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Politics

Nick Gillespie on C-SPAN, Talking About Ending Social Security, Medicare; Reveals What Planet He Lives On

Nick Gillespie | 7.26.2012 10:41 AM

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Yesterday, I was on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss the August-September Reason cover story I wrote with Veronique de Rugy about ending Social Security and Medicare. And yes, I answer the oft-asked question, "Mr. Gillespie: What planet are you living on?"

In "Generational Warfare: Old-Age Entitlements vs. the Safety Net," we lay out the case not just for why Social Security and Medicare are helping to bankrupt the government but why they are incredibly unfair to relatively younger and relatively poorer Americans.

On C-SPAN, I talked about the story, health-care reform, and other topics with a wide variety of callers. Take a look or listen below:

Many of the points I make are also in the book I co-wrote with Matt Welch, The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America. It's out in paperback with a new foreword addressing the Occupy movement and what we found while touring the country last year to support the book.

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NEXT: Pro-Obama Super-PAC Donor Morgan Freeman: Banning Pot "Stupidest Law Possible"!

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

PoliticsPolicyCultureMediaSocial SecurityMedicareBaby boomers
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  1. John   13 years ago

    It ought to be you sorry fat papist bastard.

  2. Sudden   13 years ago

    Bob: "I am an old people"

    Classic.

  3. Sudden   13 years ago

    I wish Nick would've referred to the "savings" as exactly what they are: govt bonds that were issues twenty years ago and can only be repaid by taxing current workers, and therefore not "savings" at all in many meaningful sense of the word.

  4. Brandybuck   13 years ago

    Planet Jacket

  5. Warty   13 years ago

    I loved the outrage in the callers' voices. Delicious.

  6. Mr. Soul   13 years ago

    that last call was a real wtf? I am always amazed how people can think everyone benefits from a rambling personal anecdote.

    I would have liked Nick to start the conversation with something easily agreeable and then move toward a reality.

    e.g.: If I could prove to you that for every $1000 of SocSec spend, a retiree receives $1 would you think we could deliver that same dollar for $998?

    For so many people the default position is SocSec is good. By starting at the above, you change the default premise and hopefully bring people towards a limit.

  7. BarryD   13 years ago

    But, but, but Social Security is the best thing that ever happened EVER! And I don't give a shit if my kids can pay for it, because I'll be dead!

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