Possible new rule

One of my most popular posts (measured in terms of hits) is the one on "The Rules," my list of tactics right-wingers employ to avoid actual, factual debates on issues and how they prefer obfuscation to investigation.

I always note that the list is subject to change, to refinement, to additions or (hypothetically, although I've never had cause to make any) subtractions.

Well, although it's not part of the "official" list, at least not yet, I have a candidate for a new rule:

Recently, Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, declared his desire to investigate the children’s Supplemental Security Income program. This was created in 1972 and now serves about 1.2 million low-income children who suffer from severe physical, behavioral, learning, and/or mental disabilities.

Well, based solely on anecdotal evidence, Astrue, a Reagan-Bush graduate, is convinced that low-income parents are coaching their children on how to qualify for benefits, including how to induce doctors to put them on psychotropic medications on the idea that those on such meds are more likely to be accepted for assistance (although they aren't). Astrue declared he has a “strong suspicion” that many children deemed troubled are not, that they are, as a Nixon official referred to Food Stamp (now called SNAP) recipients some years ago, "cheats, chislers, and rip-off artists." Because, as we all know, that's what all poor people are.

Here's the thing: Astrue insists that those who disagree with him on this, those who quite accurately point out that his "evidence" is nothing more than idle speculation and urban myths, are "old-line left-wingers" with "a '60s mentality."

So there it is, potential Rule #18: Blame "the '60s."

Of course, one instance doesn't justify a rule, but consider that in May, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York released its own study that linked child abuse by priests to "popular" culture - including feminism and growing acceptance of homosexuality, drugs, premarital sex, and divorce. And the Catholic Church itself, the institution that knew about its pedophile priests and not only kept quiet about them but actively shielded them quite literally for decades, has insisted that it was all because of "the '60s," that golly gee whiz with all that going on, the priests, the real victims here, just couldn't help themselves.

Children supposedly unnecessarily put on psychotropic drugs to rip off the government. Pedophile priests. Obviously, all the fault of "the '60s." Yup.