable income. Even at current levels, Social Security will be able to pay full benefits until 2052 (http://www.cbpp.org/6-14-04bud.htm)

Here’s what I wrote back (not sure if anyone reads the replies).

What happens then? I should just not worry about receiving benefits for the taxes I'm paying now? I retire in 2048. I think it is extremely naive to just bury your heads and say it's fine until then. That's not fine for me or anyone younger.

Taxes need to be increased now. We need to have a balanced budget. It is essential to the continuation of our country's well-being.

Everyone knows, when you buy a house, you start paying now, so that in 30 years, the house will be paid off. This is no different. You can’t live in a house for 29 years, and then pay for it in the 30th, unless you are the most disciplined saver in the world (which I would imagine most people are not) And who will lend you the money for 30 years and trust that in the 30th year you’ll be able to pay it off? No one.

We can’t wait 50 years to figure out how to pay for Social Security, because in 50 years, we won’t be able to afford it.

I know, I know, I just railed against cheap shots on things that don’t matter…

But doesn’t Zell Miller do a good Emperor Palpatine Impression?

You will hear a much touted talking point that says, “More Americans own their homes than ever before!”

True enough, but what does that really mean?

Personal debt in America is at an all-time high.

Read this excellent article, Debt, Where is Thy Sting over at Slate.

If I have any readers left after the past couple weeks of very few updates, here’s what I’m thinking…

I’m tired.

I’m just worn out from the past month of nonsensical political madness. And I don’t want to get drawn into the stupid bickering about Kerry’s Vietnam Service, who’s more rich, etc.

When we’re talking about that, we’re not talking about real issues. And from where I stand, we have some real issues in this country.

Undeniable issues that both sides should see. They should matter to everyone.

Here’s what matters:

• Fixing Health Care
• Making sure kids are fully educated, and can get to college if they want to
• Making sure we have a clean environment
• Bringing fiscal responsibility to government
• Keeping the economy stable and growing

Here’s what “does not matter”:

• Gay Marriage. True conservatives (in the political sense of the word) would not want more governmental regulation in your personal lives. Marriage itself (the definition) should be defined by those who preside over it, the Churches. A civil union is the legal matter that the state needs to concern itself with.
• Gun control. It is sensible to try to prevent criminals from owning weapons. Hunters, your guns will not be taken away.
• Missile defense. Seriously, who are they kidding? Who is going to attack us with missiles? (I’m talking about the large ICBM types here)

In a broad sense, one can think of every issue in terms of economic value. Healthy people work more productively. Well educated, healthy kids contribute more to society. Striving for a cleaner enviornment is good for the economy.

Issues like Gay Marriage, Gun Control and Missile Defense are for narrow-minded people who have a black and white world view, and aren’t seeing the big picture.

Unfortunately, the “Republicans” who fit this description are the Republicans running the party these days.

Don’t look now, but your party has been hijacked, and no one is strong enough to stand up and take a stand. (John McCain, Colin Powell? Where did you go?)

John Kerry on The Daily Show was not bad like they made it out in Slate. For a much more even-handed review, see this article in the Washington Post.

Remember the “Boy who cried wolf”?

Article from the Washington Post: Pre-9/11 Acts Led To Alerts

More than half a dozen government officials interviewed yesterday, who declined to be identified because classified information is involved, said that most, if not all, of the information about the buildings seized by authorities in a raid in Pakistan last week was about three years old, and possibly older.

“It’s serious business,” Bush said. “I mean, we wouldn’t be, you know, contacting authorities at the local level unless something was real.”

New York Times: Reports That Led to Terror Alert Were Years Old, Officials Say

Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was three or four years old, intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Monday. They reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence that a terrorist plot or preparatory surveillance operations were still under way.

Remember also that the announcement of the capture of these latest Al-Qaeda suspects was delayed for a week so that it would have the maximum political impact.

When there really was a wolf at the door, no one believed the boy anymore…

‚ÄúThere’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.

-President Bush

Via Popdex I found this article written by Ron Reagan. I didn’t see his speech at the Democratic National Convention, except for the clip on The Daily Show which made it out to be a bit of a bore.

This article, however is an excellent, point-by-point disection of Bush’s presidency. If you can come with an open mind to this, it will give you some things to think about.