Social Security is in CRISIS!!! Its assets are just IOUs!!!

[ProfessorPlum]

The GOP argument on this goes something like this:

IF at some point in the future, the federal government is so irresponsible with the revenue and spending for the general fund (perhaps, for example, issuing huge tax cuts for the very rich, income tax cuts for top earners, elimination of the inheritance tax, reduction of taxes on investment income, while at the same time starting massively expensive, unnecessary foreign wars, in which war profiteers misappropriate nauseating amounts of taxpayer money), IF the finances of the general fund are driven into a ditch

AND

IF the government ends up relying so heavily on its wage tax income for general fund expenses that they decide that they need to declare a “crisis” so that they can justify killing off Social Security, allowing the greedheads in charge of the country to screw over retired people (current and future)

AND

IF the people of this country let them do it

THEN Social Security really is at risk if its only assets are IOUs.

(See how if you follow their argument it implicates them? Weird. The more observant among you may notice that we are officially at step three now, and so my thread title is only partially facetious. SS really is in danger. From the GOP.)

[ProfessorPlum]

1. Nobody sees the rich irony in the GOP argument?

I thought it was kind of an amazing example of circular logic.

"We're going to kill SS. Therefore it is in danger. Therefore you should let us kill it."

[underpants]

2. Well "You are in danger and only W can save you " worked

Apparently.

Oh really? then why are we in danger?

You know this might really be a heads up that the really truly do plan to starve the beast.

[AZCat]

3. There's a thread right now that nicely illustrates the RW talking points

Over in LBN, there is a thread - Grassley, Bush to discuss Social Security overhaul - where you can witness the RW talking points in action (at least for a little while).

[jswordy]

4. I hope to hell they discuss how today's babies will get only...

45.9 percent of the payment currently received by today's retirees under Bush's plan. That friggin' Bush is a master at lying, and his party is a training ground for deceptors.

SS is good to go at 100 percent through 2042. After that, it can pay 75 through the end of the century...

...IF WE DO NOTHING!!!

http://www.aarp.org/socialsecurity-about/Articles/a2003-04-02-ssfinancing.html


http://www.aarp.org/financial-planningretire/Articles/a2002-10-03-RetirementIncomeSocialSecurity.html

http://www.aarp.org/socialsecurity/

Note that all these sites are from AARP -- which is headed by a REPUBLICAN.

[ProfessorPlum]

5. Thanks very much

much RW spew being regurgitated there.

[AZCat]

6. Ahh yes, I see you have begun already.

Thanks for joining us over there. :)