The Democrats and many like minded Republicans have long been promoting a socialist agenda, stated by Nikita Kruschev, who said that creeping socialism would ultimately win the communist war against capitalism. We have witnessed this happen in my lifetime. This, combined with the abandonment of the Judeo Christian foundations of our nation, has landed us in the morally and financially bankrupt state we are in. Can things reverse course? God only knows.
"Judeo Christian" is a nonsensical word that ignores the vast theological differences between Judaism and Christianity, and our nation had no Chrisitian but liberal foundations. The nation had a *Christian* majority population, it was never a *Christian* nation. America has never been a theocracy, America has never been a confessional state, America has never even mentioned Christ in a single founding document.
A travel website launched in 2006 and shut down shortly thereafter.
• Trump: The Game
A board game released in 1989 that failed to meet sales expectations. 
⸻
⚖️ Legal Actions and Lawsuits
Trump and his businesses have faced numerous legal challenges:
• Trump University
A for-profit education company sued for fraud, resulting in a $25 million settlement in 2016.
• Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico
A failed condominium project in Mexico that led to lawsuits from investors alleging misrepresentation. 
• New York Civil Fraud Case (2022)
The New York Attorney General sued Trump and his company for alleged financial fraud, leading to significant penalties and restrictions on business operations in the state. 
⸻
🛑 Ventures Shut Down by Authorities
Some of Trump’s ventures were terminated due to legal or regulatory actions:
• Trump University
Ordered to cease operations following legal settlements over fraudulent practices.
• Trump Foundation
Dissolved in 2018 after investigations revealed misuse of charitable funds.
The road to success is peppered with setbacks and failures. A bankruptcy or business failure comes with the risk of doing business. The only sure way of avoiding any failure is to attempt nothing at all. As a poker player you surely know that to play the game you win as well as lose.
Peter Scott : Give us your thoughts why the Founders included a bankruptcy clause in the US Constitution, now that our 250th anniversary is coming up. Business risk taking, entered into by both parties freely and fairly, is woven into the fabric of our nation.
Are you trying to conflate bankruptcies into de facto business fraud? Or that willing buyers meeting willing sellers who mutually agree to potential risks and benefits, but do not include a 100% guarantee of success are now shameful acts evidence moral failure? Is this where you are trying to go with these tired old TDS talking points?
To wit: US Constitution ArtI.S8.C4.2.1 Overview of the Bankruptcy Clause
]Article I, Section 8, Clause 4: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; . . .
Thanks for the history lesson and reminding us how we are getting screwed by the Feds. Hopefully, Trump will reverse the course of the SS program back to where it once was before the tweaks the Dems incorporated. SS money should be considered to be used in the future for the new generation and not squandered on money bucket projects created for theft.
Good Article, pointing up another government program that was conceived to assist America citizens, but devolved into another tax system… Who are the Silent Thieves? Why are they manipulating you? How are they stealing your wealth?
Bubble.
Crash.
Steal.
Lie.
Repeat.
What is inflation? Monetary manipulation. Taxation without representation…
Thank you for the factual background regarding the long-standing Democrat attacks on our Social Security. Critical background knowledge to counter these current days of Democrat "Hands Off" lying by megaphone and astro-turf sound bites. Who has been and who is still taking away our social security? The Democrats, of course. Screaming on the streets and doing just the opposite, the Democrats yet again.
Just because a man, who is 81 writes an article, does not make it FACTUAL. There are a LOT of false statements in the article. It would be shot down by any fact checker and never published.
You live in an echo chamber where you listen to the voices in your head. There is no reality in your world, just your opinion. Never let a fact get in the way of your opinion.
A number of assumptions concerning SS can be made:
The only source of income for many seniors.
The fund is in danger of insolvency.
Many illegal migrants were given SS numbers and collect SS.
Many deceased recipients continue to collect SS.
The system is a political piggy bank for both parties.
SS is a regressive tax which is taxed as income.
Doge efforts need to remove the dead wood, clean up the fraud and waste and allow recipients to invest a portion of their benefit into other investments such as the stock market. Recipients should not be taxed as ordinary income.
Ok, here is another !@#% rant with misleading bs as its premise.
1. It is the only source of income for many seniors. Capitalism is cruel.
2. The fund is NOT in danger of insolvency. It has so many levers to play with, that only inaction or moving levers in the wrong direction will make it insolvent. We have a long history showing that it will not be insolvent.
3. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE GIVEN SS NUMBERS. ONLY LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE GIVEN SS NUMBERS. Illegal immigrants are given ITEN numbers. https://www.thedream.us/current-scholars/career-success/itins/ NO IMMIGRANTS, regardless of LEGAL or ILLEGAL collect SS benefits. They just PAY IN. If a person is here on a green card, they pay into SS, but get no benefits. ONLY when they become a citizen can they collect benefits.
4. The system is structured for excess funds to be invested in TBILLS. The sale of the TBILL goes into the general fund. This is BY LAW. The law can change and perhaps, have the excess funds by TBILLS, but the money has to pay off other TBILLS. That would widen the deficit each year though.
