Obama proposes Social Security cuts

World Socialist Web Site ^ | 12/20/12 | Patrick Martin

[Libloather]

Obama proposes Social Security cuts
Patrick Martin
20 December 2012

**SNIP**

The White House decision to propose cuts in future Social Security benefits is of enormous political significance. Social Security has long been characterized as the “third rail” of American politics—touch it and you die. Obama and Boehner are seeking to break this taboo and create a new political framework for imposing brutal austerity measures on working people.

Whatever the immediate outcome of the talks in Washington, whether or not a deal is reached before December 31, the overall direction is clear: entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are to be gutted. The only significant area of federal spending will be the military-police agencies required to defend the interests of the financial aristocracy—overseas against foreign rivals and revolutions, at home against the American working class.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

As time progresses, there are ebbs and flows in human freedom, justice, and sociopolitical systems. This is measured generally in centuries, not lifetimes. There are always those who are hurt in the process, and whose lives are riddled with injustice. I'm not defending this as inevitable, but I do believe that this is happening now to many people. We are in a time of worldwide social uncertainty, and the socialists/communists and their equivalents have been working for many decades now to push their agenda - the setback represented by the collapse of the USSR notwithstanding. That said, just because something is horribly unfair doesn't mean that it can't or won't happen.

I think we've been conditioned for so long to believe that justice will be done, and that the right things will occur in the end, that we forget that history is filled with those individuals who were treated unfairly and for whom justice was never done in the course of their lifetimes. So, yes, it is entirely possible that you and I and all of us who have paid into social security will never significantly benefit from it, while able-bodied mentally healthy people who did not work hard and did not pay into it will reap benefits from it. It is also entirely possible that the entire working life efforts and savings of people who are now close to, or already in retirement will be diluted so much by the devaluation of our currency that they will never come close to the kind of retirement lives that they worked so hard for - and will not have nearly as much to give their children and/or grandchildren as they thought they would in return for their hard work and sacrifice.

I'm not being fatalistic here, but I think it's very important that we all keep in mind that the world won't automatically be fair for us. We have to work to prevent injustice from happening to those we love, and to us, and this is a long and continuous process.

[RetiredArmy]

I told my wife just this past week that I suspected in the near future that they would come up with some deal to cut SS by 1/3. Cut that, say $1,000 monthly check to $700 or so each month, even to those already getting it, not just futures.

[Rockiette]

I thought they ‘get’ their money after only one term. Hope I’m wrong but this is Congress I’m talking about.

[ought-six]

Hell, I’ll be 62 on my next birthday. I’d be happy as hell if they just gave me back what they took from me, and I won’t even demand interest!

[BenLurkin]

I want it all back. Plus compounded interest.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Libloather.

...whether or not a deal is reached before December 31, the overall direction is clear: entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are to be gutted. The only significant area of federal spending will be the military-police agencies required to defend the interests of the financial aristocracy.

"Financial Aristocracy" -- gotta love that World Socialist Website.

[HomeAtLast]

I want back what they ripped out of my paychecks for 45 yrs without my permission then I'll go away.

But what will you do if they simply decline to return it? They're thinking you will do nothing. They're quite confident of it. Virtually nobody ever does anything but take it on the chin.

[shoff]

Take a look at Obama’s SS cuts closely. He is proposing to keep payments to those that paid into it low while not affecting payments to the moochers who get SSI. For us serfs that Social Security supplemental security income, for the moochers it’s known as crazy money. More people have gotten SSI over the last four years than got jobs.

[avacado]

Congress Pensions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_pension

I was wrong, full pension at 50 years of age after 20 years.

[PGalt]

Plunder & Death = Socialism/Totalitarianism 2.0

Plunder the productive, abort the elderly/infirm/useless eaters.

[kearnyirish2]

I also think anyone who has a 401K will have their SS reduced to compensate for it; it’s “only fair”. They currently do that with financial aid and such; why wouldn;t they do it elsewhere?

Sadly I know many people who max out their contributions because they have no other deductions (children, mortgage interest/property taxes); in the end they’ll be penalized (like the ants when the grasshoppers come looking for their supplies).

[skinkinthegrass]

check this out....

Galveston County: A Model for Social Security Reform | NCPA
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba514

...If only. :^(

[milagro]

PLUS--the have been investing in TSP--the Thrift Savings Plan- for decades. it IS aprivate retirement fund; one Federal employee I know of personally had $50,000 in his TSP account before he died, after just 7 years of Federal employment. And he did not have the BIG BUCKS Congress critters have to invest in TSP.

But do you EVER hear mention of TSP?

No!--because it would make fools out of every politician who screams bloody murder about letting the "unwashed masses" have access to PRIVATE retirement plans.

Would love to see some real "investigative reporter" start looking at what the liberal Congress critters have earned through their TSP accounts--bet it's up into the hundreds of thousands, if not more!

[JoanneSD]

Barbara Boxer a few years back proposed something similiarto that, that we get a lower percentage of the money.. but she did not mention cutting her federal pension!!!

[SVTCobra03]

Exactly. I want back what they ripped out of my paychecks for 45 yrs without my permission then I'll go away. With interest, of course.

I will take mine in the form of gold bullion.

[castlegreyskull]

Members of the military can invest into TSP. I did as Navy officer just 3 years ago.

[Terry Mross]

boner and obama are working together. And this is why the republicans didn’t want the white house or the senate. obama can cut SS, the senate will rubber stamp anything he wants and the house will finally be compromising.

[Gene Eric]

>> Since when is SS an entitlement program?

It’s a game the #ing scumbags are playing.

A FReeper recently posted his SS check was labeled: Federal Entitlement Payment.

[dalereed]

“I’ll settle for half my money back now and count me out of the program altogether”

I tried to give them all I had paid and never collect if they let me off the hook not to pay into it ever again 60 years ago the they refused!!

I did quit paying in 1978 by putting all the corp. assets in a dummy leasing company and never taking wages again, only taking all compensation as rent!!!

There is more than one way to skin a cat!!!

I’ve collected both halves that I had paid in plus interest and all my checks I consider profit!!!

[Reddy]

Seriously? I thought all SS payments were now done electronically?