Two Numbers that Put the Social Security 'Crisis' into Perspective.

[reformist2]

1.) The so-called "unfunded liability" going out to 2080 is $5.7 trillion.(1)

2.) Total household net worth at the end of 2010 is $57 trillion.(2)

That's right. Almost 70 years of retirement and special assistance for the entire American population can be fully funded simply with merely 10% of the nation's current wealth. And assuming the national wealth will grow over time, the percentage required to fully fund Social Security to 2080 is likely to be far less than that, probably on the order of 5%. The fact that we can't seem to agree on a simple and small increase in taxes to fully fund Social Security is astonishing . That anybody even uses the word "crisis" with regard to Social Security is absurd, a reflection of the power the right-wing ultra-rich have had in controlling the debate. There is no crisis. We are not broke. We are not going to go bankrupt. It's all a pack of lies. And it's time to call out these ultra-right-wingers for the liars that they are.

1. From "Social Security and Medicare: The Impending Fiscal Challenge," 2005, Kansas City Fed.

2. From "Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States, Q4 2010," 2011, Federal Reserve.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Raise the cap or eliminate it............

[reformist2]

2. Yep. And we need to "just say no" to any cuts in benefits.

[nykym]

3. I realize that the solutions are simple

But stop and take a look at who is representing us, weather you are republic ( I spell it this way when referring to them), Democrat, Independent or whatever. What is thier average household income? What is thier yearly pay? They are all millionaires or better (OK I concede some are not but still make more than most of us). They really have no dog in this fight we do!