5. It is not a regressive tax, it is an annuity.
6. SS has less than 1% fraud in it.
7. It has been the republican's wet dream to privatize SS. The market goes down and up. This would be dangerous because some people have no fiscal sanity and would basically, bet it all on black, then the wheel spins and it is red. Now you have homeless people.
8. I would agree that SS should not be taxable. In effect, it basically is right now. You know . . . math! The standard deduction for a married couple in 2024 is 29,200. The couple is getting ~45k. 85% of that is taxable, leaving 38.25, subtracting 29,200, now you have 9,050 as taxable income. That is the 10% tax bracket. So you would be paying $905 in taxes.
Fortunately, you didn't go past 10. You would have had an issue going past your fingers and toes.
Are you one of the stupid ones or ignorant ones on this subject? I have pointed to FACTS that prove your assertions wrong. Are you going to adjust your beliefs to reality or are you going to continue barking at the moon because you are clueless?
The rant from Musk, aka the salesperson who loves to lie, starting at the ~3:30 mark is where the bullshit really begins.
In his rant, he posits that this is a strategy to get democrat voters. He states this is a fact. What a dipshit. Starting in the 1950s, Cubans came over in droves. They were not allowed to vote until they became citizens. Those citizens, the early ones, were the doctors, the higher educated group. They, voted 70-30 (IIRC) democrat. Then in the 1980s, yes, SCARFACE was somewhat accurate here, the Cubans coming in on the Mariel boat lift, those eventually became citizens, There were about 120k people that came over then. This was the dumping of prisons that Trump talks about. This, under REAGAN, gave us the Cuban Adjustment act. Where it was found that about 3% of those people were the kinds of people that Trump says EVERY immigrant is. Those ~3% did not become US citizens, the rest basically did. Guess who gave FLORIDA to Trump? Those citizens who have kids, gave us TRUMP. But, I thought that all immigrants, according to MUSK, vote blue. https://news.fiu.edu/2024/fiu-cuba-poll-2024-cuban-american-voters-support-for-trump-at-an-all-time-high
Your video gets even better with more BS. These guys know all the red meat to throw at the crowd. Nothing like creating hysteria.
https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/program-history/medicaid-50th-anniversary/entry/47669 - That is what the spainard is talking about. NO SHIT. See, these dipshits are leading YOU astray by saying immigrants are illegal. They are making that TIE. NO, the things that they are saying that immigrants GET are just that, immigrants that are in the system and are here LEGALLY! I am trying to remember the year, but this is why CA gives legal immigrants Medicaid. There was a series of studies done on the costs that the state were paying for immigrants health care. What they learned, the guy that was doing the gardening, here legally, getting min wage, was NOT OFFERED health insurance. When the guy had a health issue, he went to the emergency room for service. He had no money to pay the hospital and the hospital, because they DO NOT REFUSE service, would bill and not get paid. That debt was sitting there and the hospitals were threatening to close due to 'losing money.' The state would step in and reimburse. The studies found that it would be CHEAPER to put them on MediCAL (Which is funded by Medicaid) MediCAL is not 100% funded by Medicaid, but jointly between the state and the feds. This was part of the Medicaid expansion.
Have you ever talked to an immigrant about what it takes to be a US citizen? Have you ever listened to why they are acting so much better than some citizens? It is because if they mess up, they know they can lose their status and be deported. It is a noose around their neck that if they mess up, the noose tightens. That is a HUGE reason why immigrants DO NOT VOTE.
His rant at the ~6 minute mark is partially true. What he is illustrating is the reality of our immigration system. It is FRIGGIN BROKEN. It starts and ends in CONGRESS. He mentioned prior to that there are 700 judges who handle asylum hearings. Why not hire more? OH WAIT . . . one party has put forth proposals to hire more and another has shot it down. GUESS WHO? https://rollcall.com/2025/03/03/some-republicans-question-approach-to-immigration-case-backlog/
This is all you need to realize how these two are contorting things so that people read headlines not the article and make judgements. Musk's rant about immigrants voting in New York, yes he was 100% correct that it was shot down by the NY State supreme court, but this schmuck is OMITTING the facts of the case when he presents it. The NY Supreme Court voted against ALLOWING NYC to allow immigrants to VOTE in MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Notice it is ONLY MUNICIPAL elections, not state and NOT federal. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-law-allowing-non-citizens-vote-struck-down-by-court-2025-03-20/
Take the time, read the articles, see if you still think Musk makes sense.
Learn what an illegal immigrant is. These guys are tossing terms around that are not the reality. An illegal immigrant is one that is NOT known in the system. Our country has had a law for over 50 years that was called wet foot dry foot in Florida. It meant that if you had ONE foot on the beach, the other in the ocean, FIND border patrol, and make a claim for ASYLUM. You would then be taken to Krome detention center and processed. Guess what, you are now here legally. Until you were processed, you were here illegally. EVERYTHING that these two dipshits are ranting about are LEGAL immigrants, not illegal immigrants, well, on the whole. I state that because there are some immigrants that have: overstaid a visa, gone through ayslum and lost and stayed. But those numbers, are TINY.
