If they kill S.S. and Medicare/Aid, what will happen to the economy?

[Marcus IM]

Not only the lifeline for so many, all the disposable income people have because of SS will be gone.
No more car payments, no more rent, no more vacations or hotel stays, no more trips - let alone no ability to buy pharmaceuticals prescriptions and other vital necessities.

And then the low/middle income kids of the elderly who have been cut-off will have to take up the slack if not cover the complete care for their parents - all of their disposable income will be used for that, so, far fewer purchases they might usually have made.

One would think that the business communities would be sounding the alarm bells for their losses caused by such an event.

The tRump repigs want to burn the whole thing to the ground.

Crash and burn time?

GOTV

[Phoenix61]

1. It will flood the labor market with desperate workers.

Whatever gains workers have made due to Covid will vanish in the blink of an eye. That is, of course, the whole point. It doesn’t have shit to do with saving the government money it’s about business making more money.

[Marcus IM]

3. Thus, drive down wages, making the Econ worse. n/t

[Phoenix61]

7. Worse for who?

Payroll will drop dramatically between lower wages and workers not job hopping as much. People will have the same disposable income, it will just come from a pay check instead of a SS check. Quality of life will be worse but companies will see every increasing profits.

[Marcus IM]

13. But, who (but the well off) will be buying?

"People will have the same disposable income, it will just come from a pay check instead of a SS check."

Huh?

The 70+ will be working again?

[Phoenix61]

30. Yes they will. It will be the only way for them to afford

health insurance.

[Tribetime]

39. I've had prostate cancer 8 years ago and it has returned

I had back surgery last year and was just told I still need more surgery so no there is no way I'd ever be able to afford health insurance if it wasn't backed by the government

[Midnight Writer]

27. "People will have the same disposable income"? Not when they have to care for Mom and Dad.

[Phoenix61]

29. That's making a huge assumption. nt

[NickB79]

48. Caring for an elderly parent is a full time job

And without Medicare reimbursements, millions of elderly Americans couldn't afford retirement and assisted living facilities.

It's not a huge assumption to say we'll see millions of Americans forced out of the labor market to care for aging family members.

[Marcus IM]

49. Yep. Anyone who's had to deal with getting parents care knows this.

I don't understand how peeps don't get that. It's not only about oneself, it's about all of us.

[scarletlib]

50. Do you honestly believe retired seniors especially the eldest are going to work 40 hrs + per week?

Even if they could or were willing how many employers would be hiring them. I am not in the older cohort (yet) but mentally just don’t won’t to go back into the labor market. I could do a desk job as I have the education but it would be physically and mentally draining.

Many jobs would not be desk jobs. Old folks even the most fit would find those difficult at any age.

[Phoenix61]

56. The oldest? No. There are employers who offer benefits

for part-time workers. It would be awful but many would do it because they’d have no other choice.

[scarletlib]

59. Not attacking you but is this really an answer. Is that what anyone wants in their old age?

Forced to work for what amounts to a pittance to try to survive? For those absolutely to old & frail just starve to death on the streets?

Social Security was established under Roosevelt to prevent this exact scenario. It was a common occurrence before Social Security. Old folks alone in horrific conditions. I guess they/we should have worked harder and longer to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.

[Phoenix61]

60. It's the only answer if it happens.

Look at who’s pushing for it! The same party who thinks it’s a fine idea to force a pregnant 10 year-old rape victim to give birth. Of course it’s a horrible idea.

[Turbineguy]

2. When Putin demands it

the GOP follows orders.

And these orders are particularly good because they fit right in with GOP cruelty. Think about how many will suffer? It's a total win.

And Republicans who suffer can rejoice that they own the libs.

[Bluethroughu]

14. The GOP have been fighting Social Security since its inception

Long before pooty.

They are the party of greed and misery.

