We all know: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid did not create the 2008 Global Economic Meldown. Rather, war profiteering, greedy bankers & Corporate Thugs who gambled Taxpayer money on Wall Street Speculation did.
First & foremost keep one very important thing in mind -
Social Security does not contribute one red cent to the Deficit or Debt - not one red cent. In fact, Social Security is very robust and has a $2.6 Trillion Dollar Surplus. And that's after W borrowed Trillions from Social Security Fund to give the false illusion and hide the fact that Tax Cuts LOWERS Govt Revenue (see Teabaggie/GOP want us to falsely think Tax Cuts creates Revenue - what a crock of shit)
The Gang of Six to ..... "rescue" or "wreck" :
Remember when the "Gang of Six" screwed up Health Care Reform and tossed out Single Payer system for the 1993 Republican ideology of "Individual Mandate" - just so that 'some' (none) Congressional Republicans would vote "yea."
Well now the Gang of Six want to dismantle Social Security for the same reason -- get at least one GD Republican to vote "yea" - what a crock of shit.
The Gang of Six sent member Sen Mark Warner out on Sunday to do their Propaganda Recitation"
"You know, part of this is just math -- 16 workers for every one retiree 50 years ago, three workers for every retiree now," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a fake Democrat member of the group, told CBS "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer on Sunday.
Think about the Gang of Six "solution" by their Warped Reasoning:
Think about the Gang of Six "solution" by their Warped Reasoning:
Gang of Six essentially are saying 'we will CUT benefits & dismantle Social Security because the unemployment "today" is higher than it was in 1961.'
NOTICE: No mention of creating JOBS to employ 16 workers for every one retiree - oh no, no, no ... (that might cut into the Historic Record Breaking Profits of their Corporate Thug Bosses who ship US jobs to overseas sweatshops.)
Instead, the Gang of Six bypass any method of Job Creation and go straight for dismantling Social Security "TODAY" - even though ... even though
... even though Fact: Social Security has a Surplus can pay full benefits until 2037, at which time, if nothing were done to strengthen its financing, Social Security would still be able to pay about 78% of benefits.
Another thing the Gang of Six want all of us to forget is that in 1935, when the first Social Security Act was passed, the unemployment rate was over 20%. Thus, there were hardly any workers, certainly not 16 workers, for every one retired person ... hmmm ....
How did Roosevelt do it? How did Roosevelt create Social Security with 20% unemployment and at the same time prevent the country from going bankrupt? Oh my!
After all, in 1935 Social Security paid:
-- Unemployment Benefits,
-- Benefits for those living in Poverty,
-- Benefits for Widows and fatherless children
All with a 20% Unemployment Rate.
So, let the fearmongering begin: According the Gang of Six warped propaganda --- the 1935 Social Security Act never, ever would have made it off the ground and Social Security would have bankrupt the USA - but it didn't ... the Gang of Six are WRONG and quite the opposite happened.
Social Security DID make it off the ground, DID help the unemployed, poor, elderly, widows & fatherless children ... and ... created a SURPLUS.
Not only did Roosevelt NOT bankrupt the USA he also created a means for Social Security to pay for itself ... but how? The Gang of Six can't figure it out -- but I sure as hell can.
Answer: Easy, Roosevelt CREATED JOBS with his Jobs Program that put people back to work. Roosevelt lowered the unemployment rate, put much-needed regulations on the banking & financial industry, prevented foreclosure on individual's homes, created Social Security to help those not working and increased Government Revenue. Roosevelt's New Deal put the United States on a REAL Path to Prosperity.
That is "HOW" Roosevelt was did NOT bankrupt the USA and created a means for Social Security to pay for itself.
Roosevelt knew that if it took 16 workers to pay for one retiree - then he (Roosevelt) would have to create jobs for those 16 needed workers - and he did - by creating the National Works Program called Works Progress Admin (WPA)
There are many problems with the way the current Gang of Six are propagandizing reality - one of which is this notion that "government can't create jobs - so 'we' won't." Therefore, the Gang of Six say, "we have to cut programs that help the poor & elderly so our Corporate Thug Bosses can continue to send US Jobs to overseas sweatshops while at the same time post Historic Record Profits and give those same Corp Thug Bosses over $92Billion Taxpayer Dollars Yearly in Cash/Subsidies." Yup ... that's one of their many problems.
Another huge problem with the Gang of Six is the makeup is the group's makeup
... 3 Teabagging/Frightwinged Republicans, 2 Republicans who merely register as Democrats and 1 Democrat.
Gang of Six:
Teabagger/Frightwingers: Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn & Mike CRAPo
Republicans registered as Democrat: Mark Warner & Kent Conrad
Democrat: Dick Durban
Here's a kicker - Two of the Gang of Six Senators — Mark Warner (D-VA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) — met with the Anti-US Worker-Chamber of Commerce in Richmond, Va. on Monday, April 11, 2011 to seek their advice ... Sheesh ... oh and they're taking their clown show back on the road next month and hitting up Corporations in Georgia - to get their advice.
The reality is, the United States has plenty of money. Corporations who received Billions of Taxpayer Money under Bush TARP - are sitting on TRILLIONS of Dollars. So, instead of hiring workers they horde the money (some of it is Taxpayer TARP money) in interest bearing accounts, pay little to ZERO Federal Income Tax, live in the USA with all the USA protections that Tax Dollars pay for (military, cops, Port Authority, Fed Roads etc) & post Historic Record Profits
Seriously, how much more proof does anyone need to know that Trickle Down does not mean "money" trickles down ... Trickle Down has always meant, shit still runs downhill.
I'll tell ya this, when we have Congress shit on the US Worker & cut benefits from the poor and elderly so that their Corp Thug Bosses can continue to post Historic Record Profits - the USA is f@%ked ... totally f@%ked and anyone that buys into their sky-is-falling BS false propaganda is a stupid fool.
Here's some nice Headlines To Remember as we listen to the Gang of Six propagandize & fearmonger us to the point of dismantling Social Security:
*2007 The gap between rich and poor grows in the United States.
*2008 Gap between rich and poor is getting bigger
*2009 Widening gap between Rich and Poor
*2010 Income Gap Between Rich and Poor Highest in Decades
* Sen Mitch McConnell(R) -"The Republicans will filibuster any Bill that does NOT have tax cuts for Billionaires"
*Sen Mitch McConnell(R) "People making over $250,000.00 got hit harder than any other group during the recession."
* Paul Ryan(R) Budget Plan:
"Tax Cuts for Millionaires, Cut Medicare and Privatize Social Security."
* Sen Jon Kyl(R): "Extend Bush Tax Cuts For Wealthy Even If They Add To Deficit"
*House Speaker Boehner(R) told bankers, "Fight Financial Reform and Know that I have all of you in my trusted hands, I've got enough rabbits up my sleeve."
* House Speaker Boehner(R) Tells Bankers To Fight Financial Reform and says, "Don’t Let Those Little Punk Staffers Take Advantage Of You’
* Blank Checks For Banks, But 2 Million Unemployed Get Cut Off
* Republicans Hire Business Lobbyists to write their “America Speaking Out” in an effort to Develop GOP Platform for the 2010 elections.
* House Speaker Boehner(R) "Now is not the time to talk about finding solutions to vast problems that continue to plague the country".