Take the time to read that last article, it really breaks things down. Hopefully, you will see things closer to what I see. The shit that these two disphits are hyping is really close to non-existent. The main takeaway is that our immigration system needs some reform. The country has a history of taking in immigrants, but right now, republicans are treating the process like the DMV. They only want to hire 2 people to support 200k applicants. By underfunding, they create a shitshow. I want immigrants to be judged, looked into, then have a pathway to citizenship. I think it should be ~10 years of a pathway. Right now, the system is built to be ~7 years then another ~10 plus years.
You conveniently forgot to address the hellscape Europe has become over the course of your unhinged diatribe. Europe is now becoming ungovernable with “no go” zones due to unfettered immigration with hoards of Muslim and Africans draining social services and young unemployed males reigning havoc on especially white females.
The barbarians are truly at the gates Pal, sorry to burst your ideological, leftist bubble.
BTW, you are aware of the $3 Billion shortfall in Medical funding here in California primarily due to care for illegals? Right? Sure, Newsom is having to take out a massive loan in order to cover the shortfall. You good with this?
I believe that many including myself would voluntarily forgo all future SS payments in exchange for tax relief from 401k withdrawals, tax relief from other pension payments, tax free 401k to Roth conversion or simply a yearly tax credit equal to SS payment. I would even take the tax credit at 75% of SS payments because of the taxation of SS benefits. In this way I would guess that the SS recipient rolls could be reduced by 20% - 30%. It would leave more in the “trust fund” for those with no other income sources.
What can one say about a Radical like Justin Ruhge?
When are you going to state the truth Justin instead of opinion?
"expressly stated that the number and card were not to be used for identification .." that has to be an expression of a fib.... Hey wait my Army ID number was my SSI Number. How many times are you required to produce your SSI number today??? (OK I'll give that one to JR)
"""to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual income into the program. " In 1962 the SSI tax was about 1.5% and he states it is now 7.65? (Dang looking that up another "fact?" for JR)
"""up to 85% of your Social Security can (and is) taxed.""" Now wait a minute Justin we have already paid income taxes on that money you have to be WRONG. (Geez looking back at my income tax papers another one for JR)......
""" Social Security check every month and have discovered that we are being taxed on 85% of the money we paid the federal government to “put away”....
People Justin has always had a strong and unique way of looking at Government and Taxes. He is almost always right. If you are concerned about this and want to stop double taxation, draining of SSI, and more then you need to walk up to every elected official and DEMAND this stops. When these say now tell them to point out how this article by Mr. Ruhge is wrong.
Nice job Justin of describing how politicians, in this case democrats, cannot be trusted to administer a program. My research shows that since LBJ about 40% of S.S. payments go to Aide to Dependent Children. If we wish to continue this program, it should be separately funded in order for congress, and taxpayers, to understand the cost of paying for benefits for folks who have never paid into S.S.
I remember being so proud to get a social security card in the mid 1960's when I was paid to be a child model at Sears' fashion shows. My first paycheck. Nowadays the number is assigned at birth. And shockingly each number can be assigned to a large number of people, setting up a potential for great confusion. An ex-employee of mine was told he could not get a passport because he owed unpaid child support, but it was "Samuel Chavez" with several dependents who had been using his SS# apparently for years. I know someone else who was denied unemployment benefits because her SS# was currently being paid them, paid to an unknown person using the same number. My accountant told me to start taking the social security benefit as soon as I qualified, because she was uncertain about it being functional if I waited. Thank goodness I did, it certainly helped me to weather the plague shutdown. DOGE!!!!
Good article. Justin, on the history of Social Security. It may have started out as a noble idea for the American people but has morphed through the years into a program that is greatly flawed and failing. This should be a non partisan issue because it affects all of us and quibbling over which party is to blame is futile at this point. I think Trump's investigations into the Social Security is needed and hopefully it is not too late in the day for a solution.
Democrats turned Social Security into a vote-buyer partisan slush fund and a stealth weapon to scare seniors and other recipients into voting only for more Democrats.
GOP (fill in the blank of the GOP candidate) is going to "cut your Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid"
Those are the most recently ginned-up protest crowd's loudest lies - and again they marched last Saturday up State Street. This time with far fewer numbers, but the same lies were on their posters.
Mr.Ruhge, your article may have some facts in it, but your last comment about not wanting to be fooled twice…..? Let me ask you : HOW MANY TIMES HAS TRUMP FOOLED AMERICANS, JUDGES, WOMEN, IRS, BOGUS COMPANIES, CONTRACTORS, ETC ETC. Yet, you imply that you trust him. EXPLAIN please.
LET ME ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE ERRED, ERRED ON THE SIDE OF HELPING PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HELP.
TRUMP ONLY HELPS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS GROSSNESS. HOW DO YOU LIKE THE FACT HE DIDNT PAY HIS TAXES FOR MANY YEARS?
