In politics, sheer numbers matter. As retirees and near-retirees multiply, so will their political demands. The best policy now would be a moratorium on all these proposals. Some have merit, some don't. But all need to be considered in a broader social and political context that's missing.
Someone needs to calculate and communicate the generational burdens.
But we can develop a more sensible consciousness about the process. We need a new language, in politics and the press, to discuss generational fairness. The climate needs to be less lopsided in favor of retirees and more sensitive to the needs of workers, their families and the rest of government. This would be a heroic transformation. But they're vastly better than under Clinton, who has consistently exploited the issue politically by playing on people's fears of old age.