Social Insecurity

Social Security is going broke. We can't afford this program. The best thing to do is privatize it or gut it till it bleeds out and ceases to exist. Have you heard these assertions before? All but the gut and bleed out part, politicians rarely speak that honestly. They prefer to wrap their shit pills in sugar.

Social Security is not going broke. It's a lie each and every time you hear it. There is currently a 2.8 trillion dollar surplus in the trust fund. If our Congress does nothing to prevent future shortfalls the fund will begin paying out seventy-five cents on the dollar. This will happen sometime between 2035 and 2041 depending on whose figures are being cited.

In 1983 Social Security needed to be fixed and it was. Republican Bob Dole and Democrat Pat Moynihan authored bi-partisan legislation which solidified the program through 2042. When asked what would happen then Dole responded, what do you mean what happens, it's up to the next generation of legislators to do their job and fix it. A common sense response. Unfortunately Dole could not have predicted that twenty years later common sense in politics would fly out the window and that his party would be largely responsible for it.

Currently Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has a bill that would solidify the program through 2060. I encourage you to read the legislation and tell your Senators  and Congressman that you support it.

You may not be on Social Security yet but I bet someone you care about is. Ask them if they could survive without it. The overwhelming majority do and will need this program. For most it is their only retirement income and even those with small employer pensions could not make ends meet. These people worked hard everyday of their lives and they were not short sided about the future, they simply didn't have the income which would allow the funding of an investment driven private pension.

There are political forces that want to destroy Social Security. Not just tweak it but eliminate it. If you're rich or politically serve the rich and hope they'll remember you, I get why you don't care about this program or for that matter Medicare. The political philosophy behind opposition is not well thought out and the human damage it would cause is on an epic scale. Talking about human suffering doesn't really work so let's shift to the economic cataclysm of getting rid of it. There would be a huge sucking sound with the removal of dollars from all sectors of the marketplace and the creation of third world slum camps filled with elderly people hoping for a visit from the Red Cross and waiting to die.

So I get these political forces fighting against Social Security, they believe in every man for himself or as they would phrase it , self reliance, which is a partial myth in any system consisting of government and laws, society in other words. What I don't get is the unlikely allies these forces have in average Americans who have in some cases signed aboard the Tea Party Express or simply support the views and show up at rallies. Retired people who chant against what they view as socialism and bash Social Security and Medicare. These are people who depend on both programs to survive, there is a profound disconnect between what they are saying and the reality of their lives. We all know people like this. You probably don't have to look beyond your extended family. I personally know people who are anti Social Security and Medicare but receive both and without them would have no income or medical care and would end their days in a tent, if they were lucky. Oddly they complain yet accept the benefits and everyone else like them do the same thing. No one refuses the benefits based on their political beliefs, isn't that hypocritical?

Social Security was and is a good program. It can be permanently fixed by making serious changes. All tax caps must be removed. Full benefits age should be raised to 69 incrementally and finally means testing. If you're rich and we all know what that means so lets not play games and nuance the language, you don't need and should not get Social Security. If you're in this category you should be thrilled and I am certainly happy for you. If you don't agree with the premise I would say, to paraphrase Uncle Ben, with great wealth comes great responsibility. Being a good steward means making hard decisions and I doubt you'll have to tighten your belt as a result.

Wake up and pay attention to this before it's too late. Make your views known regularly on this issue with your Congressional Representatives and the President. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by politicians and private organizations bombarding your mailboxes with twisted philosophies and scare tactic language to get you to vote against your own self interest.