If Trump followed the letter of the IRS code, this is no issue of yours Nancy. That is all anyone is required to do. Why not get real issues to fight for, instead of more OrangemanBad?
Hey Nancy…I’m one that is looking forward to you waking up to the fact that we live in a false construct…FYI, ‘The Matrix’ was a documentary, and Trump is breaking The Matrix!
“The cage is invisible because you were born inside it — and they taught you to love the bars.” – Mark Twain
PS…the cool thing about this wacky psychological war is that everyone will be wearing who they were & what they did during the battles…Trump flipped The World!
I would forgo all future social security payments in exchange for a free 100% conversion of my 401k to a Roth IRA. In other words, remove taxation on the withdrawal of 401k funds including all capital gains. I would bet many others would take the offer. Also, income from other pensions should not be taxed in exchange of forfeiture of future social security payments.
Peter Scott, David Bergerson, Burton Voorhees, Ray Macso, and Patty, I commend you on presenting well-articulated, reasoned, factual counterpoints to Mr. Ruhge's fallacy-plagued (and poorly edited) essay. Sadly, the criticisms you received -- "You're a complete moron," "Commie Dem," "Social Security is a Ponzi scheme," etc. -- are but a microcosm of our current political milieu wherein no amount of facts seem to dissuade MAGA acolytes from following their narcissistic, dim-witted, Jim Jones-esque, grifter-in-chief over the cliff and into the abyss no matter how many his policies work against their better interests or human kindness in general.
"Money participants put into Social Security would go into an “Independent Trust Fund,” rather than into the General Operating Fund, and therefore would be protected and would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program and no other. Under President Lyndon Johnson and a 2/3 majority Democrat Senate, the funds in the Social Security Program were moved to the General Fund (mainly to pay for the Vietnam War and the newly introduced “Great Society” programs of the 1960s."
"By law, Social Security tax revenues must be invested in U.S. government obligations (debt instruments of the U.S. government). The accumulated holdings of U.S. government obligations are often viewed as being similar to assets held by any other trust on behalf of the beneficiaries. However, the holdings of the Social Security trust funds differ from those of private trusts because (1) the types of investments the trust funds may hold are limited and (2) the U.S. government is both the buyer and seller of the investments."
The issue has been that CONGRESS has used this as a means to fund the general fund. When a TBILL is sold, the money goes into the general fund. Using simple math, if SS has $100 excess, it has to BUY $100 worth of TBILLS. That $100 goes to the treasury and is put in the general fund. The debt now goes to the general fund and SS collects interest on the TBILL.
You have so many inaccuracies; it is amazing. SS has ceilings that have moved. IIRC the last time it was capped at 90k was over 10 years ago. Today, it is the first 176,100 of income. The payment is 12.4%, not 7.65%. The payment is split 50/50 by the employer and employee. Therefore, the employee is paying 6.2% of income until 176,100.
You have so many other things incorrect in your rant. The rest of your rant is interesting. You want NOTHING to change. Society evolves. When you were born, there was no man on the moon, computer, internet, polio vaccine, etc.
Get over it. Life has evolved. Just like your parents, who were possibly born in the 1800s, things changed for them, just like they have changed for you, and like they are changing for me.
The Democrats and many like minded Republicans have long been promoting a socialist agenda, stated by Nikita Kruschev, who said that creeping socialism would ultimately win the communist war against capitalism. We have witnessed this happen in my lifetime. This, combined with the abandonment of the Judeo Christian foundations of our nation, has landed us in the morally and financially bankrupt state we are in. Can things reverse course? God only knows.
Happy Easter! He is risen!
"Judeo Christian" is a nonsensical word that ignores the vast theological differences between Judaism and Christianity, and our nation had no Chrisitian but liberal foundations. The nation had a *Christian* majority population, it was never a *Christian* nation. America has never been a theocracy, America has never been a confessional state, America has never even mentioned Christ in a single founding document.
Doc, regarding your comment on the “morality” and the financial state we are in, this is the candidate you chose to vote for.
Bankruptcies
Trump’s businesses have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times, primarily involving his casino and hotel ventures: 
1. Trump Taj Mahal (1991)
Faced with overwhelming debt, the casino filed for bankruptcy.
2. Trump Plaza Hotel (1992)
Unable to meet financial obligations, leading to bankruptcy proceedings.
3. Trump Castle (1992)
Another Atlantic City casino that filed for bankruptcy due to financial struggles.
4. Plaza Hotel (1992)
The luxury hotel in Manhattan filed for bankruptcy amid mounting debts.
5. Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (2004)
The holding company for Trump’s casinos filed for bankruptcy to restructure its debt.
6. Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009)
The successor to Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy amid declining revenues.
⸻
❌ Failed or Defunct Ventures
Several of Trump’s business endeavors failed to achieve long-term success: 
• Trump Airlines
Acquired in 1988, the airline ceased operations in 1992 due to financial losses. 
• Trump Vodka
Launched in 2006, the brand was discontinued after failing to gain market traction.
• Trump Steaks
Marketed as premium beef, the product line was short-lived and discontinued.
