Paper Tigers Take Bite Out of American Dream

Free Market Project ^ | 5/16/2005 | Dan Gainor

[CorbyCard]

Three major newspapers attack traditional economic views and show support for the welfare state.

by Dan Gainor

Readers of three of the most popular newspapers in the U.S. have been deluged with one-sided versions of life in these United States. In four days, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times all had large articles detailing the disparities between rich and poor. In more than 16,000 words, the three papers painted a picture of what the Post called an “unraveling safety net” that threatens the “New Deal vision of cradle-to-grave security.”

What the Post didn’t mention was that the real concept of “cradle-to-grave security” is a holdover from the Soviet Union and communism. Yet reporter Dale Russakoff editorialized that such a concept “underwritten by the federal government” was a “triumph” for America.

The Post was quick to plant the blame for abandoning the “safety net” firmly on President George Bush. “That vision is being supplanted by one President Bush calls the Ownership Society, in which the burdens of economic security -- and, the president hopes, the rewards -- shift back to individuals,” Russakoff wrote. Russakoff was willing to blame Bush’s plans for their “burdens,” but wasn’t willing to give any credit for the “rewards.” The burden he was referring to was the idea of personal responsibility.

The Journal discussed new studies that suggest class mobility may be less fluid than previously believed. Their article, “As Rich-Poor Gap Widens in the U.S., Class Mobility Stalls” appeared May 13, 2005, as the beginning of an occasional series. That article was the first of many. On May 15, both the Post and Times led their front pages with articles that attacked the American Dream in favor of what Business Week called “the Safety Net nation.”

[CorbyCard]

Hmmm, three major newspapers with similar "analyses" of economics all at the same time and none of them pegged to a news event.

[RunningJoke]

"Hmmm, three major newspapers with similar "analyses" of economics all at the same time and none of them pegged to a news event."

Let's use Sesame Street to analyze the situation.

Lets play the "One of These Things is Not Like the Other" game with the three articles. Two of the three articles are about social programs and the other is not. “One, One Article about Social programs, Two, Two articles about Social Programs”, said in my best Count Dracula voice. So now we have only two articles that are similar. Surprise! Surprise! The Washington Post and New York Times the publishing arm of the democratic party. Me thinks you stumbled on a democratic speaking point.

I wouldn't break out any grassy knoll theories just yet.