Ben Shapiro, who probably has the softest hands on YouTube, is now also calling to raise the retirement age past 67; barring physical ailments. 

The total disregard for the blue collar class by people with soft hands is catching like wildfire until even Contards have picked it up. While I agree with Shapiro on a few topics, this is the drop off point where he loses favor with people like myself. It's a classism that captures the elite and those with pretensions of elitism.

Imagine telling mechanics, nurses, plumbers, garbage men, the service industry, all the people whose health takes a direct hit way before they even turn 60, that they must continue marching like ants because the people with soft hands won't have the same problems that they do and said so. 

posted by CenterBHSFan

Ben Shapiro, who probably has the softest hands on YouTube, is now also calling to raise the retirement age past 67; barring physical ailments. 

The total disregard for the blue collar class by people with soft hands is catching like wildfire until even Contards have picked it up. While I agree with Shapiro on a few topics, this is the drop off point where he loses favor with people like myself. It's a classism that captures the elite and those with pretensions of elitism.

Imagine telling mechanics, nurses, plumbers, garbage men, the service industry, all the people whose health takes a direct hit way before they even turn 60, that they must continue marching like ants because the people with soft hands won't have the same problems that they do and said so. 

How will Ben Shapiro affect this change?

I’m not against retirement moving back as life expectancy changes.  Retirement was never part of the human experience until well into the 20th century.  This business of 20-30 year retirements is only a few decades old.  

I’m clouded by personal opinion as I think retirement, unless very carefully filled with meaningful activities, is extremely unhealthy. 

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

How will Ben Shapiro affect this change?

I’m not against retirement moving back as life expectancy changes.  Retirement was never part of the human experience until well into the 20th century.  This business of 20-30 year retirements is only a few decades old.  

I’m clouded by personal opinion as I think retirement, unless very carefully filled with meaningful activities, is extremely unhealthy. 

This is a useless and rather stupid question since nowhere in my post did I suggest that Shapiro made policy. I did, however, give my opinion on the IDEA. See how those two things are not the same? 

Ok, good. Now we can move forward utilizing a message board in the manner it's normally used. I gave my opinion and then after a moment of fuckery, you gave yours. 

YAY!

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

I know a lot of the media is left wing crap.  I also believe a lot of the audience of left wing outlets are people who aren’t left wing, but are looking to be outraged.  

LOL, I think a LARGE percent of both audiences are people on the other side looking to be outraged.

On a related note, I remember reading some far left loony who happened to watch the same segment I did on Fox.  This was about Russia Collusion, which obviously was bullshit [for context].  Anyway, they had a panel of 3 discussing the left, right and center take on a particular aspect.  The right wing take went first.  Actually had some good points, nothing overly outrageous.  This dude flipped his lid and didn't hear, or at least didn't comprehend, anything else that was said.  It was a fine example of TDS where daring to question the CNN narrative somehow means you're defending Trump.  You even frequently see that, to lesser degree, on this very board.  People just can't separate their hatred for Trump from facts and logic.

Unfortunately, the left has taken over most of the major news outlets, so unless you choose to live in the Fox bubble, you can't escape the leftwing bullshit.  That would be fine if the BS was confined to editorials, but it's entirely pervasive.  "Journalists" now seem to think you're not smart enough to have your own opinion based on the facts, they have to manipulate and steer you toward the "correct" view.

Anyway, I'm trying to watch NewsNation more.  Seems pretty decent, even Cuomo now that he no longer has to toe the company line at CNN.  Years ago, I liked CNN (back when they covered actual news outside of politics).  Now there's not a single person on that network that can give a straight news piece.

I think MSNBC is almost completely comprised of former government officials (lol). CNN has a bunch and even FOX has some. I'd like to know who was the first person who thought that former government officials were the perfect choice to be an employee of any type of news network. It immediately, imo, eradicates the idea of a free press.