• Trump Mortgage
Established in 2006, the mortgage company closed within a year amid the housing market downturn.
• Trump Magazine
A lifestyle publication that ceased operations after a brief run.
• GoTrump.com
A travel website launched in 2006 and shut down shortly thereafter.
• Trump: The Game
A board game released in 1989 that failed to meet sales expectations. 
⸻
⚖️ Legal Actions and Lawsuits
Trump and his businesses have faced numerous legal challenges:
• Trump University
A for-profit education company sued for fraud, resulting in a $25 million settlement in 2016.
• Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico
A failed condominium project in Mexico that led to lawsuits from investors alleging misrepresentation. 
• New York Civil Fraud Case (2022)
The New York Attorney General sued Trump and his company for alleged financial fraud, leading to significant penalties and restrictions on business operations in the state. 
⸻
🛑 Ventures Shut Down by Authorities
Some of Trump’s ventures were terminated due to legal or regulatory actions:
• Trump University
Ordered to cease operations following legal settlements over fraudulent practices.
• Trump Foundation
Dissolved in 2018 after investigations revealed misuse of charitable funds.
The road to success is peppered with setbacks and failures. A bankruptcy or business failure comes with the risk of doing business. The only sure way of avoiding any failure is to attempt nothing at all. As a poker player you surely know that to play the game you win as well as lose.
Are you against having the Social Security Department investigated?
Peter Scott : Give us your thoughts why the Founders included a bankruptcy clause in the US Constitution, now that our 250th anniversary is coming up. Business risk taking, entered into by both parties freely and fairly, is woven into the fabric of our nation.
Are you trying to conflate bankruptcies into de facto business fraud? Or that willing buyers meeting willing sellers who mutually agree to potential risks and benefits, but do not include a 100% guarantee of success are now shameful acts evidence moral failure? Is this where you are trying to go with these tired old TDS talking points?
To wit: US Constitution ArtI.S8.C4.2.1 Overview of the Bankruptcy Clause
]Article I, Section 8, Clause 4: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; . . .
Judeo Christian is not a religion. Judaism and Christianity are different religions. You are neither. Your religion is Zionism. Bibi is your god.
Thanks for the history lesson and reminding us how we are getting screwed by the Feds. Hopefully, Trump will reverse the course of the SS program back to where it once was before the tweaks the Dems incorporated. SS money should be considered to be used in the future for the new generation and not squandered on money bucket projects created for theft.
Good Article, pointing up another government program that was conceived to assist America citizens, but devolved into another tax system… Who are the Silent Thieves? Why are they manipulating you? How are they stealing your wealth?
Bubble.
Crash.
Steal.
Lie.
Repeat.
What is inflation? Monetary manipulation. Taxation without representation…
Thank you for the factual background regarding the long-standing Democrat attacks on our Social Security. Critical background knowledge to counter these current days of Democrat "Hands Off" lying by megaphone and astro-turf sound bites. Who has been and who is still taking away our social security? The Democrats, of course. Screaming on the streets and doing just the opposite, the Democrats yet again.
Boy ain't that the truth. Only one thing worse than the Commie-Dems - the jerks that keep voting them back into office!
Just because a man, who is 81 writes an article, does not make it FACTUAL. There are a LOT of false statements in the article. It would be shot down by any fact checker and never published.
DB: .....and Biden was sharp as a tack. We are inured to any media claims for truthfulness. Including your own.
No @%^T.
You live in an echo chamber where you listen to the voices in your head. There is no reality in your world, just your opinion. Never let a fact get in the way of your opinion.
A number of assumptions concerning SS can be made:
The only source of income for many seniors.
The fund is in danger of insolvency.
Many illegal migrants were given SS numbers and collect SS.
Many deceased recipients continue to collect SS.
The system is a political piggy bank for both parties.
SS is a regressive tax which is taxed as income.
Doge efforts need to remove the dead wood, clean up the fraud and waste and allow recipients to invest a portion of their benefit into other investments such as the stock market. Recipients should not be taxed as ordinary income.
Ok, here is another !@#% rant with misleading bs as its premise.
1. It is the only source of income for many seniors. Capitalism is cruel.
2. The fund is NOT in danger of insolvency. It has so many levers to play with, that only inaction or moving levers in the wrong direction will make it insolvent. We have a long history showing that it will not be insolvent.
3. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE GIVEN SS NUMBERS. ONLY LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE GIVEN SS NUMBERS. Illegal immigrants are given ITEN numbers. https://www.thedream.us/current-scholars/career-success/itins/ NO IMMIGRANTS, regardless of LEGAL or ILLEGAL collect SS benefits. They just PAY IN. If a person is here on a green card, they pay into SS, but get no benefits. ONLY when they become a citizen can they collect benefits.
4. The system is structured for excess funds to be invested in TBILLS. The sale of the TBILL goes into the general fund. This is BY LAW. The law can change and perhaps, have the excess funds by TBILLS, but the money has to pay off other TBILLS. That would widen the deficit each year though.
