Special Commentary by Big Dan: Further proof that radio call in shows are staged to an extent: Who are these people who call into radio talk shows and say they want their social security cut? I don't know one single person who wants their social security cut, yet that's all I hear on radio talk shows. People calling in and saying, "I don't like money, raise the social security age. I don't want or like money." Do you honestly believe these people? That they're for real? Or do you think talk radio, like the mainstream media, is a staged production not to be trusted? How many people do you personally know, who say to you, "I'm 65, but I don't want my social security."? How many? NONE!!! But yet, nearly 100% of people calling into radio talk shows (actors? paid shills? rich people who don't need social security?) call in and say, "I HATE MONEY! I DON'T WANT MONEY! PLEASE STOP MY SOCIAL SECURITY!" Or how about this one: "Social security it a PONZI scheme!" So???????? You don't like money and want to work longer because social security is a PONZI scheme? wtf? Do you really believe this? Or do you think that any media owned by corporations - the mainstream media, radio talk shows, newspapers - is not to be trusted and speaks for a small percentage of the wealthiest elites, military war profiteers, and corporations including the corporation that owns that media? What do you believe? Compare actual real people you know, especially people you know in their 60's. Are they saying to you, "I'm 65, but you know what? I hate money. I don't want money. I want to work longer."? Are they saying this to you? Believe what your eyes and ears tell you about people you really see and know, and not what the media says. You have to be insane to believe what you hear on talk radio. You're an idiot if you believe it and there's no hope for you. It may be too late, but one day you will wake up and realize the mainstream media isn't liberal. In the meantime, I'm waiting for you to show me a real 65 year old person who doesn't want their social security. This will be easy for you, as there's so many on the radio (that you can't see for real). Next up in the media: "THE TEA PARTY DOESN'T WANT THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY". The reality is: "THE TEA PARTY" is John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, the Republicans, and those people in the picture above.
Big Dan's TV challenge: I want to see a 65 year old guy who can be identified go on TV and say: "I AM (name) AND I AM 65 YEARS OLD AND I DON'T WANT MY SOCIAL SECURITY!!!" I also want to see on TV, the identifiable unemployed guy who doesn't want unemployment, the identifiable guy without health care who doesn't want health care, the identifiable young student who doesn't want college aid, etc....(but they're all UN-identifiable anonymous callers on the Rush Limbaugh & rightwing radio shows!!!)
But that will never happen, because these people don't exist. They only exist as unidentified people on call in talk shows (actors? paid shills?) or by word of mouth by the people in the picture above. Just like the Canadians who come to the U.S. and pay cash (somehow) for health care. And they happen to have the same "views" as millionaires and billionaires like Rush Limbaugh. Isn't that peculiar that all these "callers" have the same views as these rich radio hosts, but you've never seen one you know in person??? If your 65 year old next door neighbor Joe was running around going, "I DON'T WANT MY SOCIAL SECURITY", you'd call the LOONEY BIN on him! They don't exist. Because it's really wealthy elitist people like Rush Limbaugh saying it. Caller: "Hi, Rush! I'm a 65 years old and I don't want my social security! I want to work longer, and I agree with everything you say!"
FOX "news" (and WILK FOX "news" Jr) calls for the repeal of Social Security.
REPORT: 104 Republicans In Congress Want To Privatize Social Security
Rumsfeld advocates cutting social security, but not defense spending.
Three Good Ideas And Three Not So Good Ideas From The Chairmen Of The Debt Commission
Obama Deficit Commission Criticized for Proposals to Slash Social Security, Medicare
Sanders Calls For Progressive Meeting, Alternative To Fiscal Commission
This is Exactly How They Are Going to Cut Social Security
BDBB Social Security post from Sept 4th
Mainstream media pushing cutting social security, health care, & education...but not WAR SPENDING!!!
Myth: Social Security is going broke.
Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.3 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a 'T'). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever.1 After 2037, it'll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits--and again, that's without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers retirement decades ago.2 Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.
Myth: We have to raise the retirement age because people are living longer.
