If this is "compromise," I'd hate to see what capitulation looks like

FOUR MYTHS ABOUT THE DEAL AND FOUR WAYS IT CAN HURT YOU
By RJ Eskow

EXCERPT:

As might be expected, there's a lot of confusion around the deal -- in fact, it's designed to create confusion. Here are four myths that sprang up overnight:

Myth #1: It "preserves Social Security and Medicare."

False. It only defers the day of reckoning. Social Security and Medicare are exempted from the first and smaller round of cuts, but not from the larger $1.5 trillion in cuts that the unelected "Super Congress" must find.

The likeliest outcome? Unnecessary and drastic benefit cuts to Social Security that probably involve raising the retirement age even more than it's already scheduled to rise, the "chained-CPI" that artificially lowers cost-of-living standards to well below what seniors need for their expenses, and possibly a means-testing system that sounds reasonable but will quickly target middle-income Americans.

Myth #2: Military spending faces deeps cuts under this plan.

Even the eagle-eyed Ezra Klein falls for this myth when he writes that "a year ago, defense spending was supposed to be sacrosanct" but that "The Pentagon" will now be facing deep cuts.

Not necessarily.

As the Democratic Policy and Communications Center explains, "security spending includes defense, state and foreign operations, homeland security, and military construction/veterans affairs." In other words, these cuts could include layoffs for TSA workers, reduction in health care or other veteran spending. and shutdowns of US diplomatic missions around the world.

Myth #3: It's a "compromise."

Do we really need to rebut this again? The word's being used by the President, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and some other right-tilting Democrats. Let's review it one more time:

• No tax increases for the wealthy.
• Massive spending cuts.
• A "deficit panel" that will be half Republican, even though Democrats hold both the Senate and the White House and Republicans hold only the House. This panel is likely to mirror others that have recommended deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and have even recommended deeper tax cuts for the wealthy.

If this is a compromise, I'd hate to see what capitulation looks like. (AMEN, Brother!)

Myth #4: The president and others backing this bill will now "pivot and address the jobs issue."

That Times report only makes explicit what has been understood all along: The Republicans won't agree to tax increases for the wealthy, and they won't spend any money for jobs or rebuilding the economy. Everybody's agreed to stop pretending they intend to do anything more to fix this blighted economy.