A question about conservative opposition to social security....

[ClarkJonathanKent]

I am listening to some of Al Franken's audiobooks again, as I do every year, and a section on Social Security caused some confusion for me. I understand that many Conservatives have been trying to undermine and/or eliminate Social Security since its' inception. But can anyone explain WHY they are trying to eliminate it? I really don't understand why this is?

The primary reason I don't understand this is the trust fund. How many times has the trust fund been raided by Republicans to pay for some unfunded project or deficit? Without easy access to that money, wouldn't cooking the books become much harder? Wouldn't their "budgets" look far less appealing if they couldn't hide a trillion dollars in spending?

I understand why they want to privatize it now. I understand that it is basically a giveaway to financial donors in the money management sector. But overall, I just don't understand the motivations. I have received much education from you fine folks, and I hope to do so again.

[kestrel91316]

1. They want the non-wealthy to die once they retire, or just work until they die.

You didn't know this?? It's been glaringly obvious for some time. The non-wealthy are UNWORTHY.

[leftstreet]

2. Which conservatives are trying to eliminate SS?

I don't hear any of them calling for that

[On the Road]

3. I Think the Original Reason May Have Been

that it was seen as a type of socialism, and fell under the general dislike for government that can be done best by individuals.

Now I think it's just as much a matter of taxation, and falls under the rubric of dislike for anything that requires taxes, especially business taxes.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. I can't speak for all conservatives but

my husband wants to opt out of it. He would rather establish his own retirement in return for not having SS withholdings taken from his pay and would be content with being ineligible for SS retirement benefits later. I want to say the government is good at managing affairs and that his money would be secure with the SSA but some days it's harder than others.

[surrealAmerican]

6. I have heard this from other conservatives.

Of course, a certain percentage of investors lose money (and thus will be unable to retire), and, should the market "crash" very few people who have "opted out" of social security would be able to retire - nor would they be able to find jobs - meaning the government would have find the money somewhere to "bail them out", or they will just become homeless and starve.

[Notafraidtoo]

5. Conservatives today.

Want everything privatized and on the market, schools,health care,retirement, they want charity to replace welfare, they want no interference from the public in the private sector that means no regulations exposing the rest of us to poisoning from greed with our only option is to sue billion dollar company's that can keep us in court until we die of the cancer their cost saving plans caused.

Its madness that only helps a small % of the population and will make us a third world country again reversing the gains we have made since the 1930's. I wish Conservative voters would take some time and find country's that actually do the policy's they wish to impose on the rest of us to see the hell they would create if they got their way. A great nation that follows the policy's Conservatives wish to impose on us doesn't exist,they are all 100% shit hole none of us would want to live in.