Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) may rail against Social Security insolvency in the public eye, but that hasn't stopped him from accepting the government checks.
The libertarian-leaning Republican and former presidential candidate admitted Wednesday that he accepts Social Security checks just minutes after he called for younger generations to wean themselves off the program, in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"I want young people to opt out of Social Security, but my goal isn't to cut," he said.
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein then asked Paul, "A bit of a personal question -- Are you on Social Security? Do you get social security checks?"
Paul admitted he does, stating, "[It's] just as I use the post office, I use government highways, I use the banks, I use the federal reserve system. But that doesn't mean that you can't work to remove this in the same way on Social Security."
Paul also said he still pays more into Social Security than he gets in his checks.
Paul is outspoken about the need to end government programs like the Federal Reserve and the departments of energy and education. But he said he would not eliminate programs like Social Security and Medicare, despite his belief that the programs are unconstitutional. He planned to allow citizens under the age of 25 to opt out of the system in order to save their own money for retirement, if elected to the presidency.
Video at the source.
Source.
Edited to save my inbox. D:
The libertarian-leaning Republican and former presidential candidate admitted Wednesday that he accepts Social Security checks just minutes after he called for younger generations to wean themselves off the program, in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"I want young people to opt out of Social Security, but my goal isn't to cut," he said.
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein then asked Paul, "A bit of a personal question -- Are you on Social Security? Do you get social security checks?"
Paul admitted he does, stating, "[It's] just as I use the post office, I use government highways, I use the banks, I use the federal reserve system. But that doesn't mean that you can't work to remove this in the same way on Social Security."
Paul also said he still pays more into Social Security than he gets in his checks.
Paul is outspoken about the need to end government programs like the Federal Reserve and the departments of energy and education. But he said he would not eliminate programs like Social Security and Medicare, despite his belief that the programs are unconstitutional. He planned to allow citizens under the age of 25 to opt out of the system in order to save their own money for retirement, if elected to the presidency.
Video at the source.
Source.
Edited to save my inbox. D:
Funny how that doesn't stop him from taking the money though!
"Do as I say, not as I do."
The reasoning runs parallel to those "well if you think things deserve tax funding you should just donate money out of your own pocket and hope that's enough" people. Him turning down his checks won't put even a minor dent in the budget, it will just put him at an economic disadvantage vs people who accept them.
i mean, he's stupid and wrong and terrible for wanting to axe benefits but I think it's a low blow to shame him for accepting them personally.
except that's him
that is literally what he believes
so yes, it makes him a huge hypocrite without even factoring in his $174,000 Congressional salary.
That sounds like a good thing to me.
And, technically, he doesn't want your parents lives to be a thought experiment! He wants YOUR life to be! His theme seems to be "leave everything in place for people of his generation, screw everyone stupid enough to be born after 1940." (It's our fault. Poor planning, y'know).
Oh, wait.
Oh, wait. We don't have as many of those anymore.
Now, that said:
My biggest side-eye on the article is his statement that he pays more into SS than he receives every year. Frankly, I won't believe him, until I see his tax return.
IF he's still getting earned income (and from what?? Is he still practicing?), the most he could be contributing is in the vicinity of $14,643 ($110,100 X 13.3**%=$14,643.30). The highest possible SS check is $2513, which is calculated by using $110,100 in earnings from age 21 to (I'm guessing, because the article doesn't say) age 65 1/2.
But even if he only earns $14,643, that's $1220.25 per month gross, which is 49% of the maximum. I don't think his checks are that small, frankly.
** I used SS and Medicare totaled into a single figure, as it is calculated on the tax return.
"Yeah, but your whole platform is about--"
"WHAT'D I JUST SAY."
Well Ron Paul worked hard for that money, y'all. Unlike those poor people who are lazy and often brown and black and therefore don't do anything and have too many children and and and boostraps.
why
if you want to get rid of these things
would you use them
Oh wait because they're convenient, useful, and mostly irreplaceable! And you have no valid proposals for a way to replace them apart from the magic of the free market! Ron Paul, just go the fuck away, your beliefs are those of an upper class teenage white boy who should've outgrown libertarianism like a decade ago
Still, he is Ron Paul and I totally endorse anyone laughing at him.
Yeah. Not anymore, thank fucking god.
I'm really, really sickened that I used to worship such privileged hypocrisy, and I'm not just talking about Ron Paul--99.9% of Libertarians are that way, and it's just... insufferable. I am getting really tired of hearing about their ~revolution~; maybe now they'll shut up for a while.
Don't like it, don't participate, otherwise he needs to accept that he's a hypocrite.