My idea to "fix" Social Security

[MessiahRp]

Seems rather simple to me...

I remember a time back a few years where this was reported:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml

The Pentagon cannot account for.. or basically "lost" $2.3 trillion.

Then it came out this year that we had spent or raided Social Security funds for $2.5 trillion that we now have to pay out, of course creating issues with paying those benefits out and allowing Republicans who raided that money for wars, etc to bemoan the solvency of the program.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/security-95673-borrow-social.html

So here's what I do. Tell the Pentagon that we will withhold their usual yearly funding until the $2.5 trillion is paid back. They can search a little harder for their lost $2.3 trillion and either come up with that or be fucked the next few years and maybe learn the lesson of spending taxpayer money a little more wisely with some fucking accountability.

Oh and then we end these two miserable wars and bring everyone home.

Sounds to me like we've just saved a heapload of money in the short term.

When the Pentagon's funding is restored, we're not at war, slash it to 1/3rd of what it is now. We'll still spend more on our military than the REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED.

Oh and we can start paying down deficits and shit like that again. What a crazy concept!

Rp

Edit: Added quotes to "fix". I don't profess that SS is broken but rather that the GOP raided $2.5 trillion from the SS fund and that the Pentagon loses that like it's spare change. So if we technically take it from them it a) forces accountability from the Penatagon and b) changes the GOP's solvency argument, doesn't it?

[Skittles]

1. it ain't broke

it's repukes who are the problem, and Democrats who are influenced by repukes

[MessiahRp]

2. That's not really my point...

There's $2.5 trillion the GOP raided from Social Security that needs to be replaced and holy fuck! The Pentagon just seems to have that lost in a couch cushion somewhere. We throw a huge chunk of our money down the Pentagon black hole and never ask questions. I think it's high time to force accountability onto them and re-allocate the money where it should have never been taken from to begin with.

Rp

[Skittles]

4. agreed

I cringe, absolutely CRINGE when I hear repukes talking about "fiscal responsibility" as if that is their forte - they hate some poor person getting food stamps or unemployment (OMG! ENTITLEMENTS!) but readily accept TRILLIONS wasted on senseless wars, or worse, trillions down a black hole. ENOUGH ALREADY

perhaps you should change your subject line to better reflect your intent :)

[iamtechus]

3. You're wasting your time. Social Security is not broke.

Top 5 Social Security Myths

Myth #1: Social Security is going broke.

Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.6 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a ‘T’). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever. After 2037, it’ll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits—and again, that’s without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers’ retirement decades ago. Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.

Myth #2: We have to raise the retirement age because people are living longer.

Reality: This is a red-herring to trick you into agreeing to benefit cuts. Retirees are living about the same amount of time as they were in the 1930s. The reason average life expectancy is higher is mostly because many fewer people die as children than they did 70 years ago. What’s more, what gains there have been are distributed very unevenly—since 1972, life expectancy increased by 6.5 years for workers in the top half of the income brackets, but by less than 2 years for those in the bottom half. But those intent on cutting Social Security love this argument because raising the retirement age is the same as an across-the-board benefit cut.

Myth #3: Benefit cuts are the only way to fix Social Security.

Reality: Social Security doesn’t need to be fixed. But if we want to strengthen it, here’s a better way: Make the rich pay their fair share. If the very rich paid taxes on all of their income, Social Security would be sustainable for decades to come. Right now, high earners only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,000 of their income. But conservatives insist benefit cuts are the only way because they want to protect the super-rich from paying their fair share.

Myth #4: The Social Security Trust Fund has been raided and is full of IOUs

Reality: Not even close to true. The Social Security Trust Fund isn’t full of IOUs, it’s full of U.S. Treasury Bonds. And those bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. The reason Social Security holds only treasury bonds is the same reason many Americans do: The federal government has never missed a single interest payment on its debts. President Bush wanted to put Social Security funds in the stock market—which would have been disastrous—but luckily, he failed. So the trillions of dollars in the Social Security Trust Fund, which are separate from the regular budget, are as safe as can be.

Myth #5: Social Security adds to the deficit

Reality: It’s not just wrong—it’s impossible! By law, Social Security’s funds are separate from the budget, and it must pay its own way. That means that Social Security can’t add one penny to the deficit.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://delmontpda.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/top-5-social-security-myths-debunked/

[glowing]

5. Thank u!!' this needs tobentbe chainmail that hits everyones email...'

Not that crap that normally shills for stupidity.

[MessiahRp]

6. See Reply #2. You're missing my point.

I never, ever said SS is broke. I said it was raided for $2.5 trillion and we should pay it back. Oh and here's a place where an almost equal amount of money just disappeared like pocket change, so let's take it out of their wallet.

Rp

[Skittles]

7. pony up your subject line

proposing a "fix" implies something is broken - maybe, strengthen?

[HereSince1628]

8. The military SAYS it loses track of money, I don't need much tin-foil

to have the feeling that's an effective cover story.

The military also funds secret activity. It doesn't want to explain what it was spent on, so 'losing' it with a wink and then a nod from Congress is easier to than explaining to the people.

The secret projects, black ops, off-the-books surrogate fought-insurrections, would collectively be very very expensive.

I agree that as a nation the US spends an obscene amount of money via the department of defense.