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Trump said he won't touch medicare or medicaid. Said he wants to increase military spending and not touch social security. That accounts for around 70% of the b

Trump said he won't touch medicare or medicaid. Said he wants to increase military spending and not touch social security. That accounts for around 70% of the budget. How do you make the massive changes he thinks DOGE needs to make out of the last 30% of the budget? We're going to have to come up creative ways to get there like means testing for social security. If you're hell bent on "rich people paying their fair share." then how about we means test those rich folks and roll THEIR Social Security benefits down to people who actually need it?

blitzar 2y ago
> How do you make the massive changes he thinks DOGE needs to make out of the last 30% of the budget? Given they aim to eliminate 33% of federal spending they will need to cut 110% of that part of the budget.
amanaplanacanal 2y ago
The myth is that social security is a retirement program, not a welfare program. The fear is that if you start means testing it, is no longer an entitlement, and people will perceive it as a welfare program instead of a retirement program, and that will be the beginning of the end.
pyrale 2y ago
> then how about we means test those rich folks and roll THEIR Social Security benefits down to people who actually need it? Best way to get otherwise reasonable people to stop supporting social nets. Making a welfare system designed to support only the least well-off is the first step to removing it.
- potato3732842 2y ago
  >Best way to get otherwise reasonable people to stop supporting social nets. Making a welfare system designed to support only the least well-off is the first step to removing it. Isn't that what it already does? I live in a very rich very blue state and even here the qualification criteria for just about any state program more or less exclude any poor household that's trying to get ahead (single mom with a full time job, two employed parents multiple kids or elderly dependents, etc). I know the adjacent less rich less blue states are even worse.
  - pyrale 2y ago
    Well, "more market" has been a non-partisan program for a while now.
burkaman 2y ago
> Trump said he won't touch medicare or medicaid. Said he wants to increase military spending and not touch social security. Whenever you see a definitive-sounding Trump quote, take a moment to see if he's also said the exact opposite before you make any conclusions. Here's a good overview of this particular topic: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donald-trump-map-social-security-medicare-rcna143475 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donald-trump-m.... He's said he definitely won't cut entitlements, but also that he might, and he tried to make cuts when he was in office but didn't try that hard. If you're trying to predict what he's going to do you can look at past actions, or what personnel he has put in place. Just reading what he says is useless.
- brokenmachine 2y ago
  >If you're trying to predict what he's going to do you can look at past actions, or what personnel he has put in place. Just reading what he says is useless. I'd just like to reflect on how absolutely batshit crazy America is to have voted this guy into the most powerful political position in the world, again! The whole thing is actually very impressive. Nobody actually knows what he stands for, other than he claims he's the best at it. Even after he did none of it when he was in the same position before!

blitzar 2y ago

> How do you make the massive changes he thinks DOGE needs to make out of the last 30% of the budget? Given they aim to eliminate 33% of federal spending they will need to cut 110% of that part of the budget.

amanaplanacanal 2y ago

The myth is that social security is a retirement program, not a welfare program. The fear is that if you start means testing it, is no longer an entitlement, and people will perceive it as a welfare program instead of a retirement program, and that will be the beginning of the end.

pyrale 2y ago

> then how about we means test those rich folks and roll THEIR Social Security benefits down to people who actually need it? Best way to get otherwise reasonable people to stop supporting social nets. Making a welfare system designed to support only the least well-off is the first step to removing it.

potato3732842 2y ago
>Best way to get otherwise reasonable people to stop supporting social nets. Making a welfare system designed to support only the least well-off is the first step to removing it. Isn't that what it already does? I live in a very rich very blue state and even here the qualification criteria for just about any state program more or less exclude any poor household that's trying to get ahead (single mom with a full time job, two employed parents multiple kids or elderly dependents, etc). I know the adjacent less rich less blue states are even worse.
- pyrale 2y ago
  Well, "more market" has been a non-partisan program for a while now.

burkaman 2y ago

> Trump said he won't touch medicare or medicaid. Said he wants to increase military spending and not touch social security. Whenever you see a definitive-sounding Trump quote, take a moment to see if he's also said the exact opposite before you make any conclusions. Here's a good overview of this particular topic: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donald-trump-map-social-security-medicare-rcna143475 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donald-trump-m.... He's said he definitely won't cut entitlements, but also that he might, and he tried to make cuts when he was in office but didn't try that hard. If you're trying to predict what he's going to do you can look at past actions, or what personnel he has put in place. Just reading what he says is useless.

brokenmachine 2y ago
>If you're trying to predict what he's going to do you can look at past actions, or what personnel he has put in place. Just reading what he says is useless. I'd just like to reflect on how absolutely batshit crazy America is to have voted this guy into the most powerful political position in the world, again! The whole thing is actually very impressive. Nobody actually knows what he stands for, other than he claims he's the best at it. Even after he did none of it when he was in the same position before!