Social Security

[HemlockGrey]

Express your detailed thoughts on the subject.

[Tsyroc]

cool numbers.

[kojikun]

a way to provide the elderly with barely enough money for medication by taxing the population of the US.

[Tsyroc]

Yeah, somewhere along the line people missed the part about it being a fall back retirement. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't plan and save for your retirement it means that there's something else there for you if you needed.

Until you do need it the goverment will play all kinds of games with the money.

[Sea Skimmer]

If a private cooperation ran such a plan it would probably get shut down. Social Security is a loss for anyone who pays into it; simply dumping that money in a bank account would provide a larger return.

[Knife]

Express your detailed thoughts on the subject.

Hmmm, bankrupting one generation to pay for the promises of another generation.

[kojikun]

If a private cooperation ran such a plan it would probably get shut down. Social Security is a loss for anyone who pays into it; simply dumping that money in a bank account would provide a larger return.

over the course of a liftime, you probably could save up $60,000 which would end up like.. 100,000 thanks to interest. Thats enough to pay for drugs for a good 20 years. and thats all assuming you lay aside $100 a month for 50 years. its such an easy thing to do.

[Howedar]

A neat idea.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Express your detailed thoughts on the subject.

An additional tax which is not authorized under the constitution, a massive expansion of the government bureaucracy, a system which is inefficient, ineffective, an ultimately doomed to a massive and wasteful collapse. In short, a travesty that needs to be abolished.

A plan whereupon seniors would be exempt from taxes would be far more effective, and far less of a burden on the country. Such a plan could, furthermore, be implemented quite easily in conjunction with a sales tax, which is really what this country needs in place of the income tax. Perhaps the destruction of numerous political careers in the fallout from the now nearly-inevitable collapse of social security will bring about the impetous for reform both in this area, and in that of the tax code.

[RedImperator]

The biggest Ponzi scheme in history. If a private citizen or corporation ran an investment program exactly like it in every detail, he'd go to jail (Charles Ponzi did, after all).

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Cute way for the government to give EVERY CITIZEN a Serial Number.

Oh, and you get a few dollars in return if you make a perfect double somersault through the CORRECT razor-sharp spiky flaming hoop.

And did I mention you need to pole-vault up just to get to the hoop?

Oh, and chances are you'll hafta do it several times in a row at just the exact instant of the year when the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus line up with Alpha Centauri, causing a giant laser to cook the Golden Goose, inducing it to lay a gold egg which rolls down a ramp and lands on a seesaw catapult which flings a cow over the moon and onto another catapult, launching the Squadron of Stealth Hang-Glider Pigs into the sky to intercept the laser beam with a Nuclear Bomb...

[RedImperator]

Cute way for the government to give EVERY CITIZEN a Serial Number.

Oh, and you get a few dollars in return if you make a perfect double somersault through the CORRECT razor-sharp spiky flaming hoop.

And did I mention you need to pole-vault up just to get to the hoop?

Oh, and chances are you'll hafta do it several times in a row at just the exact instant of the year when the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus line up with Alpha Centauri, causing a giant laser to cook the Golden Goose, inducing it to lay a gold egg which rolls down a ramp and lands on a seesaw catapult which flings a cow over the moon and onto another catapult, launching the Squadron of Stealth Hang-Glider Pigs into the sky to intercept the laser beam with a Nuclear Bomb...

That sounds likes Mousetrap, only way cooler.

[HemlockGrey]

An additional tax which is not authorized under the constitution, a massive expansion of the government bureaucracy, a system which is inefficient, ineffective, an ultimately doomed to a massive and wasteful collapse. In short, a travesty that needs to be abolished.

How and why?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

An additional tax which is not authorized under the constitution, a massive expansion of the government bureaucracy, a system which is inefficient, ineffective, an ultimately doomed to a massive and wasteful collapse. In short, a travesty that needs to be abolished.

A plan whereupon seniors would be exempt from taxes would be far more effective, and far less of a burden on the country. Such a plan could, furthermore, be implemented quite easily in conjunction with a sales tax, which is really what this country needs in place of the income tax. Perhaps the destruction of numerous political careers in the fallout from the now nearly-inevitable collapse of social security will bring about the impetous for reform both in this area, and in that of the tax code.

Perfect.

I can improve on things: Abolish the DEA and legalize marijuana! Tax the shit out of it and watch Joe Citizen still talk about how the price of weed has dropped 50% while the quality has gone WAYYYY up.

An ounce of Kind Bud for $10? Legalize it fully and it'll be reality.

Bonus: Prison populations will plummet as well, allowing for even more massive tax cuts and simplification of Tax code!

Then put the proceeds toward a Real Education System good enough to forge brilliant students out of even the worst delinquents.

[Xenophobe3691]

Perfect.

