The Vision Thing

I wrote this on Opinionjournal today for their lead editorial but the editors there under James Taranto rarely post contrary arguments, hence I'll do the publishing just in case.

Unfortunately for Americans, and the radical changes Mr. Bush has bestowed on us are the wrong ones in the wrong direction: backward to the 1890s. Irresponsible head-in-the-sand ideological myopia doesn't lead one anywhere but down a hole. And we're in a one bigtime.Where does the healthcare savings account come from? From the job they don't have and can't get? Meanial trade and service work? Outsourced work?

How about Social security? Adjustments? Sometime in the future as Mr. Kerry said in his trouncing of the president. You bet, how about this: Payroll taxes are only paid on wages up to $76,000 (possibly 86)yet the top still collects the maximim benefits, forever. How is that not a welfare program for the unneedy? Maybe we should raise payroll tax cap to the sky based on income? That's the way to provide for solvency, if in fact we are insolvent and need privatized accounts for the latest generations. To this liberal that strikes me like the school vouchers: a two-foot rope in the 20-foot hole. Abandonment. If you want money you have to get it where it is. Hint: the servants don't have Mr. Scrooge. John Kerry knows this and although he's wealthy his philosphy turns on the novel concept of creating an atmosphere where folks at the bottom and middle can move up without being gobbled up by opportunistic "Pacmen" in charge of the vital services. This is not monopoly. This is life.