Reality: This is a red-herring to trick you into agreeing to benefit cuts. Retirees are living about the same amount of time as they were in the 1930s. The reason average life expectancy is higher is mostly because many fewer people die as children than did 70 years ago.3 What's more, what gains there have been are distributed very unevenly--since 1972, life expectancy increased by 6.5 years for workers in the top half of the income brackets, but by less than 2 years for those in the bottom half.4 But those intent on cutting Social Security love this argument because raising the retirement age is the same as an across-the-board benefit cut.
Myth: Benefit cuts are the only way to fix Social Security.
Reality: Social Security doesn't need to be fixed. But if we want to strengthen it, here's a better way: Make the rich pay their fair share. If the very rich paid taxes on all of their income, Social Security would be sustainable for decades to come.5 Right now, high earners only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,000 of their income.6 But conservatives insist benefit cuts are the only way because they want to protect the super-rich from paying their fair share.
Myth: The Social Security Trust Fund has been raided and is full of IOUs
Reality: Not even close to true. The Social Security Trust Fund isn't full of IOUs, it's full of U.S. Treasury Bonds. And those bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.7 The reason Social Security holds only treasury bonds is the same reason many Americans do: The federal government has never missed a single interest payment on its debts. President Bush wanted to put Social Security funds in the stock market--which would have been disastrous--but luckily, he failed. So the trillions of dollars in the Social Security Trust Fund, which are separate from the regular budget, are as safe as can be.
Myth: Social Security adds to the deficit
Reality: It's not just wrong -- it's impossible! By law, Social Security funds are separate from the budget, and it must pay its own way. That means that Social Security can't add one penny to the deficit.1
Sources:
1."To Deficit Hawks: We the People Know Best on Social Security" New Deal 2.0, June 14, 2010
http://www.newdeal20.org/2010/06/14/to-defict-hawks-we-the-people-know-best-on-social-security-12290/
2. "The Straight Facts on Social Security" Economic Opportunity Institute, September 2009
http://www.eoionline.org/retirement_security/fact_sheets/StraightFactsSocialSecurity-Sep09.pdf
3. "Social Security and the Age of Retirement"Center for Economic and Policy Research, June 2010
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/reports/social-security-and-the-age-of-retirement/
4. "More on raising the retirement age" Ezra Klein, Washington Post, July 8, 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/more_on_raising_the_retirement.html
5. "Social Security is sustainable" Economic and Policy Institute, May 27, 2010
http://www.epi.org/analysis_and_opinion/entry/social_security_is_sustainable/
6. "Maximum wage contribution and the amount for a credit in 2010." Social Security Administration, April 23, 2010
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/240
7. "Trust Fund FAQs" Social Security Administration, February 18, 2010
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/fundFAQ.html
8. "To Deficit Hawks: We the People Know Best on Social Security" New Deal 2.0, June 14, 2010
http://www.newdeal20.org/2010/06/14/to-defict-hawks-we-the-people-know-best-on-social-security-12290/
Rachel Maddow: the U.S. spends more on "defense" than EVERY OTHER SINGLE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD COMBINED!!! (we can afford that.......but they want to cut your social security)
George Carlin: they're coming for your Social Security
Bush wanted to "privatize" social security before the financial crisis, we'd be FUCKED if he got his way:
Alan Simpson (R): Social Security For Lazy Leeches
Cuts To Social Security & Medicare Coming?
With all this anti-social security shilling in the mainstream media, it's time to post this again for all you fucking idiots who think the mainstream media is "liberal""
The Fight to Save Social Security Begins
Pennsylvania activists (including the Tea Party) in Pennsylvania spied on by Israeli company ITRR; compared to "Al Qaeda":
Pennsylvania Homeland Security office engaged in domestic surveillance, compared political groups to Al Qaeda
When Political Activism Gets Treated as Potential Terrorism
The Privatization of Citizen Informant Networks
ISRAELI SPIES TARGET PA.
Institute of Terrorism and Response a Mossad Israeli company was Hired by the State of Pennsylvania to Spy on Pennsylvanians.
GORDON DUFF: TAXPAYERS FUNDING ISRAELI DATABASE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS
The Constitution and National Security: The First Amendment Under Attack
Naomi Wolf on Real and Fake Mass Protests