[Gaugamela]

4. Crash and burn. Liz Truss just talked about it and the pound nosedived.

You take all that money out of the economy and give it to the rich you’re basically burning it. People surviving on SS will become indigent and dependent on their adult children, which will degrade their children’s finances in turn. Many will become homeless. It’s a recipe for economic disaster and social meltdown.

[Marcus IM]

5. How is it possible that the business communities are behind this? n/t

[Gaugamela]

9. Austerity economics is the core of right wing ideology, so anyone who adheres

to conservative ideology is likely to support gutting the safety net by default. Also, businesses have to contribute a matching amount that employees pay into the programs. But it’s short-sighted. It destroys demand in the market, and contributes to social breakdown.

[CrispyQ]

17. Because a lot of CEOs are psychopaths? -nt

[haele]

18. Peter Principle. Those on top think they're immune; if they're from a lower class, forgot

or despise where they came from.
The C suites tend to live in their own rarified air and expect the lower level VPs to come up with the long term strategies for the profit they make.
Seen too much of that "hands off but take credit Executive level Leadership" attitude from supposedly educated MBA types.

As long as they make the quarterly marks and look good doing the minimum, they're happy. It's just a profit taking game.

Haele

[haele]

6. Too many Americans buy into the Calvinist/prosperity gospel creed.

Money and well-being are gifts from God. Poverty and illness are signs of God's displeasure.
Those who displease God are not to be coddled, it's God's plan to punish them.
If you weren't smart enough to be born from the right parents, go to the right church, get the right job, marry the right person, invest the right way, save enough money, etc.., you don't deserve to ask for favors when things go wrong.
There's no need for Social Security or Medicare if you just accept God's will, and die quickly when it's your time to go.

It's selfish complacency, and adherence to a localized status quo. Especially when pushed by local Big Fishes who don't want to see their authority or status challenged. One of the reasons many smaller or rural communities tend to be conservative.

Haele

[brooklynite]

8. "They" won't

There won't be the votes in either chamber to override a Biden veto.

[Marius25]

15. No, but in 2025 they may not need to worry about that

[House of Roberts]

10. The key is to get employers out of paying both halves of FICA.

If you think that money will just go into your paycheck, I have a bridge to sell you.

[Bluethroughu]

11. We will all go down the drain.

It is exactly what the GOP want and most of the rich. They are miserable fucks and they can't stand that people with less means then they, are happy.

They want worship and servitude from the masses.

History repeats itself and after the reality and much suffering, les miserables will rise up and the suffering of the masses will end.

GOTV to spare humanity of the psychopathic greed that is the GOP.

[JustAnotherGen]

12. Assuming they win

We let the government stay shut down for two years.

I don't think they are going to win though . . . neither chamber.

[Marcus IM]

16. With a shut down, there'll be no SS checks sent out.

So many benefits peeps have paid for won't be coming in.

One way or the other, we're screwed if they get in control.

[Elessar Zappa]

22. No, SS checks still go out even in a government shutdown.

[JustAnotherGen]

25. Everything else does though

Tariff Mitigation, CBP goes to skeleton crew - which means less seizures and more border crossings.

[gab13by13]

20. You let the government shut down for 1 month

and there will be a global economic disaster.

[GoodRaisin]

45. A Republican shutdown won't last any longer or accomplish any more than

the last shutdown that Trump tried. Which, of course, accomplished nothing.

Because, it also hurts Republican constituents.

[JustAnotherGen]

46. I want us to hold the damn line

For the global trade community - it was a really big deal. Customs was hit hard.

We can't listen to sob stories - we are going to have to hold the line until they cave in.

[GoodRaisin]

57. We will hold the line.

No way we give in. Joe will veto and they will cave. The magats will be the first ones to start whining. I give it about 4-5 weeks, tops.

[gab13by13]

19. Not only that, in their own words,

they plan to default on our debt which could cause a global economic disaster.

[JohnSJ]

21. Not for the next two years at least, because Biden would veto

[sarcasmo]

23. Chaos and a homeless explosion.

[Bayard]

24. Immediate drop to a third-world nation

It would hurt the rethuglican minions the most. Medicaid would also be gone.

We depend on SS and Medicare. No other retirement income. Even with our mortgage paid off, our savings would be gone in no time just paying regular bills. I think that will be true for half the country.

Are these people truly that stupid?

[maxsolomon]

28. The GQP will never kill SS or Medicare - they don't have the votes.

They'll "reform" it at worst, and they'll pay mightily in every subsequent election. Old people vote.

[Marcus IM]

32. That's assuming there will be elections. n/t

[maxsolomon]

35. Today's Seniors are not going to see that come to pass, nor will they lose their SS benefits.

Even Russians and North Koreans have elections, though they're more like "elections".

SS "Reform" will impact future generations.

[beaglelover]

33. Exactly. Completely killing SS and Medicare will NEVER happen.

No reason to lose any sleep over it.

[Skittles]

36. they didn't have the votes to kill abortion either

so they did what they always do - lied, cheated, stole their way to a SC majority

[maxsolomon]

37. So you're saying the SCOTUS will rule it unconstitutional.

Possible, but how likely is that? I think even those cloistered Federalists know that would be an absolute shitstorm.

[Skittles]

38. they will find a way

and as for WE THE PEOPLE - they don't give a FUCK about us

I personally don't think they would kill them outright, but death by a thousand cuts, with the cuts getting deeper and deeper.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. Spot on

After Roe - never say never.

[GoodRaisin]

41. This SCOTUS has already shown it doesn't fear shitstorms. nt

[JCMach1]

31. Throw the country into a depression like no one has ever seen

Social Security and social programs are a major prop for the economy.

[fightforfreedom]

42. Exactly.

Tens of millions of senior citizens living in poverty. People have forgotten what it was like for seniors before social security. It was ugly.

If you couldn't work or didn't have family to take care of you, you were screwed.

[JCMach1]

55. Literally, 'Poor Farms'... They were a thing up until Social Security

[Mr.Bill]

34. If you end Medicare,

most hospitals and other medical facilities will not be able to stay in business. The same goes for thousands of businesses that serve and support those facilities. It will affect a lot more people than those over 65.

[Xolodno]

40. They won't kill it.

They'll raise the retirement age for millennials and Gen Z. As well as change the formula for disbursement which will be a lower amount. Older people won't care since they still get what they planned on.

And they may create a new retirement vehicle via IRA or something. But if your in either generation its going to take longer to retire and you will be funding more of it yourself. Many won't and/or have the ability, so they'll be retiree "zombies". Collecting social security, but still working to the max allowed at a lower wage job.

[JustAnotherGen]

44. Millenials and Gen Z - Fine

Gen X - Nope. Can't do it. See too many of my peers caught in between grown kids and parents who they are helping. I'm looking forward to 67.

[dsp3000]

47. Boomers and seniors can use their pension that younger generations no longer have

After all the majority of those cohorts are the ones that vote for Republicans. The rest of us including those in those generations suffer. Millennial and gen zs grow up learning to not expect on social security being around when and if we ever retire.

[scarletlib]

51. Never voted Republican in my life

Also most of us are parents and grandparents. Do you think I want my children and grandchildren to suffer in old age?

Also when the Reagan Revolution was ushered in the. Majority of senior citizens were the greatest generation and the silent generation. Thank them for the fix we are in.

Silent Generation is aptly named. No one ever thinks or remembers them. Still lots around. Anyone born before 1946.

[Captain Zero]

53. boomer here

My pension is one fourth of my social security amount...

[Captain Zero]

52. One piece of the economy may get crashed by

my car.

[dembotoz]

54. lots of seniors around here live in senior housing and vote solid gop....evictions would be fun

I kept my business open...would totally ruin me for a bit

[Zeitghost]

58. Killing SS

Doesn't mean stopping all checks tomorrow or next month. It would be a phase out with younger workers being excluded. So the damage would be a lot more long term and slower to develop than most are imagining.

Still a horrendous idea though.