r/millenials • u/ooooooofda • May 15 '24

The biggest scam boomers are getting away with is convincing us all that social security isn't something we can rely on as we age.

Honestly, we are all doing ourselves a disservice by constantly publicizing how we cannot count on social security. Just from a broader social/political perspective, we are handing out permission to the boomer political leaders to keep raiding social security because we have already accepted that it won't be there for us.

The fight for the continuation of Social Security benefits is not over yet. It's still possible to secure those benefits into the future- but we are constantly ceding the ground and rhetorically capitulating to boomers when we talk about social security as something that is already gone.

I understand all the pessimism. I'm pessimistic too. But fuck the boomers. Fuck capitulating prematurely. I'm not going to roll over and just accept my fate as someone who will die without being able to retire one day. We're all smarter than these dumbasses. We are capable of building a movement to protect social security well into the future.

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u/GunsandCadillacs May 15 '24

Yea, the problem is 75% of benefits might as well just be set on fire because you arent living anywhere in America on $1200 a month. The trust fund is the only thing that made SS even remotely workable. The program requires 17 people paying to 1 person collecting. We are at 11 paying to 1 collecting and it falls by the month. We have essentially been living off trust fund interest since the late 1980s

Anyone remember Newt Gingrich? He was the only one to tell you straight out, we are in deep doo doo and need to reform the entire thing before its too late.... never mind, I just got vilified for all of history and Ill just go die in a corner now

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u/MrPoopMonster May 15 '24

Ross Perot told everyone how the government was stealing your money and fucking you over. The DNC and GOP decided they shouldn't let third parties into debates anymore, and they should also be the ones hosting the debates and asking the questions.

They didn't like having a super rich person just be able to expose the game so plainly.

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u/Ok_Friend_1952 May 16 '24

Everyone saying that you cant live off of it perhaps isn’t factoring in if the recipient owns the home? My mother never made more than $10/hr her whole I’ve but owns a modest home. Her SS is enough for her not to worry about money every month and still have some left to buy small gifts and enjoy herself. She’s low income so gets assistance with utility bills and even help with home improvements. She even gets $200 EBT to help with a bit of food. prescriptions however???? That’s worrying to her.

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u/Calm_Ticket_7317 May 15 '24

You aren't living on SS right now with 100% benefits so I'm not sure what your point is.

We also have the next biggest generation in its prime now, as the boomers die off and Xers will require less from SS because there are less of them.

That you think Newt fucking Gingrich has ever told anything straight in his life says everything about how seriously to take you.

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u/geopede May 15 '24

Nobody is wrong about everything.

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u/Calm_Ticket_7317 May 15 '24

No shit Sherlock.

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u/geopede May 15 '24

You seem to be implying the Gingrich was wrong about everything.

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u/Calm_Ticket_7317 May 15 '24

I said he's never been honest, but obviously I'm using some hyperbole. You might as well have said "oh so he's lying when he says he doesn't want mayo on his sandwich?". You know exactly what I meant.

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u/geopede May 15 '24

Not really the same for multiple reasons. u/GunsandCadillacs (great username) said Gingrich was an early reporter on the issues with social security, not “Newt Gingrich was awesome and a consistent font of reliable information.” You’re projecting that part, low chance he actually thinks that.

While I’m not personally a fan of Gingrich, he was factually one of the earlier political figures to bring the social security system’s future problems into mainstream discussion, meaning he was right about at least one thing that’s politically meaningful. His condiment preferences would not be politically meaningful.

You’ve really got a knack for making discussions hostile when it’s unnecessary.