"GenXer" sez: "Hi, Pro-Corporate Pigs!"

["J.P." <ccw@igc.org>]

Hi, Pro-Corporate Pigs!

Gee, what a great astroturf group you've put together!

"Americans Discuss Social Security." What a nice name.
Sure, everything is carefully scripted at all of your
events to lead people away from any solutions that would
call for increased taxation of corporations and the rich.
Or call for serious income replacement programs that would
eliminate poverty in this country.

And sure, it's corporations and the rich that fund your
little diversion. And make up the vast majority of your board. 

And sure, while we're on the subject of your board, it's 
made up of an extremely impressive collection of right-wing 
think tank wonks, corporate flacks and PR people, CEOs, and 
pro-corporate politicians from all two official parties 
we're allowed in this "democracy" of ours (hence your 
"bi-partisanism"), and a few so-called "liberals" from groups 
like AARP who are stupid enough to work with you. . .putting 
up token and extremely ineffective resistance to your 
privatization fantasies. [Of course, since AARP is basically an
insurance company to begin with, we shouldn't expect too much out
of them. . .]

And indeed, all of your funding comes from some of the very
corporations who would stand to gain most from gutting Social
Security--probably the last major pool of public capital in
these United States.

Seriously, all one needs to do is look at the pro-corporate
congresspeople you've assembled for this tired little exercise
of "techo-democracy" to understand that the ulimate aim of all
your "discussions" is to provide the appearance of massive public
support for the destruction of the most popular public program
in American history. Then you'll use the "data" you amass from your
so-called "town hall meetings"--electronic or real-time--to 
attempt to outflank the actual large grassroots organizations
that may yet be able to stop you.

Groups that aren't invited to any of your meetings or fora.
Groups like the Gray Panthers, the National Council of Senior
Citizens, the Older Womens League, the United States Student 
Association, the Center for Campus Organizing, many large unions, 
and the Labor Party to name but a few.

Groups that called for defending and expanding the Social
Security system. Groups that no there is no "crisis" with
Social Security except the crisis that corporations are
creating with front groups like ADSS. Groups that call for
reforms like removing the income cap on FICA taxation to flood
the system with cash from corporate scoflaws who haven't been
paying their fair share into Social Security. Then moving on
to building a real cradle-to-grave social safety net in this
country--redistributing as much of the wealth corporations
have been amassing for, lo, these last many decades as possible
in the process.

Finally, a so-called "GenXer" who has been fighting weasels like 
your organization for years, and who is a working guy from 
Boston, I can also say that all the little weaselets your group 
flushes out on the Internet (and in business schools everywhere)
who inevitably claim to speak for the tens of millions of 
working people in their age group, don't. Most of these types
are rich kids anyway. Born on third base, and think they hit
a triple, as we say up here. . .

Particularly the techo-libertarian junior corporate types who 
inhabit dark corners of the Web like this one. To these sell-outs
I can only say. . ."Hey, otaku boyz, come back to me in 30 years
--when you've been downsized and replaced by young weasels like
your current selves--and they we'll talk about how bad and 
horrible Social Security is."

Anyhow, that about all I had to say for now.

Have fun with your little scam. Say "hi" to your corporate
puppet-masters for me!

With Extreme Disregard,

J.P.
Boston, MA