Demagogue

Sunday's New York Times featured an interesting article by John Tierney on the political challenges of Social Security reform. The article included this "spin" advice from Edward Crane, president of the Cato Institute, which has pushed for reforms similar to Bush's private accounts plan:

"Reagan tapped into a basic American sentiment that frightens the establishment figures, who assumed everyone wants the government to run their lives," said Mr. Crane, who has been promoting private Social Security accounts for more than two decades.

"That New Deal was a sharp departure from the traditional American respect for the individual. If Bush plays this correctly — and Karl Rove is a very smart guy who's looked at the same polls we have — he can win simply by arguing that a private account gives you control over your retirement instead of making you dependent on 535 politicians."

By "control," I guess Crane means the kind of control one achieves by holding firmly onto an alligator's tail.

Funny, but I didn't feel a great sense of control in 2000 and 2001 as I watched my shares of mutual funds fall like a lead balloon. To my knowledge, no retiree has made out like a bandit by receiving Social Security checks, but they have sure been able to sleep easier than if they were so privileged to have "control."