Remember that nasty fight over Social Security a couple of years ago? President Bush wanted to privatize part of the existing program by cutting the guaranteed benefit and giving people private accounts. This provoked large amounts of opposition by supporters of the current program.

Well, Marketplace Radio gave Glenn Hubbard, formerly President Bush’s top economic advisor, an opportunity to lay out a plan to move beyond this narrow conflict. Mr. Hubbard suggested that we cut Social Security benefits and give people private accounts outside of the Social Security program.

Now, doesn’t that make sense? Can’t we move beyond the political nastiness of two years ago and embrace this reasonable solution?

( How can NPR keep promoting this garbage with our tax dollars? Where is Newt Gingrich when we need him?)

–Dean Baker

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Read more about Dean.