CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY AUGUST 26, 2026
THE PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION IS A NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON THE NATIONAL DEBT.
HAVING JUST PASSED A RECORD $40 TRILLION IN DEBT, THE FOUNDATION SURVEYED REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT VOTERS. IT FOUND 91 PERCENT OF VOTERS – INCLUDING DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS – ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEBT’S EFFECT ON INFLATION, WHICH IS ADDING TO THE COST OF LIVING. LOTS OF CONCERN ABOUT HOW THE NATIONAL DEBT IS CONTRIBUTING TO HIGHER INTERESTS AND OTHER COSTS.
CONCERN IS ONE THING. THE BIG QUESTION IS, WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO EITHER DO WITHOUT, OR REDUCE IN WHATEVER BENEFITS YOU GET FROM THE GOVERNMENT? IF YOU ARE DOING WELL FINANCIALLY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GIVE UP SOME OR ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY? HOW ABOUT INCREASING THE RETIREMENT AGE FROM 65 TO A MORE REASONABLE 70, OVER A FEW YEARS. DOESN’T THAT BETTER REFLECT THE REAILTY THAT WE ARE LIVING LONGER?
THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE ALL FOR CUTTING THE DEBT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INDIVIDUAL CUTS, WE THINK WE DESERVE WHAT WE ARE RECEIVING AND DON’T WANT TO LIMIT OR DO AWAY WITH IT. THE POLITICIANS USE BENEFITS TO GET VOTES.
CONCERN IS A STARTING POINT. REAL CUTS ARE THE GOAL I’M CAL THOMAS.
I would give up calling social security a benefit. Social Security has now become a benefit for dishonest politicians (read your article “Wisdom at the checkout” on August 24th). I am forced to pay into SS for 60 years with the belief that the government would pay me, in return, a residual until I die (@ the average age of death of about 83). Why should I be forced to give up my hard earned money because of a dishonest government?
Agreed, it’s not an “entitlement”, it’s something we paid into all our lives and worked for; and quit jacking up the retirement age while you’re at it, it’s already been done once
You don’t “pay into” it. It is a tax that pays current retirees. There is no box in the Treasury Department with your name on it and money in it. You rely on the current working generation and when they retire they must rely on the following generation. SS and Medicare will run out of money by the early 2030s. Politicians must raise the retirement age, raise taxes, cut services, means test, or all four. That’s a fact but oliticians don’t want to do anything because they fear the voters.