Musk Droppings (2 Viewers)

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Huntn

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The failure comes just more than a month after the company’s seventh Starship flight also ended in an explosive failure. The back-to-back mishaps occurred in early mission phases that SpaceX has easily surpassed previously, indicating serious setbacks for a program Musk has sought to speed up this year.
 



It’s astonishing how delusional he has become. He has transformed Twitter into a right-wing echo chamber, spreading hate under the guise of "free speech." Worse, he has openly promoted racist falsehoods and embraced extremist Nazi rhetoric.


Beyond the platform itself, his reckless management style has disrupted countless lives. He fires employees on a whim, only to rehire some without even understanding the nature of their work. His leadership is chaotic at best and destructive at worst.
 
The solution is very simple, as stated by @Dragon. The problem is those donors who control the congressmen (who control the law/purse strings) don't want to implement it because it would cost them more money, even though it's the most equitable way to do it. That's why they're pushing the Ponzi scheme nonsense and why they want to privatize it.
If you view it as something other than an entitlement program paid for with tax dollars, then yeah, it looks much like a Ponzi scheme. But that is not what it is. It’s an entitlement program we have to figure out how to properly control and fund.
 
If you view it as something other than an entitlement program paid for with tax dollars, then yeah, it looks much like a Ponzi scheme. But that is not what it is. It’s an entitlement program we have to figure out how to properly control and fund.

It's not an entitlement program though. Most of us have paid into SS from our youth. I've been paying into it since I started working at the Real Superstore when I was 15 years old. This is a government program we all pay into so that we don't have vast poverty for Senior citizens. The same for Medicare and Medicaid. And yes, it does cover everybody, including those who aren't able to make the same contributions the rest of us can. That's why it important for all of us, especially the rich, to pay into it at the same percentage. The rich receive the most benefits from a healthy, stable and prosperous economy/society, so they are as equally responsible as the rest, if not more, of us for paying into SS.
 
Just tax the billionaires on the same level as everyone else as they were previously. No cap on Social Security taxes, Problem solved
Agree on no social security cap.

But the previous top income tax rate was 39.6% which was lowered to 37%. So, not much of a gain.
 
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If you view it as something other than an entitlement program paid for with tax dollars, then yeah, it looks much like a Ponzi scheme. But that is not what it is. It’s an entitlement program we have to figure out how to properly control and fund.

Translation: If you lie about what it is, it suddenly becomes a problem. See Rufo, Christopher.
 
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It's not an entitlement program though. Most of us have paid into SS from our youth. I've been paying into it since I started working at the Real Superstore when I was 15 years old. This is a government program we all pay into so that we don't have vast poverty for Senior citizens. The same for Medicare and Medicaid. And yes, it does cover everybody, including those who aren't able to make the same contributions the rest of us can. That's why it important for all of us, especially the rich, to pay into it at the same percentage. The rich receive the most benefits from a healthy, stable and prosperous economy/society, so they are as equally responsible as the rest, if not more, of us for paying into SS.
What you described is an entitlement program. You can call it what you want but an entitlement program is what it is.

I get its purpose. I have no problem with that. We do have to properly manage and control it and we have to properly fund it. We all benefit from a healthy stable economy. Our system of taxation is already progressive. Maybe everyone’s rates need to go up to some degree to pay for these programs. I’m open to any such discussion. I don’t think it’s smart to ignore the problem until it becomes a crisis. That appears to be the norm.
 
What you described is an entitlement program. You can call it what you want but an entitlement program is what it is.

I get its purpose. I have no problem with that. We do have to properly manage and control it and we have to properly fund it. We all benefit from a healthy stable economy. Our system of taxation is already progressive. Maybe everyone’s rates need to go up to some degree to pay for these programs. I’m open to any such discussion. I don’t think it’s smart to ignore the problem until it becomes a crisis. That appears to be the norm.

Ever since the term "entitlement" program began to be used to describe SS, it has has an intended negative connotation associated with it that most of the people receiving it haven't earned it through their contribution. It has also had the connotation that it's not self-funded thorough the contribution for that specific program. Same for Medicare/Medicaid. Both of those are false. That is my objection to it being labeled an entitlement program.

Given that SS is self funded, the obvious answer to any future budget shortfalls is to raise the contributions of those who pay a smaller percentage than the rest of us because they make so much money.
 
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There was a 50+ year period where the top tax rate was anywhere from 50-91%. How do you figure that the "previous top income tax rate was

Ever since the term "entitlement" program began to be used to describe SS, it has has and intended negative connotation associated with it that most of the people receiving it haven't earned it through their contribution. It has also had the connotation that it's not self-funded thorough the contribution for that specific program. Same for Medicare/Medicaid. Both of those are false. That is my objection to it being labeled an entitlement program.

Given that SS is self funded, the obvious answer to any future budget shortfalls is to raise the contributions of those who pay a smaller percentage than the rest of us because they make so much money.

Let’s us not forget that we also cap the benefits at some point. So high net income people don’t draw the same percentage either.

Social security is funded from payroll taxes which ultimately flow into the general fund like any other tax revenue. We all pay those taxes with a few exceptions just like other income taxes. It’s not insurance except in name.

It’s a government program. An entitlement program. An obligation of the US government. It is what it is. That is where it appears in the budget. That is how it is classified legally. Renaming it doesn’t change its nature or purpose.

I’m happy to call it SSI if you like. The funding problem still remains. At the current rate, the program cash inflows will be insufficient to cover program cash outflows within the next ten years. So call it whatever you choose, but in less than 10 years its will be underfunded no matter how you choose to name it.
 
Let’s us not forget that we also cap the benefits at some point. So high net income people don’t draw the same percentage either.

Social security is funded from payroll taxes which ultimately flow into the general fund like any other tax revenue. We all pay those taxes with a few exceptions just like other income taxes. It’s not insurance except in name.

It’s a government program. An entitlement program. An obligation of the US government. It is what it is. That is where it appears in the budget. That is how it is classified legally. Renaming it doesn’t change its nature or purpose.

I’m happy to call it SSI if you like. The funding problem still remains. At the current rate, the program cash inflows will be insufficient to cover program cash outflows within the next ten years. So call it whatever you choose, but in less than 10 years its will be underfunded no matter how you choose to name it.

I don't think entitlement program is a legal classification, just a descriptive one. But I may be wrong.
 
Ever since the term "entitlement" program began to be used to describe SS, it has has and intended negative connotation associated with it that most of the people receiving it haven't earned it through their contribution. It has also had the connotation that it's not self-funded thorough the contribution for that specific program. Same for Medicare/Medicaid. Both of those are false. That is my objection to it being labeled an entitlement program.

Given that SS is self funded, the obvious answer to any future budget shortfalls is to raise the contributions of those who pay a smaller percentage than the rest of us because they make so much money.

This is where I am as well. By strict definition, it's an entitlement program. My problem is the negative connotation associated with that term. Social security is something we all pay for specifically that, by and large, we are all eligible for.
 
There was a 50+ year period where the top tax rate was anywhere from 50-91%. How do you figure that the "previous top income tax rate was 39.5%"?
There was a 50+ year period where the top tax rate was anywhere from 50-91%. How do you figure that the "previous top income tax rate was 39.5%"?
Because in 2017 the top marginal tax rate was 39.6% and the new top marginal tax rate in 2018 is 37%. So the “Tax Cut and Jobs Act” of 2017 reduced the top marginal tax rate from 39.6% to 37%, a massive 2.6% reduction for top wage earners.
 

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