I really wish they’d stop calling social security “socialist.” Not that it is or isn’t. It’s just that I get the feeling that after paying into it over a lifetime, there’s a movement afoot by some on the right to kill off Social Security, and I’m supposed to high-five them for being a socialism slayer.
I don’t care if you call it communism, I’m getting that money back. And I love Dan Bongino, but if he flippantly calls Social Security “a tax” one more time, and states that we should resign ourselves to the bracing reality that the government lied and owes us nothing, I’m going to make him wear a John Roberts mask while I beat him with a sack of oranges.
Social Security is not a tax any more than Obamacare is a tax. It’s a pact, a self-funded program, that went into the government’s “lockbox”, as opposed to a private investment house, for our safe keeping. Anyone that throws up their hands and says, “oh well, we were duped, haha, let’s move on,” is either rich or a willing victim of the government’s “lies.”
I am counting on social security as a major part of my future financial planning, and I constantly hear that it will be insolvent just as I’m ready to start getting the return on my investment. Meanwhile, the leftwing candidate’s are promising massive government giveaways, as if MY “lockbox” is overflowing.
No wonder they’re taking our guns away.
Republicans support the three biggest socialist programs in the United States: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Just read what it says in the Republican Party platform:
As the party of America’s future, we accept the responsibility to preserve and modernize a system of retirement security forged in an old industrial era beyond the memory of most Americans. Current retirees and those close to retirement can be assured of their benefits. Of the many reforms being proposed, all options should be considered to preserve Social Security.
We intend to save Medicare by modernizing it, empowering its participants, and putting it on a secure financial footing. We will preserve the promise of Medicaid as well by making that program, designed for 1965 medicine, a vehicle for good health in an entirely new era.
Even worse, Republicans sometimes create new socialist programs of their own accord. In 1997, the Republican-controlled Congress created the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, now just called CHIP), a partnership between federal and state governments that provides federally funded health insurance to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid. The program has been reauthorized with Republican support ever since then.
After many years of Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Republicans captured the Senate during the presidency of the Republican Ronald Reagan and held on to control of it for six years. They did absolutely nothing to stop the onslaught of socialism. In fact, they raised the Social Security and Medicare tax rates to bolster those socialist programs. If only we had control of the House, said the Republicans. During the last six years of the presidency of the Democrat Bill Clinton, Republicans had a majority in both houses of Congress. They did absolutely nothing to stop the onslaught of socialism. In fact, they increased the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) every year to redistribute even more of the incomes of American taxpayers. If only we had a Republican president, said the Republicans. When the Republicans finally got their Republican president in George W. Bush they had a perfect opportunity to abolish the federal government’s socialist programs and restore the United States to a free and capitalist society. The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress for more than four years during the Bush presidency. They had not had absolute control of the government since the first two years of Republican Dwight Eisenhower’s presidency. Again, they did absolutely nothing to stop the onslaught of socialism. In fact, they expanded Medicare, created the TSA, and tremendously increased the budget of the Department of Education. The Republicans had another chance to roll back socialism when they controlled both houses of Congress during the first two years of Trump’s presidency. But again, they did absolutely nothing to stop the onslaught of socialism. In fact, they could not even come together to repeal Obamacare, even though they had railed against it since the day the Democrats passed it in 2010.
The conclusion is inescapable: Republicans are powerless against socialism because — as shown by their words and deeds — they are socialists themselves.
Anytime the government gets involved inteh free market you have socialism.
A more accurate term would be “statist” – and that applies to both wings of the incumbent party, both reps and dems. The two wings are committed to expanding the role of govt but in different ways. The two wings give lip service to reducing or eliminating some govt programs but they’re not really serious.
President Trump is a new kind of RINO – he’s MY kind of RINO – in that he seems to be much less of a fan of big govt than even Reagan. He’s more focused, as he should be, in international/global trade issues, but some of the things he’s done with, for example, the EPA are good.
As for Social Security, regardless of what you call it, let’s not forget how it works. Money is taken from current workers and given to retired workers. The closest thing to a lock box is a virtual file cabinet full of Treasury IOUs but that money still has to be extracted involuntarily from the current workforce. In plainest terms, the deal is “let us take YOUR money today and TOMORROW we’ll take somebody else’s money and give it to you.”
FICA (SS and Medicare): Federal Insurance Contributions Act
” I am counting on social security as a major part of my future financial planning, and I constantly hear that it will be insolvent just as I’m ready to start getting the return on my investment. ”
Soitenly. Nyuck Nyuck Nyuck
Social Security is a lie and was a hoax from the start. As soon as people trust the government with their money, the politicians have won. And when politicians win, then they “choose” who gets the loot. Our government needs to be reset.
The republicans are socialist, the democrats are communist.
PS: I agree with Jim. Once you abandon principal you must suffer the consequences.
Social safety net = ponzi scheme
Infrastructure spending = social programs slush fund
For the children = Give up your freedoms
Etc. etc. etc. The devil is in the details.
Ever see the move Leon: The Professional?
Leon is kind of a simpleton hitman who has the community mob boss hold onto his blood money. Danny Aiello plays the role of hitman handler / boss / purveyor of pasta based cuisine named Tony.
Old Tony ain’t like the banks cause they always get robbed and nobody messes with Tony.
You need some of your money and just ask Tony and he’ll let you have a little provided you tell him what it’s for.
He wills all of it to a 10 year old girl upon his death. When the girl goes to Tony, he gives her $100 and says to come back in a few months.
Memba the Tea Party?
Good times. Good times
I’m from the government and I’m here to take all of your money and then give some of it back to you depending on your social credit score as determined by Facebook and Google!
Power abhors a vacuum and the Tea Party had no leader.
As such, a bunch of charlatans rushed in to found Tea Party sounding named organizations to enrich themselves and coopt the movement.
The
LordState giveth and theLordState taketh away.What would be the chances of, when the House is back in R control, President Trump will champion a bill to give those on Social Security (that have actually paid into the system all their lives) a choice to take all the money they paid rolled over into their personal 401ks?
Yeah, I know. I’m dreaming.
When SS was originally imposed, those early recipients received far more than they contributed. At some point in time (sometime in the 1970s, IIRC) that flipped, and for all those that followed, they received less in benefits than they contributed.
Extended life expectancy has severely messed up the SS calculus. One of the reasons they keep pushing the “retirement age” back.
I too am planning to collect soon….. we’ll see.
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
Social Security is nothing but a giant ponzi scheme and the government nothing but extortionists whom make you pay in. I’m still waiting for them to call in the IOU’s that they have filed away from when they borrowed from it. Seeing as I/we are the governments assets its upon us to pay back their debts.