Obama says McCain would gamble with retirement funds: Ummm, Yep.

So, Reuters is reporting today that Barack Obama has said that he feels John McCain would (if president) "gamble" with Social Security and other retirement funds by subjecting them to the stock market.

When I read this, I was reminded of several years ago when "W" went on his multi-state "reform Social Security" campaign. (Remember that, eh?!) Up until that time, riding a wave of utter popularity, he was sooooo sure Americans would embrace his S.S. reforms. (After all, it was a time when everything he did was golden, while at the same time, you could get investigated by the IRS if you were a Dem or something.)

Handing over a part of Social Security funds so that they could be handled by investment bankers, others, and ultimately the stock market, was the plan. Let's "Privitize Social Security", Bush advocated.

Well, Americans in droves, let him know that they thought the whole idea sucked major a#*! He even got booed in town hall meetings for it. The plan stunk, and it still does. Why? It takes unforseen risks with a vital part of American survival that virtually every American depends on (or will) in the future. It must remain unshakable, solvent. And, if Bush, et al, had been allowed to go forth with that plan, where would Social Security be right now? Likely not in a very good way.

Would McCain actually try and do the same thing? Given his penchant for getting involved with bankers and his past history (S&L crisis), it's likely. This is a man who has quietly encouraged deregulation of business and markets rather than the monitoring of them -- for a long time now.

So, despite the current market debacle, I think he'd be stupid enough to try, easily swayed by those with a vested interest. And, like a typical Republican, he wouldn't give a damn what Americans thought about it, either.

What is the "psychology" aspect of this? Well, for starters, its disturbing that Bush or McCain would try and risk Social Security. Many Americans depend on their existence from the funds, and many who work look forward to having an accumulation of those funds (in part) to aid their retirement. That's why it was created, so people could have that sense of stability -- Government-backed and sure.

The fact that Bush and others would disturb the inner peace of so many is dispicable to me. Under the guise of reform, they said its necessary. But, the fact that it just happens to be linked to Republican "friends" and Wall Street cronies makes the whole thing just reek! :(