It's Friday and Charles Krauthammer Is Confused On Social Security Again

Image via WikipediaDean Baker, CEPR in Business Insider Politix

Charles Krauthammer still does not understand the concept of government bonds. He badly wants the government to default on the bonds held by the Social Security trust fund. It seems that the main reason is that these bonds are effectively wealth to ordinary workers, not rich people or banks.

Krauthammer complains that the government bonds held by the trust fund are "special issue" bonds. He must know of a meaning for "special issue" that the rest of us don't. These are non-marketable bonds. That doesn't mean that the government can just default on them as Krauthammer wants to do. The implication -- actually the assertion -- of Krauthammer's piece is that because he doesn't like the people to whom these bonds are owed, the government can default and there would be no consequence.

That obviously is what Krauthammer wants, but that does not make it true. If the government were to default on its debt to Social Security then workers would justifiably be outraged.
More