Reply #32: They are different. [View All]

[PoliticAverse]

There is in fact a "special SSA bond". They call them "Special-issue securities".
They may only be held by the trust fund and may not be sold to the general public:
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/progdata/specialissues.html
The trust fund in the past held regular Treasury bonds but they don't at the present
time, only the "special-issues".

They don't have to default on the special-issues to not pay them, they just have to
reduce social security benefits or raise taxes so the bonds never have to be redeemed.

Based on what happened with the recent (non) expiration of the "Bush tax cuts" can you
see taxes being raised on higher income individuals?