As I keep asking on this forum, Are Leftists stupid or subversive? There is no other possibility. Which is it?
There is no need to "kill" SS or Medicare. Both are funded by "payroll taxes" and not by general revenues, and particularly Federal Income Taxes. Social Security was corrupted by Democrat Administrations in the 70's, when Boomers were paying unprecedented billions into the "trust funds." Congress saw a chance to BUY VOTES with enhanced benefits and by adding a disability pension that was never called for in the original law. But with so much money coming it, who gave a shit? Prior to these innovations, Social Security was reluctantly acknowledged to be a SUPPLEMENT to individuals' pensions, savings, and family resources. Leftists at the time whined that "You can't live on Social Security alone!" To which rational observers responded, "It was never intended to provide enough money to live on." But again, with Boomer money coming in explosive amounts, the pensions were dramatically increased, a cost-of-living provision was added, and disability pensions were tacked on.
And now we have a situation where those very same Boomers are retiring and collecting pensions - again, in unprecedented amounts - and there's not enough money coming in to pay them indefinitely. There was hope with the pandemic; maybe a couple gazillion Boomers would have the decency to die, but alas "we" didn't go along with that plan.
Congress "borrowed" hundreds of billions of dollars from the SS excesses and the return of those borrowed moneys along with current contributions are keeping SS afloat, albeit temporarily.
If Congress does nothing, the funds will run dry in - I don't know - ten years or so, and pensions would be decreased dramatically to conform to the then-current revenue stream.
But Congress will do SOMETHING, the only question is, What? Will they eliminate the cap on earnings subject to FICA tax? Will they raise the retirement age? Will they revise the COLA formula? Will they make SS means-tested, thus cutting benefits (or FREEZING them) to all the rich bastards who actually have no need of SS (like me). When the time comes to get serious about SS, we know two things for certain: The Republicans will try to be rational, and the Democrats will demagog the issue to make it look like Republicans are trying to screw old people, and take away the pensions of everyone under 60 years old.
And so it goes.
No Republican leader has suggested "cutting Social Security" under any set of circumstances, but one Republican Senator made a suggestion that, if you construed it a certain way and were speaking to an audience of morons, could be alleged to threaten cutting SS - while every Republican leader within five thousand miles said that they have no intention of cutting SS.
So of course people like the OP understood that to mean that the Republicans want to cut SS.
Stupid or evil? Which is it?