General Discussion

-none

(1,884 posts)

35. There it is!

Mon Mar 28, 2016, 03:24 PM

Mar 2016

There are numerous threats to this program... from the damage the Bush recession did to the fund, to low interest rates to outsourcing higher paying industrial jobs and replacing them with lower paying service jobs, to the current cap. I'd like to see capital gains money finally taxed.

A major reason seldom mentioned when talking about Social Security. The root reason Social Security is in trouble. Is the major decline in the number of Living-Wage-Jobs since 2000. Anything else is diddling with the symptoms. Put our money on good, decent jobs and not into For-Profit-Prisons.
Stop our wars of choice, our self-perpetuating wars on terrorism and drugs and concentrate on rebuilding out own crumbling infrastructure and getting our manufacturing back into this country. And try to catch up to the rest of the civilized world on transportation and communications. Our high speed trains derail at 80 MPH, while other countries can have 250/300 MPH safely.

We will be better off. Our country will be better off. And the world will be better off.

Cooperation, not war seems to have been a foreign concept since the first non-aboriginals arrived.

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57 replies

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Ultra Low Interest Rates A Threat To Social Security [View all] eniwetok Mar 2016 OP

A start TrueDemVA Mar 2016 #1

they will pay it back eniwetok Mar 2016 #4

So double taxation for the same benefits. OnlinePoker Mar 2016 #6

some canadian money is invested OUTSIDE the country eniwetok Mar 2016 #11

regressive vs progressive eniwetok Mar 2016 #54

It's not just taxation to pay back the interest OnlinePoker Mar 2016 #57

That's still a dumb idea Recursion Mar 2016 #38

LBJ and the "unified budget" NT 1939 Mar 2016 #48

It isn't raising alarm bells because the trust fund is supposed to be spent. jeff47 Mar 2016 #2

no guarantee the GOP will implode eniwetok Mar 2016 #12

There's no guarantee the sun will rise tomorrow Major Nikon Mar 2016 #14

it's untenable if the only new revenue is from eniwetok Mar 2016 #23

I'm speaking about the GOP, and not SS Major Nikon Mar 2016 #25

There's only so long the Democratic party can keep the Republican party alive. jeff47 Mar 2016 #17

where did you get 30 years from? eniwetok Mar 2016 #24

The 2034 claim started in about 2004. jeff47 Mar 2016 #30

I don't know where you got those numbers eniwetok Mar 2016 #40

From previous reports. Just because they're not online does not mean they do not exist. jeff47 Mar 2016 #41

*Applause* Recursion Mar 2016 #39

Is that you Pete Peterson? Fuddnik Mar 2016 #3

hardly eniwetok Mar 2016 #8

There it is! -none Mar 2016 #35

The rate that the government lends to itself is inherently trivial Taitertots Mar 2016 #5

2.8 trillion is trivial? eniwetok Mar 2016 #9

You're missing the point FBaggins Mar 2016 #15

of course... eniwetok Mar 2016 #37

"Lent and spent". It's gone. Every penny comes from increased taxes Taitertots Mar 2016 #50

shifting the tax burden... eniwetok Mar 2016 #52

The obligations are independent of the income stream. Taitertots Mar 2016 #53

see post above eniwetok Mar 2016 #55

of course interest payments come from the same source... somewhat. eniwetok Mar 2016 #56

Sorry... untrue FBaggins Mar 2016 #7

what's "untrue"? eniwetok Mar 2016 #10

The entire premise of the article. FBaggins Mar 2016 #13

sorry... you're incorrect eniwetok Mar 2016 #19

Apologies... but you still don't get it. FBaggins Mar 2016 #34

missing the math? eniwetok Mar 2016 #42

interest rates are set by Congress eniwetok Mar 2016 #22

Well, yeah Congress can always amend the SS Act. But until they do that, it's pretty much a market Hoyt Mar 2016 #28

comparable interest paid eniwetok Mar 2016 #43

Nope. They're tied to market rates FBaggins Mar 2016 #33

so you want to cut benefits? eniwetok Mar 2016 #21

Lol... nope FBaggins Mar 2016 #32

when you eniwetok Mar 2016 #44

Ultra low interest rates are not healthy for the economy in general... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #16

nope... I don't favor privatization eniwetok Mar 2016 #20

In general, I agree.... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #27

I think they have driven rates down in the hopes of spurring job creating business. Hoyt Mar 2016 #29

Low interest rates also reduce unemployment and generally boost the economy. jeff47 Mar 2016 #31

low interest rates eniwetok Mar 2016 #45

And it hasn't worked well because of other issues that only Congress, not the Fed, can address. strategery blunder Mar 2016 #47

And NO privatization Omaha Steve Mar 2016 #18

Raise the cap. nt WhiteTara Mar 2016 #26

or stop exempting capital gains eniwetok Mar 2016 #36

and, not or... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #46

Ultra low interest rates... sendero Mar 2016 #49

Agreed. Allowing giant banks to borrow money for free from the taxpayers without no requirement GoneFishin Mar 2016 #51