I've work as an attorney for SSA for many years. Social Security was part of "social safety net" plan implemented in most western countries to avoid another great depression on the advice of John Maynard Keynes. Prior to that, the world economy had ungone depressions approximately every 30 years since the tulip bubble in 1637. Depressions though history have brought great misery and strife. The panic of 1857 was a precipitating factor of the Civil War. The great depression was the primary reason Hitler was able to come to power. Penniless people en masse cause depressions and desperation, and that leads to very bad things.
In terms of world economic stability, the social safety net has been hugely successful, and because of that, it is here to stay. The only question is how will it be financed in the future. That said, a social safety net, isn't and was never intended to be your retirement plan or defacto pension it has become. It is intended to insure a steady source liquidity in the market to stave off wide spread financial collapse.
The fact is Social Security taxes have been used to prop up the federal government and the American tax payer since its inception, and is still, but the real problem started when we started to pay third world level taxes in the 1980s. Now Americans demand a first world country, while paying third world taxes. Politicals are gutless and are unwilling to have the necessary "come to jesus" moment with the American people because it would be extremely unpopular. You want to "save" Social Security and Medicare, you need to start paying taxes that will adequately fund the government again, and not keep kicking the "national debt" problem down the road. Under Ike the maximum tax rate was 90%, 52% corporate. Under Nixon it was 70%, Reagan it went from 70% to 28%. In fairness to him, the reduction was intended to combat stagflation. It wasn't intended to be the permanent policy it has become.
You want to be liberal, and have wide spread social programs, demand and pay the commensurate tax bill, and the decades of the short fall, accordingly.
You want to be conservative, it isn't toting a gun, it is living fiscal conservatism. It is demanding major cuts in programs, including the biggest three; corporate and farm welfare and the military, combined with paying a hefty tax increase, because trillions in debt needs to be retired. If that is done, Social Security will be just fine, because the trillions it lent to the government, and to you in unsustainable low taxes, it will get back.
A problem with what you say is that cutting farm welfare, will make it so that private farmers can't compete with Corporate farms, and government owned, run farms(And for those who say Govt doesn't own run anything, Amtrack is partially owned run by Govt.).
That will at least lead to semi temporary massive food shortfalls, that will spike food prices to US consumers, drive up inflation, torpedo the economy, cause a great depression, etc.
Now granted, after that everything would eventually stabilize as corporate and govt owned, run farms filled the void left by the shut down private farmers.
That does not mean that there is no room for fat trimming, as there are probably SOME farmers that get subsidies they don't need, etc.
Also while the military budget is out of control, have to be extremely careful, cautious, in how you make military budget cuts, so as to not effect military readiness, capability, etc.
I know that some in BOTH parties think the US pokes it's nose into business around the world and that if the US were to MIND ITS OWN BUSINESS, that there would be fewer wars, and that wouldn't need such a large military budget.
But history has shown what happens when Camelot becomes isolationist, minds it's own business: King Arthur, and the Knights of the round table all die, Hitler did what he did, as did Mao, and Polpot, etc. All it takes for evil to prosper, win, conquer is for a few good men, nations to do nothing, etc.
That said the military needs to eliminate the $10,000 nail, etc, figuratively, and could also probably use some careful FAT TRIMMING, but probably not to the tune, level you, others advocate.
Where I do agree with you is doing away with the Corporate Cronyism Welfare.
But even in this area, one should be careful, as if you cut to much, to quickly, then that could theoretically shut down enough businesses and jobs, to also shut down the economy, spike inflation, cause a depression, etc.
The way to save the Social Security, safety net, etc, is a multi way approach.
There is no just do this ONE THING, and it will all be fixed.
1. Treat the Social Security Trust Fund like Sancrosanct, with IRONCLAD lawyer proof protections, preventing it from being used for other things, loaned out, etc.
2. I don't know who needs to run, oversee Social Security, but the RIGHT GROUP of people need to be in charge of Social Security.
3. Ever so extremely slightly and extremely gradually increase the Social Security Insurance Premium tax, and make it so that everyone has SKIN in the game. Even a couple pennies increase per person, can be enough, a lot of money, if enough people are paying those couple pennies more. And by pennies more, that's LITERAL, not figurative.
4. Gradually raise the age, where, when can get social security.
5. Cut PORK BARREL spending like all the various Cricket Research projects. Individually they are only about 1 million to about 1 billion, but COLLECTIVELY it adds up to about 100 billion to half a trillion. That's a lot of money that could go into social security and more important things the PORK WASTE BARREL
6. Wisely have a Wise,Smart person repping the Govt Wisely invest Social Security and have it as a option that people can invest a portion of their Social Security before they reach the age where they can get Social Security.
7. Have the Govt, etc, help people get off Social Security thru incentives, education, counseling, training, helping to start a business and create jobs, etc. The less people are on social security, and the more people are incentivized to get off it, then Social Security will have more money.
8. Have governmental policies that will stimulate, grow the economy, create jobs, businesses, etc. The more money people make means more Social Security Insurance premium taxes people will pay into social security.
9. Control inflation, as if Inflation goes down, then less social security money is needed by social security recipients, which means more Social security in the trust fund.
10. Have a 3% flat Tax system, as that system would pay for everything in Government including Social Security.
11. Crack down on and eliminate Social Security fraud, and stop people from abusing the system, and eliminate the legal loopholes that allow people to legally exploit social security.
I'm sure there are things that can, could, should be added to list.
Saving Social Security is doable and is not a single solution, one size fits all, just throw more money at it, just CUT 1 thing, etc, solution.
What remains to be seen, is IF the Govt, people will do what needs to be done to save social security.
Guess will have to wait and see.
