Reply #4: Why didn't they pay for it way back when?

[Nexus7]

Social Security gets money every paycheck, and invests it in safe instruments. In this way, it sets money aside all the time to meet its future obligations, while meeting its current obligations. The much-lamented date of 2019, in fact, is when it'll have to dip into that money that is set aside.

This (easily-fixed) event was enough for the republico-busho-wackos to want to privatise Social Security.

Firstly, why didn't GM set the money aside as and when they committed to these future health care costs? Well, of course, so that they could call it 'profits' and make off like bandits with the loot disguised as bonuses, dividends, perks, marketing, whatever.

And then, notice how the solution now is not privatization (as suggested for Soc Sec), but nationalization, or at least, for the government (that's us, folks) to assume the costs and/or the risks of health care.

Socialize the risks, privatize the profits - that's always how it is with these people.