General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe G.O.P. Plot Against Medicare and Social Security
Paul Krugman on cuts to Social Security and Medicare
at the NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/opinion/republican-medicare-social-security.html
"SNIP......
The Times recently reported that Republicans, anticipating possible victory in the midterms, are embracing plans to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits even though such cuts would be incredibly unpopular and would make nonsense of the G.O.P.s attempts to portray itself as the party of the working class.
Before I get to what Republicans appear to have in mind, lets note that the push to slash major benefit programs may be the ultimate example of an elite priority completely at odds with what ordinary Americans want.
Political scientists have found several areas in which the wealthy want to see spending cut, while most voters want to see it increased. The biggest gap in views is on Social Security, where the rich, by a large margin, want to see benefits reduced while the general public, by an even larger margin, wants to see them increased.
And Republicans are taking the side of the rich.
Now, there isnt an official G.O.P. position on Social Security and Medicare or, actually, any policy issue. But the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House members that often sets the partys agenda, has released a fairly detailed set of proposals titled Reclaiming Our Fiscal Future that would, I suspect, raise howls of outrage from many voters if they knew about it.
........SNIP"
FoxNewsSucks
(10,435 posts)Meadowoak
(5,562 posts)from seniors, spending their social security checks. It was reported in 2008 with the great recession (created by W. and the irresponsible fiscal policies of the GOP) that it was the seniors that saved us from going into another great depression. Seniors were still buying cars, taking vacations and spending their social security benefits.
JoeOtterbein
(7,702 posts)Deuxcents
(16,353 posts)So why the constant intent to destroy what does not hurt their bottom line? Do they really want the system upside down? Hospitals n health care..older folks w/ mortgages n health insurance responsibilities. Do they all want a world like Ayn Rand dreamed of? I dont get it.
dweller
(23,680 posts)question everything
(47,544 posts)disability checks. Some years back there was a program about that.
BBbats
(89 posts)They would never of even mentioned cutting those programs when they thought your vote mattered,
With a locked & loaded Supreme Court & the R's installing people in positions where they can cancel or refuse to validate the popular vote. You know Damn well that every Repuke running will not concede if they lose. The R's will be screaming false elections & everything else. Has one Republican said they would accept the results?
I can't think of any!
SleeplessinSoCal
(9,152 posts)It's going to get a lot worse. Biden has said trickle down doesn't work. That's just the beginning of it. How do we reverse it?
haele
(12,682 posts)don't want to pay back the debt owed to Social Security funds that they robbed for tax breaks and war Profiteering.
Basically, they see it as Free Money they don't think those "lesser workers" deserve, since most people nowadays can't afford to put money aside to save for their old age.
Despite the historical fact that pretty much from the early days of most civilizations, no matter what continent, any free worker who either worked for a government or a particular landlord/warlord for wages was typically also granted a pension once they got too old to work as gratitude for service willingly given. It might not have been much, but it usually kept them and a small household going for the rest of their natural lives.
Most of these jerks now-a-days would willingly sell elderly parents for organ donations once those parents got too old to continue to make money and start dipping into 'the inheritance' to continue to survive in comfort.
Late Stage Capitalism at it's finest. They will all eat their own just to stay on top.
Haele
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,468 posts)slater71
(1,153 posts)If they win they could care less what people think because they will be there for life. Like Bannon said, " If we win both House and the Senate we will control this country for 100 years." They care for nothing but power and money.
AwakeAtLast
(14,134 posts)Right?
moniss
(4,274 posts)Wisconsin an example of how they want things to go. They so heavily gerrymandered that the Democrats will never stand a chance to ever regain control of the Legislature. The Supremes blessed it. Even when Democrats were elected governor and Attorney General the GQP Legislature passed legislation in a lame duck session stripping those offices of much of their powers before the Democrats could be sworn in. The Supremes blessed it. We even have the absurdity of a GQP political appointee remaining in office years past his term expiring because the GQP Legislature refuses to act in any way at all on the nomination of the person the Democratic Governor chose. The Supremes blessed it.
The US Supremes have blessed states vastly reducing election personnel/equipment/information availability in cities/colleges while shifting those resources to GQP areas. The state Supremes have blessed the uneven distribution of educational resources for schools. The state and US Supremes have blessed shifting massive amounts of education taxes to private/corporate/church based schools. Meanwhile the GQP bitches about the "failure" of public schools. All part of the plan.
bahboo
(16,370 posts)amazing...
TeamProg
(6,285 posts)Then, when Dems don't go along, GOP blames Dems for "cutting Soc Sec"..
Same old story.
DownriverDem
(6,232 posts)that it's an entitlement and told young folks they won't get it. My husband keeps saying that old fart white repub men will take to the streets if SS is cut.
Efilroft Sul
(3,584 posts)Then they'll stand down because it will only be their kids and grandkids getting hosed.
"We got ours, so fuck the younger workers!"
demigoddess
(6,645 posts)My first job, when I was 16, had money taken out that went into social security. That was in the 60s. Republicans think people are just taking money out not putting it in. That is what they have been told by republican politicians so they can get their hands on the social security. They get their hands on that money and they will funnel it to people like Elon Musk, who don't need it at all.
erronis
(15,373 posts)All of this gnashing about various policies and political pronouncements are just some veneer on the meat of the matter.
The lines of communication between individuals has become corrupted. We no longer have a way of knowing who is telling the truth and who to place our faith and allegiance in.
We know that this style of offense is favored by authoritarians - whether fascists or communists or just plain old capitalist/libertarians.
Since the internet and cable news have given those with money the ability to control the message, they are using the control very well.
Just look towards existing autocrats, oligarchs, maga/mega-corporatists and you'll find the source of the evil. Of course China under Xi is actively aiding the undermining of democracy around the world.
Firestorm49
(4,037 posts)Pass me the bucket. I need to barf. Working class? My ass!
XanaDUer2
(10,757 posts)Stopping reproductive rights. Joy Reid just touched on him wanting to cut SS. why are there no ads about this!? Wtf!
There are even ads on how Lee allowed growth here and escalated traffic and cost of living. Yeah, he did, but isn't SS as important as traffic!? I'm in retiree central