Alan Zweibel

And as long as we have the current crop of Republicans, not only will taxes not be raised, there's no reason to believe that they won't be cut further.

What ratio will be needed to do what? Any increase in the ratio of workers to beneficiary will mitigate the situation. Which is a fact you repeatedly denied.

I"m sure that there are some areas that could do with a trimming. But the nonsensical kind of cuts you propose - over 50 percent of discretionary spending -would never get off the ground.

Deflecting much? You claimed that having a younger work force would make no difference. Yet you introduced a graph that says exactly the opposite. So, do you acknowledge that your claim was false?

Thanks for the assertion. It does nothing to mitigate the fact that you support increasing the debt by lowering taxation.

Do you understand that this graph actually supports my point about the ratio of workers to beneficiaries? Or let me put it another way: Do you understand that your claim that the ratio of workers to beneficiaries is irrelevant is nonsense?

Wow! I don't even know how to address such flagrant cluelessness. Have you ever heard the phrase "bending the curve". Do you think it's impossible to slow a rate of decline or growth. That there's no such thing as mitigation or delay?

Yes, something should be done about the rising level of debt. The question is what is to be done.

This is I did notice the "could" and i read enough to know that the "could" refers to the possibility that more immigration be allowed. Your second point is bizarre. Why don't you understand that the reason the population can't be grown to infinity is that human beings, and yes, that includes immigrants aren't immortal. What don't you understand about the ratio of working people to retired people is what's crucial?

First off, as I pointed out, even in Germany, a manufacturing powerhouse, manufacturing as a percentage of the economy was in decline. As economies develop, services overtake manufacturing. And your concern for American workers is touching. I'm sure you, like President Trump support strong trade unions. Otherwise, what bargaining power of American workers was there that NAFTA undercut? What's more, let's say that American manufacturers didn't move abroad. Do you seriously believe that non-American manufacturers wouldn't produce those goods at a cheaper price?

Do you understand that works in either directions. And how do you think members of congress who oppose preserving Social Security benefits will fare if Social Security can no longer pay full benefits? What alternative reality do you inhabit?

Here's a link that might help. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-immigration-reforms-could-bolster-social-security-and-medicare-solvency-and-address-direct-care-workforce-issues/?utm_source=chatgpt.com and here's a very succinct summary of the math: As the U.S. population ages, the ratio of working-age individuals to retirees decreases, putting pressure on the Social Security system. Younger immigrants help mitigate this demographic shift by increasing the number of workers contributing to the system, thereby supporting its long-term viability. Here's another link that might enlighten you: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/immigration-social-security-solvency/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Of course, you are welcome to offer any evidence that contradicts mine. Good luck with that. Whether or I want to or not, the fact is that illegal aliens do contribute to the longevity of social security's ability to pay full benefits.

Do you understand that more than 2/3 of Federal spending is mandates for social security and medicare. So when you say you support a 20% cut, what you are really saying is that you support a cut of of 20%, that amounts to a cut of over 50% in discretionary spending. And given that the military consumes well over half of that...Good luck in trying to get that enacted.

If it were allowed in this forum, I could arrange for you to pay me a fee. But it''s not. Maybe we have some jr high school teachers in the forum who would volunteer for the task. Also, I didn't point out how illegal aliens help the social security. Those that are in the system are unable to collect what they've paid in.

If you support tax cuts, then you support increasing the deficit and the national debt. It's that simple. And your hypocrisy, (or is it cluelessness?) are blatantly evident.

Even in the German economy, in the heyday of its economic success, the manufacturing percentage of its economy declined. One thing you fail to appreciate is how much more productive manufacturing has become. Since 1990 productivity is up by 350%. In China, there are manufacturing facilities known as dark factories because no lights need to be turned on. The reason why? Robotics. If no humans are working, you don't need lights. Also, there is this faith that manufacturing jobs will be well paying. In the past that was true because of unions. Thanks to a vicious Supreme Court and Republican right-to-work laws, unions have been undercut.

Or maybe it's you who cannot deal with the fact that federal taxation levels need to be raised. And you repeatedly refuse to acknowledge that tax cuts have played a part in budget deficits and the national debt. Do you support Trump's tax cuts?

More nonsense from you. You made a claim that because taxation has never reached that 20% level, that proves anything above that level would be harmful. You offer no proof. I really can't help you with your math problems. But I will try once again. Yes immigrants grow old. But they start out younger so it takes longer for them to reach retirement age. What's more, a continuous flow of immigrants will keep the average age of the workforce younger. Or do you believe that immigrants are immortal and will impose an eternal and increasing burden on the Social Security system? Does the Trump administration's imposition of a $100,000 fee for H1-B immigrants ring any bells?

I don't propose to teach you basic math. The younger the median age of workers is, the longer it takes for them to reach retirement age. I'll leave you to work out the implications of that yourself. And you don't know what I mean by restricting immigration? Are you living at the bottom of a well?

I posted 2 graphs that showed consistent growth in GDP even as taxes went up to reach a height of almost 20%. And all you can do is repeat yourself.

And what have the Republicans done except make the situation worse by restricting immigration. And I don't think that the Democrats, when push comes to shove, will resist raising taxes on social security. While the Republicans will consider that a case of evil incarnate.

Well, you've topped yourself in ridiculousness. From 2021 to 2025 the Democrats were in control of the Executive Branch of government which includes the Justice Dept and the Armed Forcds. Exactly how many Republicans did they execute?

Unfortunately, the 6 current right wing radicals at the Supreme Court disagree with you. And with the Founding Fathers.

Just like you expected Deep Staters to be imprisoned en masse during the first Trump adminstration. Or how about your expectations for the scores of Democrats and their supports who would face prison time once the Epstein evidence was released? In fact, as various government organizations have reported. antifa is an ideology, not an organization. Next you'll be telling us how the Trump administration is building a strategic reserve of wooden stakes to battle vampires. That's only slightly less real than the nonsense about an antifa conspiracy.

As for the crushing tax rates of the past. Here are 2 charts. One shows the ratio of federal revenue compared to GDP. The other shows GDP growth. Look at the Clinton years when taxes were sharply increased. Right wingers like you predicted that the economy would be crushed. Was it? https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFRGDA188S https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP