It's Time To Prepare For Trump's Assault On Social Security

[turbinetree]

The MAGA menu: more tax cuts for billionaires, cat food for less fortunate seniors.

By NewsHound Ellen — December 19, 2024

As David R. Lurie lays out in his excellent Public Notice column, Republicans have been dreaming of doing away with Social Security ever since FDR enacted it, even though it successfully reduced poverty among the elderly. Ditto for Medicare, enacted under LBJ.

The most infuriating part for me is they’ve managed to corral Democrats into going along with the messaging that these anti-poverty programs that people pay into are “entitlements” that “good government” types only want to “reform” and put on a “stronger” fiscal footing. It’s a nauseating way of framing deserving recipients as elite moochers and messaging the truly elite moochers as “sensible” minders of everybody else’s money.

Thank goodness Lurie called this out:

Reagan did succeed in enacting far more modest, but still substantial, cutbacks in Social Security with the support of Democrats — under the cover of a commission led by the then highly respected Alan Greenspan — based on the proposition they were “bolstering” it. This gave rise to an enduring view among many on the right that they could dupe Democrats to join them in cutting holes in the social safety net in the guise of trying to save it — a premise some “good government” types regrettably encouraged.

https://crooksandliars.com/2024/12/it-s-time-prepare-trumps-assault-social

Reagan was and will always be a fucking ass in my book.............and a scab............

[wryter2000]

1. Things started going to hell under Reagan

With his trickle down, aka "voodoo," economics. Biden was the first president to reject it and created an economy the rest of the world envied.

[calimary]

12. Yep. Nothing like a slick made-for-TV "spokesman" so easily fooling America back then.

Too many fell for the “kindly old St. Ronnie” who stole their lunch AND their kids’ futures. But he was soooooooooo good at making it sound all nice ‘n’ easy ‘n’ all-American and patriotic as all-get-out. And people fell for it over and over and over again and never felt his greedy paws picking their pockets and trashing whatever financial security they thought they had.

It all started with that damned reagan and his smooth-talking empty promises. And they damn near worshipped him. Some of ‘em - who ignored the poor and needy and cared only about themselves - actually did worship him.

[wryter2000]

18. They still worship him

When I got a new co-worker, who was an AA woman, she was astonished to learn I didn't adore Reagan. She thought all white people did. I can't blame her for thinking that.

[calimary]

19. Well, this old white lady thought he was sent by the Devil.

A Pied Piper from Hell.

I couldn’t help noticing the spell he cast. I swear some people damn near worshipped him. I STILL don’t see it and I STILL don’t get it. All I saw was a conman of the first order, complete with an appealing - even captivating - “aw shucks” schtick.

[Grins]

2. Reagan was a fucking ass!

It all started with Reagan.

My biggest hatred, though, is for Alan Greenspan, who complained Clinton’s budget surpluses were an economic threat to the nation, therefore - cut taxes now!

[Traildogbob]

6. Yes

Alsn’s wife is an asshole too.

[stopdiggin]

3. OK. Reagan was an ass- and small gov types mostly shills for the rich. Granted.

But now what - specifically - are we talking about current day? And what chance for success in current congress?

[rampartd]

4. reagan "cut taxes" while doubling fica, the most regressive tax since the doomsday book.

the theory, accoding to tip o'niell, was to make sure there was enough money for the boomers to retire.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. Some of the other crap

done in the period Reagan was in office was far more destructive to the Middle class.....and the list is endless.

The usury rate for interest was increased from 12% to 24%. Medical expenses, including the cost of insurance were no longer deductible for everyone. A humongous hit was put out on Unions, resulting in a major drop in Union Wages and Benefits. The tax rate on the wealthy, Uber wealthy, and corporations was lowered significantly. The Retirement plans for Corporations were destroyed and shifted to the stock market. The list is endless......

