Why are republicans targeting SSDI benefits and not SS benefits too?

[merrily]

101. One generation against another, one recipient group against another.

Divide and conquer. "It's a story as old as Adam and Eve." They target seniors, the disabled AND the young and healthy. However, of late, the emphasis seems to be on targeting the disabled rather than seniors.

After all, it's easier for the plutocrats to pretend that most or all people who are 65 or older should have been responsible enough to put aside plenty from their salaries for their retirement, than it is to say the same about someone who was disabled at 29 (and may collect benefits many years more longer than someone who worked until conventional retirement age.)

From a distance, the fight between needy seniors and needy disabled doesn't look quite as ugly as some soul-less billionaire arguing against Old Age Surivivors and Disability Insurance benefits to a disabled person. But, that is indeed who is fueling the fight against OASDI, as well as the pitting one generation against another and one group of recipients against the other.

BTW, this gambit has extra bennies for the plutocrats. One, this gambit not only pits seniors against the disabled, but if it succeeds, will soon pit the disabled against seniors as well. Greedy, soul-less, plutocrats delight. Two, there are some very strong and healthy seniors, but, by definition, not so among the disabled. And the disabled don't have as strong a group as AARP behind them. So, the disabled are, overall, easier to pick off. Three, the seeming disparity in the contributions gives the soul-less argument a veneer of rationality and, even, justice, though only the thinnest of veneers. Still, enough for "plausible deniality" about the inevitable killer of human beings to make sure the rich don't have to contribute to the society that made them rich that all this stuff really is.

But make no mistake, disabled, seniors or young'uns, they are coming for all of us and have been doing that for decades.

So, next time you see anyone fighting OASDI, know that they are fighting the battles of Pete Peterson, the Koch brothers, et al., whether they are so doing knowingly or unwittingly, or for money or for free. Living wage, paid time off from work, safe working conditions, an individual mandate to, in part, help bail out health insurers and hospitals, jobs flying overseas low expectation workers getting visas, OASDI, welfare. They have their eyes on all of us and always have. But they are getting better and better at all of it.

Don't fall into their trap.