Death from a Thousand Cuts

Trump has ordered collection of payroll taxes “suspended” from September through the end of the year. The claim is that this to help those in need because Congress couldn’t come to an agreement about another stimulus. But really, this is how they kill Social Security.

First off, this is a deferment only because the president doesn’t have the authority to cancel a tax. So everyone still owes that money. The president says he’ll be able to remove that obligation if he’s reelected. This is outright bribery and coercion.

Second, this isn’t going to do jackshit for struggling people. If you’re out of work, you’re not paying payroll taxes. And people on the bottom of the economic ladder don’t pay much. Sure, every extra dollar is useful to them but it it will only amount to less than a single rent check by the end of the year.

And finally, this takes out a big chunk of money going to toward Medicare and Social Security. Due to this loss, Republicans are going to renew calls to kill those program. This will leave even more people screwed over.

This is the same thing they’re doing to the Post Office right now. After throwing a heavy financial burden on the USPS in 2006, on top of the rise of the internet, several recessions and Congressional restrictions on their ability to change their practice, Trump and Republicans are doing everything they can to undermine the postal service. The new Post Master General, a major Trump donor, is working to undermine the whole thing.

They want it dead.  The American people don’t so they can’t just vote to kill it. Instead, they’re killing it in stages. Undermining vote by mail. And now they’re going to do the same thing to Social Security.