Summary
Elon Musk called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” claiming it’s unsustainable due to long-term obligations exceeding tax revenue.
Critics, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, accused him of pushing privatization to benefit the wealthy. Musk also made false claims about Social Security mispayments.
His comments come amid looming Social Security cuts and restructuring. The Social Security Administration warns of potential fund shortages by 2035.
Democrats advocate for raising the tax cap on high earners to strengthen the program.
I mean, in a way he’s not wrong. The money gets funneled from all of us all the way to the top.
But the thing is, the money does get distributed - all of it. The Ponzi at the top is us again, stealing from it to pay for infrastructure or defense spending.
And that is fine because that type of scheme with a large moat is called insurance. And so long as we can continue to pay out distributions, it is solvent.
But it isn’t solvent, because premiums haven’t kept up with payouts and the payouts for the baby boomers are massive. And if we don’t take some kind of action (e.g. increased premiums, disqualification for the rich, increase the benefit age) then payouts will eventually need to decrease.
Actually, the remedy Social Security needs is to remove the income cap. Elon Musk pays just as much into social security as I do: ~$10,900
It’s because there’s a cap: $176,100. Once you earn that much in income you don’t have to pay into social security anymore! It’s ridiculous!
Basically, the richer you are, the less you’re paying into social security as a percentage of your income. It’s the opposite of progressive (just like HSAs).
Remove the cap and people like Musk will be paying millions into Social Security every year. It’ll make it solvent again in no time at all.
That’s exactly why the Republicans have been trying to dismantle it. The only solution that’s not going to get you voted out of office is the one that gets your reelection funding cut off.
Yeah no, he’s wrong. Government is not a for-profit venture. When you are providing services to citizens, it’s not a scam.
And a very merry fuel subsidy to you as well.
I mean, this system only works if we keep reproducing 2.5:1 factor. I don’t want to condemn anyone to this world, so he is right. And with the birth rates lowering this is gonna be a serious problem, for most zoomers and alphas.
We could increase immigration.