This was brilliant–Kthug came out with an excellent explanation of RyanCare:
Here’s an analogy: think of Medicare as a footbridge that is deteriorating and will eventually become unsafe. You could propose structural repairs to fix its faults; Ryan doesn’t do that. Instead, he proposes knocking the bridge down and replacing it with trampolines, in the hope that pedestrians can bounce across the stream. And the Post declares that he deserves credit for pointing out that the bridge is falling down, and proposing a solution. Um, we knew that the bridge was in bad shape — and his solution is a fraud.
It was all in response to yet more dubious work over at the Washington Post in defense of defending Republican lies with a narrow parsing of this or that word while overlooking the meaning in context, the policy and objective reality. While many see this as par for the course I’m always disappointed to watch a once great paper sink in a soup of pure bullshit and offer fact-like word stings of no meaning in defense of said bullshit.
Kthug keyed off some pretty decent take downs of Hiatt and company by Jonathan Chait and Jamelle Bouie. Both are also well worth a look.
And with that, let’s have an Open Thread.
Cheers
James K Polk, Esq.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Quicksand
Terrible analogy. Trampolines are totally awesome!
Just Some Fuckhead
Old people and trampolines don’t mix.
Doug Harlan J
That is good, very good. Kthug brings it sometimes. Why an economist writes better than their other opinion writers I don’t know, but he does.
scav
@Quicksand: Well, so are circus elephants but I wouldn’t necessarily hire one as a surgeon. Maybe I’m just going about things wrong. hmmmm. They would work for peanuts and help build the hospitals . . .
reflectionephemeral
It’s also been compared to declaring an intention to lose weight. In ten years. By cutting off your right arm.
But trampolines are awesome, so…
jo6pac
This was brilliant
Yep, and thanks for the needed laugh.
dweomer
Both of those links are to the same Chait piece.
arguingwithsignposts
I have no research to base this upon, but was the Washington Post’s editorial page ever really ‘once great’?
I remember seeing George Will’s puckered face over there since the Reagan years. Ditto Charles Krauthammer.
And if anyone’s curious, I’ll save you the Google. Here’s the WaPo editorial board.
I’m betting Charles Lane deserves the Krugthulu treatment for that one.
maya
Call it the Medicare Industrial Complex. Then Ryan and the Repubs would have no choice but to be all for it, especially if there might be magic bullets involved.
Just Some Fuckhead
I think of Medicare as the Rainbow Bridge for old people.
Mark S.
From the WaPo piece:
You know, Medicare has been around for almost fifty years. Any studies on the last forty? So why is it even relevant?
PeakVT
Bonus WaPo takedown: Baker smacks Not-Paul Samuelson.
Martin
@Mark S.:
Well, yes, but WaPo didn’t like those results, so they excluded them for being too partisan.
handy
Looks like Jeb is gonna run.
I don’t think this country will survive another Bush presidency.
Uncle Clarence Thomas
.
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Who’s winning on Game of Drones this week?
.
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MonkeyBoy
correct Jamelle Bouie link
David Broder
If Krugman was a serious, he would meet Ryan half way and end Medicare for people who aren’t Republican.
MagicPanda
Really disappointed that Politifact has got this one so wrong.
I wish there were a Snopes for political misinformation that was objective and trustable.
In the old days, we would call that “Journalism” but since journalism is no longer about trying to separate out fact from spin….
Anyone?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Mark S.: Does kind of leave the question hanging there, doesn’t it? Like those old gum commercials, what about the that tenth fucking dentist? and “at least one academic study”…. who did it? what was the methodology? I’m sure there were more than at least one “academic study” purporting to disprove a link between smoking and cancer.
The Washington Post has definitely declined since Katharine Graham died.
slag
Great. Now I’m going to have to denounce Kthug as he’s outed himself as an anti-trampoline-ite. And this day was going so well.
Villago Delenda Est
@David Broder:
Wow, Hell has a ‘net connection now!
General Stuck
After The Man Show, I can never think of trampolines the same way.
Maybe I’ve gotten jaded, but I neither read nor care about what someone like Fred Hiatt has to say, or any of the other buffoons at the WAPO or throughout the MSM establishment.
It’s all just a bunch of aristocratic navel gazing, and when it comes to SS and Medicare, pointless ideological mental masturbation. Those programs are such a vital part of American life now, if it came down to it, politicians work melt down the military to fund either one, and at some point the ACA, or whatever evolves out of it.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and when it comes to the main pillars of The New Deal, it will not become necessary to do what ever needs to be done to medicare, until the 11th hour of emergency.
And everyone knows that will have to include increases in taxes, and at some point some kind of real cost control of med services. And everyone also knows, even the wingnuts, that eventually the profit model is going to have to be ditched. Of course, the wingnuts intend to squeeze every last penny of profit out of that racket before it either collapses, or is just about to before what needs to be done gets done.
Ryan’s plan was just a winger jerkoff to keep the tea tards stoked, because without them, the GOP is a fractured fairy tale, at best.
You will not see rationed care in this country, nor triage for withholding medicare care to the terminally ill. That would fix a lot of the problems, but it is not within the ethos of this country. na gonna happen
RossInDetroit
@Doug Harlan J:
Possibly because he has to face objective reality every day for a living. Making him unique among high profile political commentators.
I wonder why he bothers. Nerves of steel or a masochism complex.
Doug Harlan J
@Uncle Clarence Thomas:
That is one sad ass comment. Step it the fuck up or go home.
Just Some Fuckhead
@handy:
Is it too late for George Allen to get in? Because he’d be more Bush redux than Jeb.
Dennis G.
@dweomer: Fixed. Thanks
Tonal Crow
“fact-liked word stings”? You mean “fact-like word strings”? Or is this about that time Says You invited a nest of fire ants to compete?
Ash Can
@handy: For Jeb to announce now, while the nation is still buzzing about Osama bin Laden finally getting iced, would be timing of epic proportions. And he’s supposed to be the smart one?
“Jeb Bush ’12: Because he couldn’t possibly be worse than his brother, could he?”
Dennis G.
@Tonal Crow: yep
maya
It’s because a recent Gallop-SCOTUS poll has determined that 5 out of 9 justices will support his appointment.
Elizabelle
Replacing a bridge with trampolines.
More of this, Dr. Krugman.
arguingwithsignposts
@Ash Can:
My guess would be that some very large donations have been pledged for him to run and get his ass kicked. And if he doesn’t make it out of the primaries? Well, he’ll still make out like a bandit.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I can’t imagine Jebbie could take the psychological risk of losing the primary, much less the Big Chair, after the dummy got two terms.
and some good news, from David Kurtz at TPM
mr. whipple
@handy:
Sweet jeebus, say it ain’t so. We can’t take another on of this crew.
maya
Remember when Governor Jeb Bush and his Sect of State, Kathrine Harris, purged the voting rolls in certain Democratic counties of anyone who had even a similar name to a convicted felon?
Now look who’s Governor there?
He should run on the Ironic ticket.
RossInDetroit
Replacing the social safety net with a Social Obstacle Course.
General Stuck
@mr. whipple:
Could be kind a fun, where we could accidentally on purpose call him George for kicks.
And then slyly apologize for the mixup, and ten minutes later call him George again.
RSA
@RossInDetroit:
I also suspect that he’s quite a bit smarter than most commentators. I’m often surprised at how far someone can go with nothing more than a facility with words.
Hawes
First, I am uncharacteristically sanguine that the Amrrcn people might actually be seeing through the bullshit on the GOP assault on Medicare. All the Pinochios in the world can’t protect Ryan and the House GOP from that vote they took.
Second, I would LOVE to see Jeb become the “serious” candidate for the GOP. The only guy who moderately scares me is Mitch Daniels, because he might get the same kid gloves treatment Dubya got in 2000. But I have to think Jeb will pay for his idiot brother’s sins.
Omnes Omnibus
@RSA: Did someone say Sully?
Calouste
@General Stuck:
We could call him George III.
Ruckus
@General Stuck:
A great idea. Let’s get out in front on this.
George J. Bush.
Jeb George Bush.
Something’s missing
GeoJeb fucking Bush
Jebgeo fucking Bush I likey
maya
@Ruckus: Dubya will appear in a few election ads debating with Jeb. When it is clear that Jeb is winning, Dubya will say; “Oh yeah, well mom liked me better!
Ruckus
@maya:
You can’t fake genetic stupidity so how could you tell which one is winning?
fhtagn
@Ruckus:
Can’t we just say that The Next Bush Thing is the Dubya-Jebardy candidate?
Just Some Fuckhead
@efgoldman:
The press’ll never let that happen. It will absolutely kill itself trying to prove how different they are.
Now if Jeb looked like Reverend Wright..
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
k-thug, no longer quite cuts it, i suggest we upgrade his title to,
Krugdingo.
Triassic Sands
Maybe instead of trampolines we could say the Ryan Plan will replace the bridge with private yachts that can be hired to ferry people across the river. There may even be some fairly inexpensive row boats (high deductible, high copay plans), but they’ll probably founder in the rapids. The yachts will make it…if one can afford the cost…and just like in real life, many people can’t afford them.
Steeplejack
@Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal:
I like Krugthulhu, which Tim F. used a few threads ago.
Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac
I’d give all internet moneys to the democrats if they turned this analogy into an ad in 2012.
Paul in KY
@arguingwithsignposts: I’d be surprised if he really ran, especially in 2012. His wife is supposed to be a little fragile. Think Kitty Dukakis times 2.