Social Security and Medicare-A Conservative Weapon

with the destruction of the american budget and crushing deficits and debt under obama and the passing out of freebies to any interest group obama can think of, able bodied or not, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that our elderly should rightly fear the loss of ability, sooner rather than later, of the united states government to continue its social contract with them.


yes social security was on a broken glide path already, but with our reserves depleted and deficits abounding and available tricks already either used or spoken for, it would seem to me that in weighing the relative merits of either party as regarding social security and medicare, the elderly would have little option but to align itself with romney/ryan.

it could be different for obama if he had any concern whatsoever for the budget deficit or had any plan to alter the glide path he has put us on. then he would have a story to tell the elderly, but i think his ideology has swallowed him whole
Rove had an excellent OpEd piece in today's WSJ on this very subject........basically it use to be an issue that played into favor of Democrats but no longer; the Ryan Plan and other factors have changed that dynamic to favor the GOP.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...443298172.html
joe bloe's Avatar
I'm afraid the Pavlovian response, of old people associating the Dimo's with being the defenders of Social Security and Medicare, is going to be hard to overcome.
I'm afraid the Pavlovian response, of old people associating the Dimo's with being the defenders of Social Security and Medicare, is going to be hard to overcome. Originally Posted by joe bloe
What's hard to overcome? The truth?
You assholes do it on a regular basis.
Rove had an excellent OpEd piece in today's WSJ on this very subject........basically it use to be an issue that played into favor of Democrats but no longer; the Ryan Plan and other factors have changed that dynamic to favor the GOP.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...443298172.html Originally Posted by Whirlaway
Rove? That POS. you trust a word out
Of his mouth? You're as sharp as a bowling ball.
Enough senior citizens (and those close to retirement) don't believe for a second that Obama has a plan to save social security, much less our country.......they may vote their pocketbooks, but they also understand the financial doomsday Obama is bringing down on us.

Ryan's plan will not change the SS benefit for anyone under 55 ! That is easy to comprehend.
the old law of unintended consequences, obama, so much the wealth sharer, he has so hastened the day of the government's inability to any longer share the wealth by spreading the gruel way too thin, the elderly might awake
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
You know, if we had paid attention to the Constitution, we wouldn't be having this argument. States, localities and charities would care for seniors who truly needed it, and responsible seniors would still be able to take care of themselves.

But when you get people dependent on government, there is no motivation to do for yourself. Besides, dependent voters are dependable voters, and that is what counts the most.
joe bloe's Avatar
You know, if we had paid attention to the Constitution, we wouldn't be having this argument. States, localities and charities would care for seniors who truly needed it, and responsible seniors would still be able to take care of themselves.

But when you get people dependent on government, there is no motivation to do for yourself. Besides, dependent voters are dependable voters, and that is what counts the most. Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy
We're reaping what FDR sowed over seventy years ago. The New Deal was unconstitutional. We should have killed it in the crib, to mix a methaphor.
Well; we are here, in this mess. It can be unwound. The Ryan Plan will take that step thru privatization.
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
What is wrong with giving people control over their own money? What has the government done to prove that it can manage a person's retirement better than the person can? I really don't have a problem with government requiring that a person prepare for his/her older years, but come on.

Let the government approve a broad range of funds for people to invest in, and if the returns aren't as much as what they would have received under social security, the government can make up the difference. If the fund makes more, great! The government won't have to pitch in. It would save a lot of money, and if the person died before their retirement was spent, they could leave their money to their children.

I know this is unconstitutional, so I am speaking somewhat hypothetically, but the whole thing is. But this makes more sense than what we have now.
That is basically the Chilean retirement system !
What is so magical about age 55?

If these plans are so great, why not apply them to everyone?
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
The idea is that people 55 and over have based their retirement choices on the system as it is. Those under 55 will have more time to adjust to the new rules.
This is what the esteemed Democrat WTF thinks:

"fuc granny. Granny probably didn't even work"

http://www.eccie.net/showpost.php?p=...9&postcount=11

I surprised he's not on this thread singing the praises of Paul Ryan!