5. It is not a regressive tax, it is an annuity.
6. SS has less than 1% fraud in it.
7. It has been the republican's wet dream to privatize SS. The market goes down and up. This would be dangerous because some people have no fiscal sanity and would basically, bet it all on black, then the wheel spins and it is red. Now you have homeless people.
8. I would agree that SS should not be taxable. In effect, it basically is right now. You know . . . math! The standard deduction for a married couple in 2024 is 29,200. The couple is getting ~45k. 85% of that is taxable, leaving 38.25, subtracting 29,200, now you have 9,050 as taxable income. That is the 10% tax bracket. So you would be paying $905 in taxes.
9. You’re a complete moron.
Fortunately, you didn't go past 10. You would have had an issue going past your fingers and toes.
Are you one of the stupid ones or ignorant ones on this subject? I have pointed to FACTS that prove your assertions wrong. Are you going to adjust your beliefs to reality or are you going to continue barking at the moon because you are clueless?
https://youtu.be/GLIeP95hEgM?si=HMU0uXlaQACDDiK6
BTW, have you checked out what’s happening in the UK, Germany, Italy?
Good. You are trying to show your point. Now . . . have you bothered to validate what the salespeople are trying to sell you?
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-765instr.pdf - That is the document they are talking about. That has ALL the details.
https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/form-i765-work-permit/ - That is a simpler version of the uscis document.
https://www.ssa.gov/ssnvisa/ebe.html - that is the SS answer to the i765
The rant from Musk, aka the salesperson who loves to lie, starting at the ~3:30 mark is where the bullshit really begins.
In his rant, he posits that this is a strategy to get democrat voters. He states this is a fact. What a dipshit. Starting in the 1950s, Cubans came over in droves. They were not allowed to vote until they became citizens. Those citizens, the early ones, were the doctors, the higher educated group. They, voted 70-30 (IIRC) democrat. Then in the 1980s, yes, SCARFACE was somewhat accurate here, the Cubans coming in on the Mariel boat lift, those eventually became citizens, There were about 120k people that came over then. This was the dumping of prisons that Trump talks about. This, under REAGAN, gave us the Cuban Adjustment act. Where it was found that about 3% of those people were the kinds of people that Trump says EVERY immigrant is. Those ~3% did not become US citizens, the rest basically did. Guess who gave FLORIDA to Trump? Those citizens who have kids, gave us TRUMP. But, I thought that all immigrants, according to MUSK, vote blue. https://news.fiu.edu/2024/fiu-cuba-poll-2024-cuban-american-voters-support-for-trump-at-an-all-time-high
Your video gets even better with more BS. These guys know all the red meat to throw at the crowd. Nothing like creating hysteria.
https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/program-history/medicaid-50th-anniversary/entry/47669 - That is what the spainard is talking about. NO SHIT. See, these dipshits are leading YOU astray by saying immigrants are illegal. They are making that TIE. NO, the things that they are saying that immigrants GET are just that, immigrants that are in the system and are here LEGALLY! I am trying to remember the year, but this is why CA gives legal immigrants Medicaid. There was a series of studies done on the costs that the state were paying for immigrants health care. What they learned, the guy that was doing the gardening, here legally, getting min wage, was NOT OFFERED health insurance. When the guy had a health issue, he went to the emergency room for service. He had no money to pay the hospital and the hospital, because they DO NOT REFUSE service, would bill and not get paid. That debt was sitting there and the hospitals were threatening to close due to 'losing money.' The state would step in and reimburse. The studies found that it would be CHEAPER to put them on MediCAL (Which is funded by Medicaid) MediCAL is not 100% funded by Medicaid, but jointly between the state and the feds. This was part of the Medicaid expansion.
The voter situation that they describe is BS. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/12/nx-s1-5147789/voting-election-2024-noncitizen-fact-check-trump
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/content/noncitizen-voting-us-elections
https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigrant-voting-noncitizens-elections-explained-cf4c73b336147b5f5d9c2a22b2564994
It goes on and on.
Have you ever talked to an immigrant about what it takes to be a US citizen? Have you ever listened to why they are acting so much better than some citizens? It is because if they mess up, they know they can lose their status and be deported. It is a noose around their neck that if they mess up, the noose tightens. That is a HUGE reason why immigrants DO NOT VOTE.
His rant at the ~6 minute mark is partially true. What he is illustrating is the reality of our immigration system. It is FRIGGIN BROKEN. It starts and ends in CONGRESS. He mentioned prior to that there are 700 judges who handle asylum hearings. Why not hire more? OH WAIT . . . one party has put forth proposals to hire more and another has shot it down. GUESS WHO? https://rollcall.com/2025/03/03/some-republicans-question-approach-to-immigration-case-backlog/
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/biden-promise-tracker/promise/1612/double-number-immigration-judges-and-staff/
This is all you need to realize how these two are contorting things so that people read headlines not the article and make judgements. Musk's rant about immigrants voting in New York, yes he was 100% correct that it was shot down by the NY State supreme court, but this schmuck is OMITTING the facts of the case when he presents it. The NY Supreme Court voted against ALLOWING NYC to allow immigrants to VOTE in MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Notice it is ONLY MUNICIPAL elections, not state and NOT federal. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-law-allowing-non-citizens-vote-struck-down-by-court-2025-03-20/
Take the time, read the articles, see if you still think Musk makes sense.
