The New York Times summarizes the positions of the two major parties on Social Security as we approach an election. Simply put, Democrats want to enhance Social Security and Republicans want to cut it. Given the extent to which Americans rely upon Social Security, it’s hard to comprehend why voters haven’t emphatically rejected the Republican Party.
14 comments:
"It's hard to comprehend why..." is just contemptuous name-calling. It's of a piece with the typical liberal refrain that anyone voting Republican (who isn't a one-percenter) must be irrationally voting against their own interests (or a religious wacko, or a deplorable, etc.). Is it really so hard to comprehend that many middle and even plenty of lower-class folks might not want an increasingly statist solution to every problem?
Let me guess 7:02...ALJ or DDS specialist?
A basic old age benefit and providing some security for the disabled, the widow and the orphan is a "statist solution"? I thought this was pretty much settled almost a hundred years ago! Bismark started some safety nets in Germany in the late nineteenth century I believe. The reason many formerly middle class citizens are breaking toward radical politics and solutions like Trump and Bernie is because of the concinsecurity in this country with constant austerity, disappearing work and slashing of common safety nets. Is it a statist solution when giant banks go belly up and are handed the national treasury and the money printing machine for their own "bailout" public benefit, then get the benefit of the biggest tax cuts in history? When does this go from capitalism to a Russia style gangster/oligarch economy? Where the hell has the rational, reasonable great American center gone. When Social Security and some basic healthcare for our oldest and most vulnerable citizens is some radical statist position we are in deep trouble as a society.
Most republicans used to agree that social security and medicare were necessary in a decent modern society. General Dwight Eisenhower is a good example of a moderate, center right old style republican who understood these programs were necessary. 21st Century republicans are the radical extremists now. It's now a Koch brothers/John Bircher party. Ronald Reagan is a liberal now by comparison.
Many people are not aware that despite wage increases, the average American's purchasing power, adjusted for inflation, has been flat since the late 1980's.
Many voters are smart enough to know that what is supposedly in their best interests may not be in the best interest of the future of the nation or their children's future. Somebody has to pay...a debt has to be reckoned with and not just be piled up. Reliance on government is not a free day at the beach.
Because people are grasshoppers, not ants. If you're not on SS now or within a few years, then abortion, gay marriage, and standing for the national anthem are bigger issues.
It's similar to people that work under the table or use creative accounting to avoid taxes for several years, get hurt on their job in 2017, and then are shocked that they can't get benefits on their T2 application after working all their life because their DLI is 2012.
7:09 was it in the nation's best interest to spend thirteen trillion dollars bailing out Wall Street after they tanked the economy. What kind of damn fool are you. Social security helps keep normal people alive on a month to month basis--just barely. The leaches in this society are getting Wall Street bailouts and corporate welfare! I would say the financial sector got a helluva lot more than a "free day at the beach." We made them fabulously wealthy and locked them into their riches for generations to come at the expense of the national treasury.
Dear 7:41,
Again with the grasshoppers and ants? You are the one that told me that i could make more by going back to work and that anyone can go off SSDI and work..."there's something out there for everyone". You were corrected by a person who said that they would never hire a SSDI beneficiary again. I am too sick, have multiple problems, cannot be reliable to get to certain places and do certain things at certain times, and would never retain part time or full time employment. I stayed silent, but again with the insects?..if you want to remain anonymous stop talking the same nonsense! Abortion, gay marriage, and standing for the national anthem are still big issues with me, even though I am struggling to keep a roof over my head. Most people DO NOT lie and cheat their taxes! Your perspective needs help! Please adjust accordingly!
Tax all individual income over $1,000,000 at 90%. Also, remove the SS income cap and keep the SS payment cap. FIXED!
let's talk reality,,, let's pretend that you have no insurance because the repubs have taken it away or you have a precondition not covered. one day you have chest pain and have a heart attack if you go to the hospital if your lucky you will die if unlucky you will live and in the next 4 months the bills pour in and you can't pay them the docs and hospital will go after you piling on the stress not caring if you are sick or not you will have to go bankrupt! just keep in mind that if you have the money to pay for insurance yourself it would possibly cost $20000.00 a year. This is what they mean when they say voting against your own self interests!! keep in mind that everyone on this earth will get sick and die someday wise up you payed for Social security and medicare all your working life the republicans want to take it away a blind person can see that. There is nothing no issue more important then Social security or medicare !!!!
This nation is in a Cold Civil War, and the issue that is dividing this house is empathy.
9:12 p.m. Yer killin me Smalls, what a off the wall rant. God Bless you.
Psssstttt… you are all missing the elephant in the room. Voting is done by less than 40% of the country. That is why things get so screwed up. When it is just the extremes voting the middle gets run over by not participating. There is no one to blame but the American Citizen.
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