At a time when there are so many vulnerable seniors out there whose entire income is Social Security

[Uncle Joe]

Link to tweet

[NYMinute]

1. I think there should be a comprehensive OP

about every group that has been pandered. When a new pandering comes, I seem to forget the old ones. Having them all in one place would be great.

[Uncle Joe]

3. So you're suggesting that people depending on social security is an immoral or distasteful need

or habit?

verb
gerund or present participle: pandering
gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.).
"newspapers are pandering to people's baser instincts"

[George II]

9. Where do you get that from? NOTHING "suggested", nothing about "immoral" and nothing....

....about "distasteful".

[Uncle Joe]

13. It's the definition of "pandering" didn't you read my post? n/t

[George II]

15. There are more than one definition for "pander", you chose one....

Others:

Definition of pander (Entry 1 of 2)
intransitive verb

: to act as a pander
especially : to provide gratification for others' desires
films that pander to the basest emotions
… used his brilliant gifts to pander to popular taste.

Definition of pander (Entry 2 of 2)
1a: a go-between in love intrigues
b: PIMP
2: someone who caters to or exploits the weaknesses of others

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pander#synonyms

[Uncle Joe]

16. Your definition is not an improvement over the one I posted unless

you believe receiving social security benefits to be only a "base desire."

Furthermore fighting to strengthen and expand social security doesn't exploit the weak, so much as empowering them.

Having said that I suppose fighting to strengthen and expand social security does exploit the weakness of politicians more concerned about the wealthy and powerful, while being all to eager to freeze, cut or diminish social security.

[NYMinute]

22. That tweet coupled with Sirota's earlier false representation that Biden is

against social security plus the timing of the tweet .... that combination is at best pandering ... I have other choice names I could call that behavior.

Bernie has been in congress 30 years -- and suddenly he wakes up to the importance of social security just before the election?

[Uncle Joe]

23. Biden proposed freezing social security benefits,

do you deny this?

[NYMinute]

24. It is way more nuanced than that.

Read the whole plan and you'll see the issue back then.

Taking a highly complicated issue with a highly complicated solution should not be put in simplistic terms.

For example "Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation because he wanted to get assassinated by John Wilkes Booth."

[Uncle Joe]

25. What a nonsensical answer.

A freeze of social security benefits while inflation particularly medical inflation that affects the elderly is a cut... period, there is nothing "nuanced" about it.

[The Valley Below]

26. Correct. So transparent.

Burn yet another bridge.

[NYMinute]

21. The choice of the definition is indicative of a guilty conscience nt

[LakeArenal]

7. Words put into your mouth in 1..2...3...

[guillaumeb]

2. Social Security benefits should be increased and expanded.

If you ask me where can we find the money, eliminate the cap on taxable earnings, and include unearned earnings as well. Throw in a 10% cut to the war budget.

And lower the age for full retirement instead of increasing it.

[Uncle Joe]

4. +1

[ChiTownDenny]

5. +1

France just ended country-wide strikes by agreeing to keep full retirement age at 62.

[guillaumeb]

12. And many here want to raise it to 70 at the earliest.

That way, many would die before ever retiring.

[Raster]

14. And that's the plan...

... raise the SS age so high that either: (1) you are forced to take a lesser amount and languish in poverty in your older years; or (2) die before you ever see a dime.

[guillaumeb]

17. Allow me to add another option:

and to require that older Americans work a minimum wage job to supplement their low benefits.

[Raster]

18. but of course...

...will there be enough Walmarts for all of us?

[guillaumeb]

19. If not, there is always Amazon. eom

[VarryOn]

10. I would be totally opposed to the cap on taaxble earnings being removed...

My wife and I count on it so we can get more money into 401k late in the year.

I'd be more in favor of a "hole in the donut" approach where they eave current cap in place but then resume taxing over, say, $500,000 or so.

Removing the max contribution into 401k would be nice.

[guillaumeb]

11. Most people have very little unearned income.

There are exceptions, of course.

And millions cannot save anything. One consequence of stagnant wages, and a tax system that allows many corporations to pay nothing while the tax burden falls on the workers.

[Newest Reality]

6. My speculation is...

That the cutting programs is a tactic that has another, ulterior motive. In other words, the attempt to cut funding also then denies the bona fide need to expand the program or increase the benefit.

That's obvious with Social Security, but considering that SNAP does not get COLAs and how the price of food has dramatically increased and seems to be trending like that, then rather than increasing the amount as needed, the push is to limit eligibility.

When all the programs designed to help the least among us are lagging, the tactic seems to be to put us on the defense to prevent an offensive to grow, expand and increase what is desperately needed by those who need it most.

That's just my observation of what the Republicans tend to use as leverage in order to marginalize and make war on the poor, the weak and the needy.

[LakeArenal]

8. America treats its old people worse than supposed third world countries.

[Uncle Joe]

27. The Romans took much of their culture from the Greeks.

I don't even know if this true but I remember tales of Native Americans needing to migrate at some point would leave their elders behind to be eaten by wolves because they were too weak to travel with the tribe; which had to follow the migration pattern of the bison.

[OilemFirchen]

20. Quick fix:

Propose legislation granting free Medicare for all who qualify. Call it "Medicare for All on Medicare".

Do it right fucking now, Senator.