Thanks to "Tough Love" for providing some of Bush's "talking points" for us VERBATIM (word-for-word)! It is important to know what the enemy is saying so you are not fooled by their false claims.

First of all, Social Security is *not* some kind of retirement program. It is a small amount taken from your income and put towards an INSURANCE program. This INSURANCE is available to you (and your dependents) in the event of a disability or death. You also get your benefits after retirment age when most people need an extra source of income. (For many people in the United States, it is nearly the ONLY source of income and therefore the last safety net for many, many people.)

Privatizing social security would NOT mean that you get to keep loads and loads of your money. Remember, you put in a portion of your income and it doesn't amount to that much. The social security scheme that Bush is proposing would be invested in *private corporations.* You know them.... they're the ones who care SO MUCH about you and your family that they're outsourcing your jobs overseas!

It would be great if Granny could buy a house with her money... but if you've seen housing prices, you'd know that she sure as hell wouldn't be able to buy a house (or put a down payment) on the small amount she's put into social security. When I hear about the people who were "supposed" to retire with their Enron stocks, but got completely ripped off when the company went belly up due to high-level mismanagement, I think that Social Security, a government program, isn't so bad.

TL cites the DMV as an example of a poor government program. I'd hate to see the DMV as a private company! Instead of paying $5 for a simple printout that I can walk in and get any day of the week, I'm sure I'd pay $50 and have to wait in line if it was privatized. (Think of how Kinko's has changed since it was bought up by mega-giant, FedEx.)

The biggest lie this poster tells is that Social Security is already bankrupt... that somehow all the money "has already been robbed." That is hilarious!! They would have you believe that there is some kind of large pot centered in Washington and that the big secret is that it is EMPTY. It doesn't work like that. The government troll is trying to play on people's mistrust of the government. There MUST be money in Washington because we keep sending BILLIONS of it to IRAQ!

Many, many credible experts have publicly stated that Social Security will be viable until 2042 and even then could be saved through alternate means of funding (i.e. increasing rates.) One such economist that makes this argument is Paul Krugman, who writes for the NY Times. Many of his articles can be found online.

If Bush really was concerned about OUR future, wouldn't he be taking on more urgent issues, such as the future of trade (and thus, jobs), the environment, which is rapidly undergoing global warming, and BRINGING OUR TROOPS HOME like he promised during the televised presidential debates? He isn't working on this stuff because he obviously doesn't care about these things. He only cares about making more money for his corporate donor buddies and his own stock profile. In fact, he's been working on this even *before* he was elected to his first term as president! This is the "payback" he owes to his corporate buddies who put him in office in the first place!

Think about it: this is NOT a people's issue. PEOPLE have not asked for this change. It has come straight from the top in an attempt to force it down people's throats.

The good news: this is a battle the PEOPLE can WIN! Though the Republicans outnumber the Democrats (progressives) in both houses of Congress, they have much more to lose than gain if Social Security goes bust. Social Security is the one safety net that is keeping this country from turning into a third-world society. If Social Security is privatized and suffers a loss, starvation and homelessness WILL occur on a scale never seen before in this country.

SEE YOU AT CHARLES SCHWAB!