> Every single step is unpopular. <
Yes. The only one that might possibly happen is #2, raise taxes. By that I mean they might raise taxes on the “rich”, the rich as defined by communists like AOC and Bernie Sanders.
But I fearlessly predict that no corrective action will be taken. Because no one in DC except Rand Paul cares about deficits. Even Trump doesn’t care.
End result: Hyperinflation, as the Feds turn up the printing presses to pay the bills.
This may well be the “default” position, that the money supply will always be increased to pay promised Social Security benefits.
And this will create inflation. If we simply create more money to pay off Social Security benefits, then the buying power of those benefits will be much less than people expect. Which has the same effect as a cut in benefits.