July 11, 2011
Usually it is the politicians who use euphemisms to try to conceal the impact of their policies. However, the Washington Post decided to help them along in a front page article when it twice referred to Social Security “changes” that could be part of the budget agreement.
Of course “changes” don’t reduce the deficit unless they are cuts. President Obama and the congressional leadership were discussing plans to cut Social Security. These cuts are likely to be very unpopular, so it is likely that they would rather have the public not realize that they were debating cuts to Social Security.
Since the Post’s editorial position also supports cuts to Social Security, the paper apparently decided to help the politicians along in this effort. This is why the Post is known as Fox on 15th Street.
Interestingly, the Post never once referred to tax “changes,” rather than increases. It even allowed Don Stewart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s deputy chief of staff for communications, to refer to “massive tax increases,” without pointing out that none [thanks Jim A.] of the tax increases put forward by President Obama would raise taxes above their late 90s level when the economy was adding 3 million jobs a year.
Washington Post reporters have the time to look up tax increases and assess their importance. Washington Post readers do not.
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