Learn what an illegal immigrant is. These guys are tossing terms around that are not the reality. An illegal immigrant is one that is NOT known in the system. Our country has had a law for over 50 years that was called wet foot dry foot in Florida. It meant that if you had ONE foot on the beach, the other in the ocean, FIND border patrol, and make a claim for ASYLUM. You would then be taken to Krome detention center and processed. Guess what, you are now here legally. Until you were processed, you were here illegally. EVERYTHING that these two dipshits are ranting about are LEGAL immigrants, not illegal immigrants, well, on the whole. I state that because there are some immigrants that have: overstaid a visa, gone through ayslum and lost and stayed. But those numbers, are TINY.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/27/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/
Take the time to read that last article, it really breaks things down. Hopefully, you will see things closer to what I see. The shit that these two disphits are hyping is really close to non-existent. The main takeaway is that our immigration system needs some reform. The country has a history of taking in immigrants, but right now, republicans are treating the process like the DMV. They only want to hire 2 people to support 200k applicants. By underfunding, they create a shitshow. I want immigrants to be judged, looked into, then have a pathway to citizenship. I think it should be ~10 years of a pathway. Right now, the system is built to be ~7 years then another ~10 plus years.
https://youtu.be/Xn8gJLKoxuU?si=erTI7DL4J5rbVyGU
You conveniently forgot to address the hellscape Europe has become over the course of your unhinged diatribe. Europe is now becoming ungovernable with “no go” zones due to unfettered immigration with hoards of Muslim and Africans draining social services and young unemployed males reigning havoc on especially white females.
The barbarians are truly at the gates Pal, sorry to burst your ideological, leftist bubble.
BTW, you are aware of the $3 Billion shortfall in Medical funding here in California primarily due to care for illegals? Right? Sure, Newsom is having to take out a massive loan in order to cover the shortfall. You good with this?
https://apnews.com/article/california-medicaid-funding-gap-billions-immigration-c64953e55c54599ee1533122e21f267c
Just curious, do you pay property taxes? Do you OWN a home here in SB?
Thank you DOGE for what you are doing to save us from corrupt politicians.
Thank you for a great article...stating some history for us to remember.
"So, in a spirit of neighborliness, let’s help President Trump make changes that will make the system last for our children."
What are the changes the author proposes?
I believe that many including myself would voluntarily forgo all future SS payments in exchange for tax relief from 401k withdrawals, tax relief from other pension payments, tax free 401k to Roth conversion or simply a yearly tax credit equal to SS payment. I would even take the tax credit at 75% of SS payments because of the taxation of SS benefits. In this way I would guess that the SS recipient rolls could be reduced by 20% - 30%. It would leave more in the “trust fund” for those with no other income sources.
What can one say about a Radical like Justin Ruhge?
When are you going to state the truth Justin instead of opinion?
"expressly stated that the number and card were not to be used for identification .." that has to be an expression of a fib.... Hey wait my Army ID number was my SSI Number. How many times are you required to produce your SSI number today??? (OK I'll give that one to JR)
"""to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual income into the program. " In 1962 the SSI tax was about 1.5% and he states it is now 7.65? (Dang looking that up another "fact?" for JR)
"""up to 85% of your Social Security can (and is) taxed.""" Now wait a minute Justin we have already paid income taxes on that money you have to be WRONG. (Geez looking back at my income tax papers another one for JR)......
""" Social Security check every month and have discovered that we are being taxed on 85% of the money we paid the federal government to “put away”....
People Justin has always had a strong and unique way of looking at Government and Taxes. He is almost always right. If you are concerned about this and want to stop double taxation, draining of SSI, and more then you need to walk up to every elected official and DEMAND this stops. When these say now tell them to point out how this article by Mr. Ruhge is wrong.
Justin nicely done.
Sorry fingers got in the way.... Last sentence should read.... When they say no tell them to point out how this article by Mr. Ruhge is wrong.
(NB: the Edit button - one of the small gray dots on the upper right hand corner of your post.)
Nice job Justin of describing how politicians, in this case democrats, cannot be trusted to administer a program. My research shows that since LBJ about 40% of S.S. payments go to Aide to Dependent Children. If we wish to continue this program, it should be separately funded in order for congress, and taxpayers, to understand the cost of paying for benefits for folks who have never paid into S.S.
I remember being so proud to get a social security card in the mid 1960's when I was paid to be a child model at Sears' fashion shows. My first paycheck. Nowadays the number is assigned at birth. And shockingly each number can be assigned to a large number of people, setting up a potential for great confusion. An ex-employee of mine was told he could not get a passport because he owed unpaid child support, but it was "Samuel Chavez" with several dependents who had been using his SS# apparently for years. I know someone else who was denied unemployment benefits because her SS# was currently being paid them, paid to an unknown person using the same number. My accountant told me to start taking the social security benefit as soon as I qualified, because she was uncertain about it being functional if I waited. Thank goodness I did, it certainly helped me to weather the plague shutdown. DOGE!!!!
