The Social Security Ponzi Scheme/Scam

lol. bravo.

Yea, I'd like to see a citation of the sources the author used.

People keep thinking of libertarianism as an ultimate individualism. A system where it is everyone for themselves. In truth, it does not necessitate everyone for themselves. It allows for the individuals to invest their capital as they see fit. That includes social welfare programs that individuals find beneficial to the society as a whole without it having to go to other programs the individuals do not support.

Think about it. Allow individuals to invest their wealth in programs they support and you remove the alienation of the taxpayers and voters of the country as they watch their money, their interests, get hijacked for someone else's concept of what the greatest good is.

If we didn't have to pay taxes for government spending that we have no control over, we would have the capital to invest in programs we the people find beneficial. Do you think we would have the domestic issues we do now? Do you think the federal government would be empowered enough to fight wars the people don't support?

Your logic is flawed.

In corporatism (fascism), the elites are both a mixture of big business and government bureaucrats.....and both sides blame one another without looking at the big picture.

G. Man,
Goggle the various S.S. sites. You will be stunned at the obvious loopholes written to serve "special purposes", not related to retirement of the payees.

Yeah I know enough about it just from listening to others moaning in agony. I'm not a real fast reader so I trust you. I'm more into inventing new energy sources. I fixed a car engine in 2003 that had already run as a prototype but the inventor was very old, but a brilliant man who made some mistakes.

It took me a few days as I was very ill with Gout at that time but 3 days after finding his 1997 prototype I understood what he did wrong. So I know how to make an air+steam engine, no combustion but plenty of explosion, and no pollutants. Last year it occurred to me how to make the engine designed like a mechanical heart so I'm working up the designs to publish this week.

The supercold liquid air is minus 320 & the steam can be plus 320 give or take (desert or snow as required), and I figured out several ways to make it producing 11 times a combustion engine (1100%).

If people had my engine, SS wouldn't be such an astromically large beat to pay, albeit it needs to die. But this past February I got sidetracked to working on a Gravity Wheel that can power up each person's home => http://tinyurl.com/GravityWheelOne so right now I have about 6 or 7 other designs for those.

I am on disability and every day is an adventure healthwise but I don't have much left from my disability check to do anything with, so I just do what I can while the country puts its hopes in a bunch of stupid windmills...

However, I think President Obama knows of many engines and health advances and is planning some kind of big release in a few months. He's giving the talking heads plenty of time to talk their way deep into the ground damning him and then he's going to break loose (I think). For instance, I've heard some scientists decided to go backpacking into the rain forest and powwow with some shaman healers, and word is one of them showed them some soil that is so incredibly fertile when added to worn out soil it fertilizes back to where it should be.

They call it self-fertilizing soil. And there's a new type of printer that prints metal dots real tiny, so it can print a crystal-like web so strong it makes a fabric many times stronger than steel... so they're going to enrobe bridges and sagging buildings with it giving them a new lease on life in excess of what they ever had.

All these other arguments about SS and men getting married is almost as if they're using them to keep people distracted by making them worse. Apparently a Renaissance is about to be sprung but the question is will it be for everyone or will it be for a few after the dust settles?

I personally think this is a time for prayer. Not many people ever get keys to the executive wash room.

You are correct, Critic. 40 years ago the S.S. sytem was being critizised by actuarial specialists. Yet the politicians chose to ignore the predictions and approve even more mandated expenditures. It has been a honey pot used to support general gov't. expenditures and welfare programs. I predict a cut in benefits to the retired and no cuts to the mass of unemployable baby producing misfits in this society.

Good one critic

I have a drunk cousin who gets over $300 a month in food stamps. That buys him steaks to trade to his neighbor for beer and peaches and sugar to make some home wine. The mindless bureaucrat who approves people like him would think twice if it was their money they were handing out.

Easy for you to say.
If you were on the streets and mentally ill AND addicted, would you have the presence of mind to seek help? You cannot fairly judge that which you do not comprehend from experience.

Your comment reflects typical right-wing attitudes. First, more for me, and if you are sick or feeble of mind, tough shit. You are on your own.

The actual "crazies" are in very small minority, who do need assistance. It is the con men/women sucking the life out of a system meant to serve the truly needy. They are the one's that should be cut off from the system. Why should workers support a population of moron's that have proven themselves capable of nothing beyond producing generation after generation of wards of the state.

>>typical right-wing attitudes. First, more for me,

NOT welfare programs. The largest portion of money was diverted to help finance the buildup of the armed forces. I believe it was the Regan administration that permitted this.

I've worked my ass off for what I have and I fucking resent assholes like you claiming whatever portion you feel is "fair" in order for you to feel good about your ideals. I've planned for and took responsibility for my retirement. Try teaching that simple idea to kids in school instead of your fucking Marxist redistribution schemes and maybe we wouldn't have so many people depending on SS.

@uppityprgressive - I suppose that you are entitled right? - Go and check your premise about Libertarians being "sociopathic. No taxes, no public holdings or services. The poor die in the street and the greedy survive. Great society...not."

