Why Are Republicans Always on the Wrong Side of History?
From Social Security to Obamacare to tax cuts and regulations, hysterical conservatives can't stop making fools of themselves.
First, a note about a Substack Live I’m hosting TODAY: Join me as I speak to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman at 2pm ET (11am PT / 7pm GMT). We’ll unpack how Trump has hurt the economy, debunk Republican claims about government programs, and we’ll take your questions, too!
They said Washington lacked the competence to run it, that the nation couldn’t afford it, that it would impoverish the working class.
A “cruel hoax,” declared the Republican Party’s leader.
That’s how opponents denounced the creation of the Social Security system, which has become the most successful government program in American history. In 90 years of operation, Social Security has cut the poverty rate among senior citizens by four-fifths. It has never failed to deliver promised benefits, though Congress has expanded eligibility and benefit levels.
The same swing-and-miss hysteria returned in full force against the creation of medical insurance for the elderly. Anti-government conservatives cast Medicare as a step toward totalitarianism that would degrade medical care and damage the economy.
Wrong again.