If we can't have a public option on health insurance,

[Capitalocracy]

then you can't have a private option on Social Security.

Hell no.

And by the way, why are we even talking about making cuts when the Democrats hold the presidency and majority in both houses? Who gets to set the legislative agenda, the majority party or the fascist fringe?

[AndyA]

1. After the stock market crash of 2008, anyone who would seriously

entertain a private option on Social Security is nuts. That's what Bush wanted, and if he'd gotten it, things would be much worse in America right now.

Imagine dumping another 300 million plus people into the pile with unemployed today.

The answer to fixing Social Security is to discontinue it for millionaires, they don't need it. Remove the cap on earnings.

That should help quite a bit.

[Recursion]

2. The purpose of privatization was to forestall that

Dumping all that money into the stock market would have kept a lot of things afloat.... for a while at least.

Oh, and if that trust fund were being poured into the private market, you can sure as hell bet scum like Alan Simpson would have no problem coming up with the $2.5 trillion.

[Capitalocracy]

3. I worked customer service for the prescription drug card program

yeah, those millionaires loved getting their benefits...

[customerserviceguy]

6. The stock market is not the only option

for private retirement accounts. I know, the brokers all want to grab a piece of that pie, or create a whole new buying entity just as they tell the rich to unload all of their crap stocks, but there are alternatives, such as money market funds and bond funds.

I'm pretty heavily into my 401K at work, I started this year with nothing but a couple of thousand in a dormant account from my previous employer, but I don't risk any of it on the casino.

[lob1]

4. There's nothing wrong with the S.S. program. The

problem is congress stole the money to pay for Bush's tax cuts. I think the way it'll play out is this: The catfood commission will recommend ending s.s. and killing all people over 60. Obama will step in and say that's all too radical. We don't need to kill anyone, but we will have to be realistic and cut way back on s.s. Obama will try to portray himself as being a hero and protecting us from radicals. That's what I think he's going to do, and if he does, I''m done with him forever. I won't vote for prez. And I don't want to hear that a republican would be worse, because a republican couldn't get away with starting the end of s.s., it took one of our own to betray us.

[Capitalocracy]

7. All the gears are in place for that to happen

It could even go to privatization soon afterward... I don't know if this "deficit commission" is set up to be temporary or permanent, but either way it sets a precedent.

[kctim]

5. Who gets to set the legislative agenda?

The side, not party, with the most votes.

[Capitalocracy]

8. Good point

But I thought we were winning! :cry: