Huzzah! Ryan firmly grasps the third rail!

Anecdote.

I am old enough to have lived through the Reagan administration. In particular, I read the book written by David Stockman, R's budget director. He stated that James Baker, the architect of R's first and second election victories, carried around a bazooka on his shoulder labeled 'social security': if anyone even suggested touching SS, he would blow your f*cking head off.

I am glad to see that the political landscape has change. Polls of young 'uns in their 30's and 40's seem to understand that Medicare and Social Security will not exist in their current shape when they get old and retire. Therefore, now the time is ripe to reshape Medicare and SS in ways unimaginable during R's presidency.

We must finally admit, after all, that we simply cannot afford Medicare and SS as they are currently built.