Social Security Crises: Republicans Use Budget Axe as Democrats Play Catch-Up
The 'series of crises' in Social Security didn't begin with Trump, (Newsweek's story is from 2018). It’s a bipartisan tradition. For decades, politicians from both sides have warned of impending doom, using it as leverage to push for 'necessary' cuts. Remember when President Reagan hiked the retirement age and taxed benefits in 1983, or when George W. Bush tried—and failed—to privatize it? The
actual crisis isn't mismanagement, it's the systemic defunding through corporate tax cuts and ever-rising income inequality, ensuring those at the top avoid contributing their fair share while the rest of us watch our safety nets frayed. We hear the drumbeat—'Social Security is running out!'—but rarely the context: that wealthy individuals stopped paying into it on all their income above a certain
threshold (currently $168,600). So, while Newsweek points fingers at one administration, the real crisis is how readily mainstream media echoes the 'entitlement crisis' narrative without ever asking why corporate profits soar while public funds mysteriously vanish. One might wonder if the 'crises' are better for business.