I was looking for the payment disparity in the 'middle' middle class and the wealthy who pay Social Security and Medicare taxes as part of your argument, Paul. About the guy who makes around $144,000/year I think it is who pays as much SS/Medicare tax as the gal or guy who makes a cool  Million$$/year; or 5M$ a year - there's plenty of those folks.  In the past the ceiling number was adjusted upward to accommodate the full solvency of the SS Trust Fund. But I didn't read any of that in this piece.I also agree with you on what is and what isn't Socialism but kindly state it for everyone to understand it.  Here's how I understand it: "IF YOU PAY FOR SOMETHING, IT AIN'T SOCIALISM."  If you haven't paid for it, and its doled out to you at government expense, then it is quasi-socialism because it should only be for a leg up and not a permanent dole. That's called CAPITALISM that cares.When I retired and collected Social Security my statements had monies taken out for taxes since my summer job on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street across from Barney's when I was 16 years old.  I paid taxes before most of these young, know-it-all Republican hotshots were even born and their telling us how it should work. They haven't been around long enough to see how its positively affected those who earned their benefits.

I was looking for the payment disparity in the 'middle' middle class and the wealthy who pay Social Security and Medicare taxes as part of your argument, Paul. About the guy who makes around $144,000/year I think it is who pays as much SS/Medicare tax as the gal or guy who makes a cool  Million$$/year; or 5M$ a year - there's plenty of those folks.  In the past the ceiling number was adjusted upward to accommodate the full solvency of the SS Trust Fund. But I didn't read any of that in this piece.I also agree with you on what is and what isn't Socialism but kindly state it for everyone to understand it.  Here's how I understand it: "IF YOU PAY FOR SOMETHING, IT AIN'T SOCIALISM."  If you haven't paid for it, and its doled out to you at government expense, then it is quasi-socialism because it should only be for a leg up and not a permanent dole. That's called CAPITALISM that cares.When I retired and collected Social Security my statements had monies taken out for taxes since my summer job on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street across from Barney's when I was 16 years old.  I paid taxes before most of these young, know-it-all Republican hotshots were even born and their telling us how it should work. They haven't been around long enough to see how its positively affected those who earned their benefits.

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