An Exercise In Sadism

by digby

This is not the most credible administration official to deliver this message but I like it anyway:

Once a cheerleader for Wall Street immoderacy, Summers decried a “system that is based on massive borrowing, intermediated through a bloated financial system, inorder to support excessive consumption.”

Presented with Wall Street’s longtime goals of slashing Medicare and Social Security, Summers refused to swoop down for the deficit hawk bait thrown out by CNBC co-anchor Erin Burnett:

“In the longer term, are you willing to stand up and say, ‘Hey, America, your pensions are going to be smaller, your Medicare benefits are going to be lower, your Social Security retirement age is going to go way up and your benefits are going to go lower even if you paid in?'” Burnett asked. “Are we at the point where the government has to say, ‘These are painful facts, and we might lose re-election by telling you, but we’re going to telling you the truth?'”

“Erin,” replied Summers, “listening to you, it sounds like it’s an exercise in sadism, who can cause the most pain.”

I often find that listening to Erin Burnett is an exercise in sadism, but that’s another story. (And watching millionaire celebrities prescribe this pain to “America” every day on TV is always annoying.)

I think Burnett is right on this though. Except I think the Republicans should have the benefit of making that case, seeing as they think it’s such a big political winner and all. And they really do believe that governance is about who can cause the most pain — to the undeserving losers who haven’t had the good sense to be born rich or the good character to become that way.

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