[Pollster1]

I have been urging higher eligibility ages and more means-testing for Social Security and Medicare for so long that I forget . . .

Higher ages? Definitely. We should phase that in and boost the age gradually but not over too long a period to a sustainable age.

Means testing? No! That will turn Social Security into a welfare program instead of a supplemental retirement income system. The wealthy "invested" under compulsion, and we should pay what we promised, even to those who also lived responsibly and frugally.

[mlo]

"Means testing? No! That will turn Social Security into a welfare program instead of a supplemental retirement income system." The wealthy "invested" under compulsion, and we should pay what we promised, even to those who also lived responsibly and frugally."

It IS a welfare program. Guess what? Government makes promises it can't keep. It lies. We can't afford to pay all this money out. That's the problem.

Certainly, if we are going to have it at all it should be means tested.

[Mariner]

"That will turn Social Security into a welfare program instead of a supplemental retirement income system"

It's a welfar program now and always has been.

While politicians have always called it a retirement program to lessen the resentment of taxation, on the books it's ALWAYS been a welfare program whose threshold to entry is far too low.

A retirement program would be required to hold assets...and "special government bonds" are not assets to the USA.

In fact, government bonds will soon be an asset to nobody. And, an un-reformed SS system is a major cause of that.

And, that's the reality whether people choose to emote otherwise or not.