When I first read your post, I thought what a crock of partisan shit. Then I went back and read it, and I thought to myself self there’s some validity to this.. it seems as though they are hiring these people to add credibility to something that has no credibility. So I apologize for thinking that you were an asshole when I was reading it like one..

posted by Devils Advocate

When I first read your post, I thought what a crock of partisan shit. Then I went back and read it, and I thought to myself self there’s some validity to this.. it seems as though they are hiring these people to add credibility to something that has no credibility. So I apologize for thinking that you were an asshole when I was reading it like one..

I suspect it has little to do with credibility and everything to do with access, and some quid-pro-quo.  You just knew Jen Psaki was going to end up on CNN or MSNBC - she's a partisan hack, but she's sharp.  Dana Perino was W's press spokeperson, and she's probably one of the better straight news people out there (one of the few).

But you're right - it's incestuous and has corrupted whatever remained of the free press.  Just outlets for party propaganda.  Fox has maybe 4-5 hours in the afternoon of decent coverage.  CNN has none, but Fox prime time hacks kind of balances the scales.

While we're on the subject, how about the hate for Joe Rogan?  I think his show is entertaining, sometimes informative, and often interesting.  He likes hunting and MMA, so he gets branded with "toxic masculinity".  He's had Neil degrasse Tyson on several times, but you only hear about ivermectin and RFK Jr.  But you have some controversial folks on and you have to be lumped in with Alex Jones.  Rogan doesn't claim or pretend to be a journalist - there's a lesson there.

I'm capable of fact checking myself, but the Left really wants to silence his "disinformation".  Maybe if they'd focus on cleaning up their own house we wouldn't have gotten Trump in sort of reflexive push back.

It's all really about silencing the opposition.  Forget about facts, they don't even want you to have a choice of narratives.  The right wing plays the same game, but their echo chamber is a lot smaller.  And, really, cable news audiences are relatively small.  Fox has maybe 20M occasional viewers, and so much gets made of that but CNN and MSNBC split a similar sized audience.  Fox just doesn't have the luxury of NYT and WaPo to whitewash their disinformation.

posted by CenterBHSFan

Ben Shapiro, who probably has the softest hands on YouTube, is now also calling to raise the retirement age past 67; barring physical ailments. 

The total disregard for the blue collar class by people with soft hands is catching like wildfire until even Contards have picked it up. While I agree with Shapiro on a few topics, this is the drop off point where he loses favor with people like myself. It's a classism that captures the elite and those with pretensions of elitism.

Imagine telling mechanics, nurses, plumbers, garbage men, the service industry, all the people whose health takes a direct hit way before they even turn 60, that they must continue marching like ants because the people with soft hands won't have the same problems that they do and said so. 

To be fair, in the 1940s-1960s when the full SS retirement age was 66-67 life expectancy was 63-69 (increased from early 1940s to 1960).

So when they created the retirement age for SS they assumed you'd be dead, right or wrong, within a year or 2.

Now the life expectancy is 79/80 in the US. Originally SS was modeled to only have to be paid for a couple years on average, now its supposed to average paying for nearly 15 years.

Something has to change, right or wrong, the system we have all paid into (I'm 45) won't exist by the time we retire if things aren't changed.

I see 1 of 3 things changing in the next few years (maybe 2 of these) to make SS "solvent".

1. Drastically raising the retirement age as discussed above.

2. Means testing, even if you paid in your whole life, if you have a decent amount in a 401k or just money in general, you get $0.

3. Eliminating the salary cap on taxing for SS, but keeping the maximum benefit cap. Currently the amount of SS you get is based off what you made while you were contributing (average). The current maximum is around $4800/month. This is capped so rich people aren't taking home a crap ton from SS. For that same reason, you stop paying SS tax on any income above $168,600 (this goes up each year for inflation). So if you make $250,000 you pay SS tax for the first $168,600 but every $ after that is not taxed for SS (just federal, state, local, medicare, etc). This has been already talked about going away. They want to still cap the max benefit, but eliminate the income level where the "rich" stop paying.

posted by CenterBHSFan

So now medias are feeling the need to call the Haitian cannibals as 'non-substative cannibals'.