Everyone always says: Reagan did it. Reagan was just a pawn, not unlike WBush. It was done in the shadows by their administrations.
HWBush's CABAL ran everything. No different than Cheney/Rumsfeld CABAL. Interesting that many of the same CABAL were involved in both administrations and laid the groundwork/foundation for where we find ourselves today.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

5. Then assault businesses and churches with boycotts.

It's that fucking simple. Republicans want people in the stores and in the God-In-the-boxes (churches). Cut them off. Let them have a taste of their own fucking medicine. No better time to do it than Christmas. Don't wait, do it now.

[Traildogbob]

7. 😂😂😂😂

God in the Box Churches!!!! Brilliant!

[orwell]

8. What nobody seems to realize is...

...all of this "deficit" spending is demand that fuels the economy.

If you eliminate 2 trillion of government spending, no matter where it comes from, you are effectively removing 2 trillion in immediate demand, but also the effect on the money velocity - the number of transactions/investments that flow from that immediate demand.

To put it simply, you drastically contract the economy.

This is a really stupid idea, from many angles.

If you truly want to contract government spending, you must do it in a way that replaces that government demand with private sector demand and investment. This is something that would take many years if not decades to achieve without fairly drastic economic contraction.

The dollar futures are currently trading around 108. That is pretty strong evidence that the rest of the world sees our "deficit" as no big deal. If we believe in the markets, which we claim to, this is all a political circle jerk, with no basis in economic reality.

[Martin68]

9. Republican voters depend on SS just as much as Democratic ones. Congress critters won't mess with SS because they'd get

voted out of office. It's just like Obamacare and Medicare. Trump tried again and again and failed every time.

[OldBoss]

10. Prepare? How? Buy more cat food? ...

Bisignano @ SSA is scary af! He wouldn’t give up his 8-digit annual income if he didn’t stand to gain much more. As well, he’s hyper connected with all FBA’s and K Street.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143351163

As well, nobody to stop Eloon from funding primaries for Dems, watch it happen.

[Mr.Bee]

14. I, for one;

am not going to pay for the $250 a month Medigap insurance policy.
I may also have to give up Beer and Wine.
I recommend everyone boycott things they really don't need.
Save your money, You're going to need it
This incompetent idiot is going to bankrupt the country!

[moonscape]

20. Wish I could afford to give up

MediGap but … I have an incurable cancer with ongoing therapy, several other $$ health conditions, and can live with it all for years because though incurable, it’s manageable. And very expensive.

Had I not gotten a Medigap policy at 65, I’d be in a world of hurt because cancer arrived immediately.

Better hope if you drop Medigap that you stay healthy.

[Boomerproud]

17. Exactly what I was going to say.

Except for going without how do you prepare? There goes my trip to Europe...oh, can't go anyway. Will my rent keep going up-count on it.

[Mr.Bee]

11. It's The ECONOMY, Stupid!

As previously stated, seniors on Social Security aren't just sitting at home watching TV all day, we actively support the economy!
We use our Social Security to pay our Landlords
Pay Insurances
Pay Retailers
Pay for Groceries
Pay Oil / Gas Companies when we fuel up our cars
Pay our Electric Bills
Pay our Utilities, Water and Heating
We buy products online from Amazon and EBay
and their shippers:
Post Office, UPS, Fed Ex and others
and when the car has a problem we take it to an Automotive Repair Shop or even Dealer.
Cutting Social Security hurts everyone.
It is beyond belief even Republicans would want to hurt all these companies!

[Tweedy]

15. Lowering the top rate from 55% to 33%

caused the budget deficit nightmare and President Reagan used Dixiecrats to rob social security payroll taxes to hide the truth. We still use payroll taxes, the tax Mr. Reagan added on young people and the tax Mr. Reagan added on social security recipients to pay for tax cuts on the wealthy while pretending the rest of us (those without our own gulfstreams) are the takers.

The numbers are obvious and they tell the truth.

The myth that a bipartisan deal saved social security in the 1980’s is gop false framing nearly everyone believes.

Now the gop is back to try and rob us again. The wealthy use way more government services than we ever will (see gulfstreams) and we get the dubious honor of paying for most of it while our roads deteriorate into dust.

[Festivito]

16. Raygun sold out to CEOs and CEOs run our news sources. So there!! !! 111!!!

That's our bed. We are either asleep, miserable, or doing something about it.