"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." The Who
The "new boss" is the international bond market, you know, the folks that finance everything we take for granted... they are coming, and they are pissed...
Raising the Social Security retirement age to 70 is GOING TO HAPPEN - and then it will likely be raised to 72 or 73. The "new boss" demands it.
That is the equivalent of the end of Social Security, just in case anybody missed it... and it does not bode well for states like Florida and Arizona, to say the least.
The article mentions "paying more for Doctor visits and drugs". How quaint. What is really going to have to happen is that extending end of life illnesses will no longer be financed by the government's social programs. If you want an extra 6 months of life while so sick you can't enjoy a visit to the toilet, you are going to have to save and sacrifice during your working years and pay for it yourself. The "new boss" demands this, too.
Both of these things are going to happen, and worse, because of the political realities, TPTB won't do it to the people who deserve it - those NOW past 65 who are collecting FAR BEYOND their contributions. Nope, TPTB are going to jack the folks who paid the most, those born 1955 to 1970 or so. They don't have a choice, because "that's where the money is".
Social Security and Medicare will have the same names, but vastly different benefits and retirement ages. In other words, they will have for all intents and purposes defaulted on their promises.
This has to happen! (the "new boss" demands it) No point in a "we should do this, that, or the other thing", or "if only our scum bags were elected instead of their scum bags" debate. You need to provide for YOU. Self- reliance, self-provisioning, self-rescue, localism, Libertarianism... whatever you want to call it. You are in charge of your future. Nobody else.
People are not dumb. There might be "the insanity of crowds" but there is also some wisdom in crowds, too (for example, you can now buy MRE's, emergency heirloom seed collections, and other long term survival food at Costco.com!). You need a long term view and plan.
For those of you that are going to gnash your teeth about the military budget... fear not, they are going to get their's, too. So are the government workers and their outrageous pension benefits. The money simply does not exist to pay for it all.
Oh, and by the way... did I mention you can get survival rations at Costco now?