A Stitch in Haste

The Forces of Darkness are gearing up to launch a war on the peoples of Middle(-Aged) Earth:

AARP, the influential lobby for older Americans, signaled Wednesday for the first time how fervently it would fight President Bush's proposal for private Social Security accounts, saying it would begin a $5 million two-week advertising campaign timed to coincide with the start of the new Congress.
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"This is our signature issue," said Christine M. Donohoo, chief communications officer for AARP, which represents 36 million Americans 50 and older. "We will do what it takes."
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"There are places in your retirement planning for risk," the advertisements say, "but Social Security isn't one of them." One advertisement shows a couple in their 40's looking at the reader. "If we feel like gambling, we'll play the slots," the message says. Another advertisement shows traders in the pit of a commodities exchange. "Winners and losers are stock market terms," it says. "Do you really want them to become retirement terms?"
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Private accounts would worsen the problems of Social Security, they said, adding: "Taking some of the money that workers pay into the system and diverting it into newly created private accounts would weaken Social Security and put benefits for future generations at risk. AARP is opposed to private accounts that take money out of Social Security."
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Ms. Donohoo said AARP's advertisements were intended to "mobilize seniors" and to educate younger people about the program, which pays monthly benefits to more than 47 million Americans. ...Ms. Donohoo of AARP said that "rather modest changes" could ensure the solvency of the program for several generations. "It's not a crisis," she said.

Let's get one thing straight clear from the outset: The AARP never "educates." It only lies, distorts and misrepresents, especially regarding Social Security. From stating that "there is no crisis" (lie) to "private accounts would weaken Social Security" (lie) to claiming that only "rather modest changes" are needed (lie) to "private accounts are like slot machines" (lie), the AARP has repeatedly shown that they will say absolutely anything, no matter how false, to scare current Social Security recipients. And now they want to branch out and deceive younger Americans. "We will do what it takes."

The AARP is like the tobacco industry -- their customers have a nasty tendency of dying. And, like candy cigarettes, branded clothing and sports sponsorships in the case of tobacco, the AARP now recognizes the need to "get 'em while they're young." Create a sort of "Social Security addiction" among younger workers today, and you'll have whole generations of dues-paying AARP members tomorrow. And if you have to lie, distort and misrepresent, then so be it. "We will do what it takes."

Need proof? You need only recall my favorite bane, the Flying Pigs. This intelligence-insulting piece of AARP propaganda has not one single correct statement in it -- it is, essentially, one giant lie. One should expect no higher standards in the forthcoming advertising campaign. "We will do what it takes."

As I have blogged previously, any opponent of privatized accounts is relying on at least one lie regarding the following Social Security axioms:

1. No reform proposal from anyone, anywhere calls for cutting current benefits.
2. Every reform proposal would make participation voluntary.
3. Every reform proposal would include a zero-risk option.

Expect AARP to score the hat trick, many times over. "We will do what it takes."

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal also exposes the lies of the AARP: (subscription site)

So here we are back to scaring grandma, never mind the facts. The AARP leadership knows that no Social Security reform would have any effect at all on current members of the 50-plus set they claim to represent; the personal accounts would be voluntary and for younger workers only. They also know that there isn't a serious Social Security reform plan anywhere that wouldn't guarantee some minimum level of benefit, or that would allow people to "gamble" their retirement savings in anything other than diversified mutual funds.

We know AARP knows all this because we had a nice conversation a year ago with President William Novelli in which he told us as much. He was also lamenting the political heat he was taking from Democrats and AARP activists for having endorsed the GOP's Medicare bill. The latter, we suspect, is the key to understanding this new AARP demagoguery: It's about returning the favor to Democrats, and maintaining the AARP as a left-wing outfit dedicated to preserving the current entitlement state, damn the consequences for future generations.

Sounds about right.

Related Posts:
Social Security Reform 101
Bush Social Security Plan: Too Small to Fail?
Social Security: The "Unintended Consequences" Non-Argument
The Social Security Meta-Crisis
Social Security: Read It and Weep