I'm guessing because it's rude to just call them cannibals, the distinction has to be made that they eat other meats too.

The left will like this behavior since there are 8 billion people on the planet, thus it is a "sustainable" diet. 

posted by CenterBHSFan

Ben Shapiro, who probably has the softest hands on YouTube, is now also calling to raise the retirement age past 67; barring physical ailments. 

The total disregard for the blue collar class by people with soft hands is catching like wildfire until even Contards have picked it up. While I agree with Shapiro on a few topics, this is the drop off point where he loses favor with people like myself. It's a classism that captures the elite and those with pretensions of elitism.

Imagine telling mechanics, nurses, plumbers, garbage men, the service industry, all the people whose health takes a direct hit way before they even turn 60, that they must continue marching like ants because the people with soft hands won't have the same problems that they do and said so. 

To be fair, if my occupation (or "occupation") was podcast-hosting weenie, I'd never want to retire, either. All I'd have to do is run my mouth about whatever faux-outrage topics pop into my head and occasionally do something wacky like co-perform on the world's worst rap song with some talent-deficient nobody for the lulz, while watching the money roll in.

posted by Heretic

To be fair, if my occupation (or "occupation") was podcast-hosting weenie, I'd never want to retire, either. All I'd have to do is run my mouth about whatever faux-outrage topics pop into my head and occasionally do something wacky like co-perform on the world's worst rap song with some talent-deficient nobody for the lulz, while watching the money roll in.

Ben S did a rap song? That has to be "amazing".

posted by jmog

TSo if you make $250,000 you pay SS tax for the first $168,600 but every $ after that is not taxed for SS (just federal, state, local, medicare, etc). This has been already talked about going away. They want to still cap the max benefit, but eliminate the income level where the "rich" stop paying.

Which is a huge tax increase for a lot of upper middle class folks.  If you make $250k (which is far from rich in expensive cities), they're proposing an additional $5k in FICA for you.

The problem is, there simply aren't enough people making more such that raising the limit higher would bring in the needed revenues.

Similar thresholds are probably prime candidates for reducing or eliminating the benefit, too.  A married couple could lose $60k annually on SS on that, which over 15 years is probably like taking $500k from their retirement nest egg, upfront.  I guess that would make it a de-facto wealth tax, except hitting a lot of people who aren't actually "wealthy".

posted by gut

Which is a huge tax increase for a lot of upper middle class folks.  If you make $250k (which is far from rich in expensive cities), they're proposing an additional $5k in FICA for you.

The problem is, there simply aren't enough people making more such that raising the limit higher would bring in the needed revenues.

Similar thresholds are probably prime candidates for reducing or eliminating the benefit, too.  A married couple could lose $60k annually on SS on that, which over 15 years is probably like taking $500k from their retirement nest egg, upfront.  I guess that would make it a de-facto wealth tax, except hitting a lot of people who aren't actually "wealthy".

Agree with everything you said, I didn't mean to suggest that I agree with any of those 3 changes. I just meant that I see at least 1 of them, if not 2 or all 3 being done in the next 20 years before I am at retirement age.

I purposefully max out my 401k contribution (max IRS allows) each year because I fully assume I will receive $0 from SS at 67 years old. One way or another it will be near $0 for those of us that have prepared for retirement.

It's also why I have drove it into both of my adult sons to start their 401ks early. They both started theirs at 18, putting 10% and adding 1% each year and NEVER touching it (a mistake I made twice).

We need to stop letting big pharma advertise on every commercial breaks. I think that's a good start. If people never knew how much BP ( big pharma in this case) were involved in writing domestic policy before covid, they should have gotten their eyes peeled open during covid. BP is openly salivating anticipating people to work more. It isn't so much about depleting social security at this point as it is about $ for BP. They will not give up that power now that they openly have it.