I can improve on things: Abolish the DEA and legalize marijuana! Tax the shit out of it and watch Joe Citizen still talk about how the price of weed has dropped 50% while the quality has gone WAYYYY up.

An ounce of Kind Bud for $10? Legalize it fully and it'll be reality.

Bonus: Prison populations will plummet as well, allowing for even more massive tax cuts and simplification of Tax code!

Then put the proceeds toward a Real Education System good enough to forge brilliant students out of even the worst delinquents.

I'm all for this. The taxing of Marijuana would generate HUGE revenue for the government, since, last time I checked, the amount of Internet Users is just behind the amount of Marijuana users in this country. The overcrowded jails, already bankrupting states like California, would have their numbers reduced, thus freeing more money to invest in systems such as EDUCATION, which the average American doesn't wanna pay for anyhow.

Unfortunately, the politician who seriously puts this up'll be tarred and feathered, since the Conservative Right now has a loud voice in this country, and, of course, they don't like anything that makes you feel good, don't they?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

I'm all for this. The taxing of Marijuana would generate HUGE revenue for the government, since, last time I checked, the amount of Internet Users is just behind the amount of Marijuana users in this country. The overcrowded jails, already bankrupting states like California, would have their numbers reduced, thus freeing more money to invest in systems such as EDUCATION, which the average American doesn't wanna pay for anyhow.

Unfortunately, the politician who seriously puts this up'll be tarred and feathered, since the Conservative Right now has a loud voice in this country, and, of course, they don't like anything that makes you feel good, don't they?

We Stoners don't call those fucktards 'Fascists' and 'Nazis' for nothing, after all.

[HemlockGrey]

This is me trying to get a grasp on the pros and cons of Social Security, not you ranting about the DEA. On topic, please.

[kojikun]

We Stoners don't call those fucktards 'Fascists' and 'Nazis' for nothing, after all.

Hey hey, fascistsj ust want absolute devotion to the ideals of the nation, which in the US jsut happen to be freedom and democracy. Nothing wrong with that.

[Hamel]

I don't see social security going anywhere

I agree with the libertarians: just nuke it

[Darth Yoshi]

The problem with Social Security is that it requires one generation to pay for another. Today, with more and more baby boomers retiring, there aren't enough people to pay Social Security.

[Xenophobe3691]

This is me trying to get a grasp on the pros and cons of Social Security, not you ranting about the DEA. On topic, please.

Well, in that case, my opinion is this:

Social Security, a program invented in the 30's to deal with overwhelming poverty due to the Great Depression, is going to crash and burn from lack of long term planning. Using this generation to pay for the previous was the easiest way to raise funds back then, and continued to be, but with the huge baby boomer age bulge reaching retirement age, and their insistence on having their kids hideously late, means that soon few workers will be able to pay for all the retired baby boomers, and it's a problem that's only gonna get worse till they die. We had 70 years to gradually switch the program to a mandatory "Save till you retire" system, but that would've cost money and effort that the average American Taxpayer didn't want. Now, we're gonna see the result of the average American's inability to see past the next Football/Baseball/Basketball game.

[weemadando]

Social Security in the US from all the media reports, studies and arguements on the board seems to be a fucking mess.

In Australia its still a mess, but not nearly as much of one - and you can indeed live on it, as I've been able to prove for the past few years, living only on the meagre Centrelink Youth Allowance (for tertiary students) of $180 a fortnight.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Social Security is a big mess for several reasons.

1) Is an entitlement, meaning you cant just cancel it without huge problems. How do you reimburse those who have paid into it already.
2) Its widely misunderstood. I think a large number of Americans dont understand we pay into the fund to support existing users. Its not a savings plan.
3) Corporate retirement plans are not any better IMO. Companies have wiped out pensions, restructured pensions, and lied about earnings which disrupts 401K plans.
4) Private plans are better , but you still need to rely on honest reporting from the companies you invest it. ( assuming you go with stocks )

I see no way to fix it until it crashes and burns. The AARP is very organized and will fight any efforts at reform. Since seniors vote and young people dont, the program is pretty much protected.

[Stormbringer]

Dumbest fucking idea ever.

It's a black hole and all the goddamned seniors won't give up a dime of their benefits even if it means bankrupting the US to do it. Mark my words, the system will ruin the government. It's fucked beyond belief, but thanks to the senior vote no one will touch it.

And the worst part is, we'll be the poor bastards stuck paying for it. I'm about ready to say let 'em freeze in the streets if you don't take care of your own finances. I'm not going to be yoked a dying system (and a dying senior) for the rest of my productive years only to get screwed out of anything by taxes for the elderly. You know, I'm for charity but the system doesn't work.

And you know what, for all people bitch, it is possible to save for a decent, even comfortable retirement. My grandpa did it on a modest blue collar salary simply be being smart about it.

[weemadando]

Dumbest fucking idea ever.

Actually great idea, fucking poor implementation.