Robby on the issues:

Saving Social Security from the ‘Hit Men’

by Robby Stern, PSARA President

About a year ago, I heard about the book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins on Amy Goodman’s radio news show, “Democracy Now”. Perkins had written the book to express his remorse for the role he played in carrying out the economic policies of the United States Empire, or what he refers to as the “Corporatocracy.” He also wanted to educate the public about what is being done to countries around the world in the name of the people of the United States. I finally read the book last month and it is a simple but stunning read with great relevance to the challenges we face in our country today.

Briefly, very well paid Economic Hit Men travel the world selling huge development programs to the often corrupt leadership of other countries. Often there are bribes or other personal trade offs associated with these efforts. These countries then incur huge debt to the World Bank to build the major construction projects; debts that they will never be able to repay. The contracts for these projects are distributed to multinational corporations like Halliburton, KBR, and others, allowing these companies and their executives to amass very large profits from the coffers of these deeply indebted countries. The tax revenues collected by countries like Indonesia, Panama, Columbia, and others are insufficient to pay the debt incurred in building these projects which leads to draconian cuts in social programs that assist the poor and working poor of these countries.

Perkins asserts that if the Economic Hit Men fail to persuade the leadership of these countries, the “jackals” are called in. He used as examples Jaime Roldos of Ecuador and Omar Torrijos of Panama, both of whom met untimely deaths under very suspicious circumstances. Perkins is convinced it was the “jackals” at work.

This book was quite educational but it also got me thinking about what is going on in our country at this very moment. The “Corporatocracy” and their politician friends have made policy decisions that have enormously enriched the people at the top and the corporations they run through tax cuts, bail outs and privatization. Now they are saying to the American people, our deficit is way too high. They are trying to persuade us that they must cut the programs that serve working class and poor people like Social Security, Medicaid, education, etc. As I write this column, Congress is refusing to provide extensions to unemployment benefits and aid to state Medicaid programs, both desperately needed. It is Congress‘s version of applying to the U.S. the policies that have been foisted on poor and working people around the world.

We must not be fooled and we will fight back. Social Security, Medicaid, etc. are NOT the problems. The tax cuts for the rich and unnecessary wars are the problem. (In Iraq, the goal was gaining control of the oil for the oil companies and also controlling this strategically located country and in Afghanistan, the “newly discovered” mineral riches are going to be developed by the U.S. multinational mining companies.) We must be organized and prepared to fight on many fronts.

One example of our efforts is the success of PSARA volunteers in gathering signatures to place I–1098, a high incomes income tax on the ballot. This initiative is one of the ways to fight back against the growing gap in the distribution of wealth in our country. It will force the wealthy to provide a little fairer share of their income for education and health care when it gets on the ballot and, with our help, passes in November.

PSARA and the ARA are gearing up for a huge battle to defend Social Security. The Washington Post reported that we are facing the biggest threat to Social Security in the 75 years of its existence. PSARA will respond in coalition with others to make sure our Congressional representatives do nothing to harm our Social Security system and the benefits promised to American workers.

Please join us at our general membership meeting on Thursday, July 22. (For details on the meeting, see page 2 of this newsletter.) Your participation will make an enormous difference for our small, (but growing!) feisty and determined organization as we do battle with those who would serve the rich and powerful at the expense of poor and working people.

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