I agree with several of the possible  solutions listed, but that still won't be enough. IMO, time to start redirected future war money to be utilized domestically.

posted by Devils Advocate

When I first read your post, I thought what a crock of partisan shit. Then I went back and read it, and I thought to myself self there’s some validity to this.. it seems as though they are hiring these people to add credibility to something that has no credibility. So I apologize for thinking that you were an asshole when I was reading it like one..

1.) Well I am an asshole, no need to apologize!

2.) Thanks for taking the time to reread something to make sure you had a clear understanding of something. The past few days have been filled with people not doing that. Clearly.

posted by CenterBHSFan

This is a useless and rather stupid question since nowhere in my post did I suggest that Shapiro made policy. I did, however, give my opinion on the IDEA. See how those two things are not the same? 

Ok, good. Now we can move forward utilizing a message board in the manner it's normally used. I gave my opinion and then after a moment of fuckery, you gave yours. 

YAY!

The point is that who cares what Ben Shapiro thinks.  I hope on that we can agree.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

The point is that who cares what Ben Shapiro thinks.  I hope on that we can agree.

If you don't care then don't reply and wait for a post that interests you.

OR

Better yet, post something that catches your attention. 

But if being as adept at conversation as geeblock is your intention, by all means, carry on.

posted by CenterBHSFan

If you don't care then don't reply and wait for a post that interests you.

OR

Better yet, post something that catches your attention. 

But if being as adept at conversation as geeblock is your intention, by all means, carry on.

I posted that I’m not against retirement moving back as life expectancy changes.  Retirement was never part of the human experience until well into the 20th century.  This business of 20-30 year retirements is only a few decades old.  

I’m clouded by personal opinion as I think retirement, unless very carefully filled with meaningful activities, is extremely unhealthy. 

posted by CenterBHSFan

If you don't care then don't reply and wait for a post that interests you.

OR

Better yet, post something that catches your attention. 

But if being as adept at conversation as geeblock is your intention, by all means, carry on.

lol your idea of having a conversation is posting long diatribes of something you read somewhere that usually isn’t relevant to the conversation or is about something that wasn’t said. But since you have this idea or conversation you want to have, you say it anyway… but carry on 

posted by geeblock

lol your idea of having a conversation is posting long diatribes of something you read somewhere that usually isn’t relevant to the conversation or is about something that wasn’t said. But since you have this idea or conversation you want to have, you say it anyway… but carry on 

Dude you can't even recognize when somebody is making specific points to specific people. You just demonstrated this inability with your prior post. 

posted by CenterBHSFan

Dude you can't even recognize when somebody is making specific points to specific people. You just demonstrated this inability with your prior post. 

Cool I can’t wait till u cut and paste ur next post  to look smart 

geeblock, I get that you get irritated by the conservative replies that you get from your posts. I agree with some of your posts, but You get suprised and you feelze hurt by the responses?

Logic does not apply,  stay on the subject at hand and realize that the people change the narrative to suit THEIR needs. Stop trying to prove your point from 3 days ago.  And as far as the cut and paste shit, dude look what you have posted. If you can’t see it, you can’t be helped.

posted by Devils Advocate

geeblock, I get that you get irritated by the conservative replies that you get from your posts. I agree with some of your posts, but You get suprised and you feelze hurt by the responses?

Logic does not apply,  stay on the subject at hand and realize that the people change the narrative to suit THEIR needs. Stop trying to prove your point from 3 days ago.  And as far as the cut and paste shit, dude look what you have posted. If you can’t see it, you can’t be helped.

I’m not mad or upset about anything. She dropped my name and threw a shot at me for no reason so I replied that’s it. 

posted by geeblock

I’m not mad or upset about anything. She dropped my name and threw a shot at me for no reason so I replied that’s it. 

You’re fine geeblock.  Also, kudos for writing your response in Big Boy English vs. Middle School Student Textspeak.  😉