While I agree that taxing social security benefits was an indirect reduction in benefits, taxation of benefits will not fix the problem. The rats are committed to continuation of this generational Ponzi scheme. The only way to continue it will be massive taxation. The rats solution is to increase the payroll tax cap. The rats may also propose some benefit reductions with the retirement age.
The other solution is to privatize social security, effectively ending it. The rats adamantly oppose privatization because they realize that social security will become a welfare program. Privatization involves benefit cuts for those who have paid payroll taxes for many years.
A commission is a bad idea. There have been many commissions without any policy changes.
I have enough faith in the abject pragmatism and nihilism of this country to realize that our Social Security “problem” will likely be fixed through two approaches: (1) massive inflation of the U.S. dollar, and (2) euthanizing the elderly.