Good article. Justin, on the history of Social Security. It may have started out as a noble idea for the American people but has morphed through the years into a program that is greatly flawed and failing. This should be a non partisan issue because it affects all of us and quibbling over which party is to blame is futile at this point. I think Trump's investigations into the Social Security is needed and hopefully it is not too late in the day for a solution.
Democrats turned Social Security into a vote-buyer partisan slush fund and a stealth weapon to scare seniors and other recipients into voting only for more Democrats.
GOP (fill in the blank of the GOP candidate) is going to "cut your Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid"
Those are the most recently ginned-up protest crowd's loudest lies - and again they marched last Saturday up State Street. This time with far fewer numbers, but the same lies were on their posters.
Mr.Ruhge, your article may have some facts in it, but your last comment about not wanting to be fooled twice…..? Let me ask you : HOW MANY TIMES HAS TRUMP FOOLED AMERICANS, JUDGES, WOMEN, IRS, BOGUS COMPANIES, CONTRACTORS, ETC ETC. Yet, you imply that you trust him. EXPLAIN please.
LET ME ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE ERRED, ERRED ON THE SIDE OF HELPING PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HELP.
TRUMP ONLY HELPS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS GROSSNESS. HOW DO YOU LIKE THE FACT HE DIDNT PAY HIS TAXES FOR MANY YEARS?
If Trump followed the letter of the IRS code, this is no issue of yours Nancy. That is all anyone is required to do. Why not get real issues to fight for, instead of more OrangemanBad?
Still delusional Nancy!?
Hey Nancy…I’m one that is looking forward to you waking up to the fact that we live in a false construct…FYI, ‘The Matrix’ was a documentary, and Trump is breaking The Matrix!
“The cage is invisible because you were born inside it — and they taught you to love the bars.” – Mark Twain
PS…the cool thing about this wacky psychological war is that everyone will be wearing who they were & what they did during the battles…Trump flipped The World!
HI NANCY, HOW ARE YOU?
I'LL SEND YOUR REGARDS TO TRUMPY BUT HE'S PROBABLY TOO BUSY FOR A DATE!
I would forgo all future social security payments in exchange for a free 100% conversion of my 401k to a Roth IRA. In other words, remove taxation on the withdrawal of 401k funds including all capital gains. I would bet many others would take the offer. Also, income from other pensions should not be taxed in exchange of forfeiture of future social security payments.
Peter Scott, David Bergerson, Burton Voorhees, Ray Macso, and Patty, I commend you on presenting well-articulated, reasoned, factual counterpoints to Mr. Ruhge's fallacy-plagued (and poorly edited) essay. Sadly, the criticisms you received -- "You're a complete moron," "Commie Dem," "Social Security is a Ponzi scheme," etc. -- are but a microcosm of our current political milieu wherein no amount of facts seem to dissuade MAGA acolytes from following their narcissistic, dim-witted, Jim Jones-esque, grifter-in-chief over the cliff and into the abyss no matter how many his policies work against their better interests or human kindness in general.
"Money participants put into Social Security would go into an “Independent Trust Fund,” rather than into the General Operating Fund, and therefore would be protected and would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program and no other. Under President Lyndon Johnson and a 2/3 majority Democrat Senate, the funds in the Social Security Program were moved to the General Fund (mainly to pay for the Vietnam War and the newly introduced “Great Society” programs of the 1960s."
That is inaccurate.
Never let FACTS get in the way of your opinion.
https://www.ssa.gov/history/tftable.html
and
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL33028
From the link above:
"By law, Social Security tax revenues must be invested in U.S. government obligations (debt instruments of the U.S. government). The accumulated holdings of U.S. government obligations are often viewed as being similar to assets held by any other trust on behalf of the beneficiaries. However, the holdings of the Social Security trust funds differ from those of private trusts because (1) the types of investments the trust funds may hold are limited and (2) the U.S. government is both the buyer and seller of the investments."
The issue has been that CONGRESS has used this as a means to fund the general fund. When a TBILL is sold, the money goes into the general fund. Using simple math, if SS has $100 excess, it has to BUY $100 worth of TBILLS. That $100 goes to the treasury and is put in the general fund. The debt now goes to the general fund and SS collects interest on the TBILL.
You have so many inaccuracies; it is amazing. SS has ceilings that have moved. IIRC the last time it was capped at 90k was over 10 years ago. Today, it is the first 176,100 of income. The payment is 12.4%, not 7.65%. The payment is split 50/50 by the employer and employee. Therefore, the employee is paying 6.2% of income until 176,100.
You have so many other things incorrect in your rant. The rest of your rant is interesting. You want NOTHING to change. Society evolves. When you were born, there was no man on the moon, computer, internet, polio vaccine, etc.
Get over it. Life has evolved. Just like your parents, who were possibly born in the 1800s, things changed for them, just like they have changed for you, and like they are changing for me.