Category Archives: Social Security

Social Security, Healthcare, and the Fallacy of Consumer ‘Choice’

And note, outside of voting, no one ever uses the phrase ‘citizen choice’, do they? But I digress. I recently had to go the hospital for a routine exam, which always involves lots of sitting in waiting rooms. While my … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness, Economics, Social Security | 2 Comments

Social Security Is Still Doomed Sometime in the Future Based on Questionable Assumptions

It never ends. The Social Security Trustees released their report yesterday, and they now predict that the Social Security Trust Fund will no longer be able to pay out full benefits after 2033. Last year, it was 2036. As Atrios … Continue reading

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The War on Social Security: How the Rich Warp the Political System (It’s Blackrock, Stupid)

John Cole asks a good question about the opposition to Social Security: Why our elites and media elites have such sheer contempt and hatred for social security. It’s there for everyone! It’s a solid government program which gives everyone the … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness, Conservatives, Social Security

With (Potential) Democrats Like Bob Kerrey, Who Needs Republicans? On the Evil of Two Lessers

One of the truly annoying thing about the conservative Blue Dog Democrats is how they insist–heroically–that they are saving us Democrats from ourselves. One of the classic practitioners of that dark art was former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, who having … Continue reading

Posted in Conservatives, Democrats, Fucking Morons, Social Security | 1 Comment

What’s Wrong With a Welfare Nation?

At The Atlantic, a post by Alex Tabarrok, “The Innovation Nation vs. the Warfare-Welfare State“, has been making its way around the bloggysphere, in part due to the big shout out to science, as embodied by this figure: Tabarrok: We … Continue reading

Posted in Basic Human Decency, Conservatives, Ethics, Funding, Healthcare, Public Health, Social Security | 2 Comments

Why the Washington Post Must Go Out of Business

Robert Kuttner, in discussing some really shoddy reporting in the Washington Post about Social Security, comments (boldface mine): So let’s get this straight. If the committee does agree to cut the budget by some $1.2 trillion, including people’s Medicare, Medicaid, … Continue reading

Posted in Fucking Morons, News Media, Social Security | 1 Comment

Prediction Fail: The 1997 Social Security Edition (Stil Not DOOMED!!!)

I’ve noted repeatedly that the estimates of Social Security’s demise are based on pessimistic assumptions (although Medicare-related estimates are even worse). Well, here’s a blast from the past by José Pinera who, in 1997, was the “co-chairman of the Cato … Continue reading

Posted in Fucking Morons, Social Security | 1 Comment

The Sooner the Washington Post Goes Out of Business, the Safer the Elderly Will Be

Ordinarily, I would put this in the links round-up, but this post by Dean Baker eviscerating a Washington Post story about Social Security is worth highlighting. The entire Post story is, well, wrong, but here’s one part: The basic premise … Continue reading

Posted in Fucking Morons, News Media, Propaganda, Social Security

Robert Samuelson Continues His Long War on Retirees

Because $29,000 per year of income is definitely the high life.
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Posted in Fucking Morons, Social Security | 2 Comments

Sovereign Nations Should Not Outsource Currency: The Social Security Edition

e’re charging old people dependent on Social Security and who are often living close to the bone user fees to access their Social Security payments. Actually, we is not the correct pronoun–MasterCard is.
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Posted in Bidness, Social Security | 10 Comments