As recently as the 1960s, low-cost health insur-ance was available to virtually everyone in America —
including people with existing medical problems. Doctors made house calls. A hospital stay cost
only a few days’ pay. And charity hospitals were available to take care of families who couldn’t
afford to pay for health care.

Then the federal government moved in — with Medicare, Medicaid, the HMO Act, and tens of thousands of regulations on doctors, hospitals, and health-insurance companies. Medicare regulations alone run more than 100,000 pages. Today, more than 50% of all healthcare dollars are spent by the government. Health insurance costs are skyrocketing. And government health programs are
heading for bankruptcy. Rather than roll back the government obstacles to afford-able health care, politicians continue to pile on more regulations.

The Libertarian Party knows the only health care reforms that will make a real difference are those that draw on the strength of the free market.

Its time to:
Establish Medical Savings Accounts.
Remove barriers to safe, affordable medicines.

In June 2000, World Wrestling Entertainment star Val Venis traveled to the United States to get hip surgery. A Canadian citizen by birth, the buff, 250-pound WWF wrestler was entitled to “free” health
care in his home country. But like thousands of other Canadians every year — some estimate tens of
thousands — Venis crossed the border to get the prompt, high-quality health care he could only find in
the United States.
In Canada, he explained, he would have to wait months (or even years) for the “non-critical”
surgery that would allow him to walk again without pain. And many Canadian hospitals don’t
have the state-of-the-art equipment their U.S. counterparts do. So Venis chose to pay for his
surgery, rather than settle for slow, questionable care in Canada. Unfortunately, Republican and
Democratic politicians don’t seem to have the same grasp of medicine and economics that professional wrestler Val Venis does. Through regulations and mandates, they are trying to mimic Canada’s failed system. In doing so, they are damaging what was once the best health care system in the world.

I suggest that you check your premise and do research before you make ignorant statements!

@ critic

That's funny.
Critic is trying to school uppityprogressive on Canada's healthcare system.

Tell you a secret, pal. I know the person in question very well and I can tell you that same was raised in Canada and is a Canadian citizen who resides in the US. So, your one-off anecdote isn't schooling anyone.

Also, I have lived in Canada all my life and I can tell you that elective surgery can make for long wait times but let me tell you that Canada's gov't.-run system kicks the shit out of America's exceptionally poor health care system, ranked one of the worst in the first world. Those with the coin to pay for expensive treatments and queue-jump can opt for going outside the country. Most Canadians will tell you that they pay between 60.00 and 75.00/ month for full coverage and the insurance company (the gov't.), you ready? ******CANNOT DENY YOUR CLAIM**

World Health Organization Report: The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of GDP on health services, ranks 18 th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy.

That is #37 out of 191 countries.

Now, lets look at the cost:
In 2006, per-capita spending for health care in the U.S. was US$6,714; in Canada, US$3,678.

No system is perfect but, for my money, I'd go with the single payer solution and if you don't agree, well you are welcome to go through life voting against your own best interests.

One more thing, the propaganda talking-points often claim you cannot choose your own doctor.
Totally false and made up out of whole cloth. Same with all the other memes. I moved to the west coast 11 years ago and by new business partner recommended a physician to me because I needed a new one that was close to the office. One phone call, I had an appointment the next day.

Remember: Virtually all of Congress is on the take from industry lobbyists and the system is unfotunately one of legal bribery and disinformation. They will tell you any lie to make you believe anything other than the American way is evil and wrong and impractical. It is a huge lie.

I laugh when I hear republicans and Blue-dog Democrats repeating the mantra 'I don't want the government coming between me and my doctor'.
Bullshit. The government is virtually invisible in such a system and doctors don't have to go begging to validate treatments. They simply perform them and the government opays the bill. And guess what? it's a smaller bill. (see figueres noted above)

titvol
"I've worked my ass off for what I have and I fucking resent assholes like you claiming whatever portion you feel is "fair" in order for you to feel good about your ideals. I've planned for and took responsibility for my retirement. Try teaching that simple idea to kids in school instead of your fucking Marxist redistribution schemes and maybe we wouldn't have so many people depending on SS."

That's a happy story. And if you get an unexpected medical condition it's wiped out and then your plan is up in smoke.
But for the grace of God, there goes you.
Only billionaire's needn't worry. A retirement nestegg can be vaporware overnight. Are you sure it's not invested with Madoff Securities?

First, I'd like to know where you learned your history. Second, just because a libertarian doesn't want their money going to government programs they don't have a say in does not mean they wouldn't give their money to privately run social programs they do support. Your logic is limited and ignorant.

Second, the talk about GDP spending in the United States versus actual care is very skewed. It does not distinguish between medical spending on research and insurance claims versus actual care. Insurance, due greatly to government regulation, has become a racket. Due to runaway costs for litigation on claims, abusive profiteering by executives, and even doctors charging excessive amounts because of access to the massive amounts of money funnelled into the insurance industry (to pay for their own runaway E&O policies).

Further, the United States does have some of the world's best medical services, but the access and costs are very limiting. Massive amounts of money goes into research and development in the United States. Look at how much money is going into the research for limb regeneration from the Pentagon.

China has refused to lend us any more money......

Aw shit. What now? We might have to, *gasp*, live within our means.