He had to Destroy Social Security in Order to Save It
by John Lawrence, February 19, 2020
Just as in Vietnam when a commander said, "It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it", Trump and conservative Republican budget hawks are saying the same thing about social security and Medicare. "The president promised that unlike other Republicans, he wouldn't touch Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. He's already broken that promise and gone after Medicare. Now it looks like Social Security is in the president's crosshairs as well," Schumer said at the outset of a press conference to discuss the Senate impeachment trial. Trump casually made his remarks at a World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a gathering of the world's financial elite.
Republicans wouldn't consider cutting the bloated military budget in order to reduce the deficit. Their whole thing is to go after social programs. They can't stand the fact that some old poor person might not have to end up on the street because a government program saved her. The last President to actually balance the budget was Democrat Bill Clinton. Republicans have only driven it skyward with their tax cuts for the rich (and to be fair pennies for the poor) and huge increases in military appropriations. "Even as this important trial continues, Americans should hear that the president is casually talking about cutting their Social Security at a Swiss ski resort with the global financial elite," Schumer added.
There is supposed to be a reserve of funds in the Social Security Trust Fund. In practice the government uses these reserves to fund other programs like the military. At the end of 2014, the Trust Fund contained (or alternatively, was owed) $2.79 trillion, up $25 billion from 2013. This is called intergovernmental debt, in other words money the government owes itself. This debt can be eliminated at any time by a vote of Congress. In fact that is exactly what Republicans seek to do. Then they can use all government funds for the military. In their minds it's more important to fund the military than it is to keep old people off the streets.
Old people are finding that, despite the fact they are still working and paying into social security, their monthly social security checks from the government are actually going down. How can this happen, you ask? In 2018 I wrote this:
"In 2016 I received a monthly social security benefit of $735.90. My Medicare monthly premium was $104.90. So the amount that the Social Security Administration deposited in my checking account each month was $631. Now despite the fact that I'm still working and paid $430. self employment tax in 2017, which should have given me an increase in my monthly social security check because the amount you get depends on the total amount paid in and I'm still paying in, the amount deposited in my account each month has gone down to $618. How could this be possible, you might ask? The answer is simple. I was given a paltry $1 a month increase in social security based on the fact that I paid $430 into it so the government made $418 off me in self employment tax for 2017. However, my monthly Medicare premium went up to $134. So my Medicare premiums are going up much more than the paltry amounts the government thinks I should get because I'm still working and paying in to social security. In short I'm getting ripped off as an elderly person who still works."
Those vaunted COLAs are not even keeping up with the cost of living. Certainly not with the cost of renting an apartment. Bernie's plan is the following: "Our plan: make health care a right to all. Stop giving tax breaks to billionaires. Protect and expand Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Transition to sustainable energy and leave behind a livable planet for our children." Let's get behind it. He's right, you know. Stop the military onslaught which is all about the protection of oil. Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Fund green infrastructure with the Green New Deal. Is that socialism. Who cares? It's all about saving the planet for future generations.