Um- just how stupid are the Democrats? And how stupid do they think the average John Q. Taxpayer is? Bush tries to get it across over and over that the Social Security system is broke, and must be fixed. But the Dems have their heads in the sand- or else they're attempting to fleece 300 million people.
Look. I started working when I was fifteen. I already understood the concept of federal and state income taxes, so it wasn't a surprise when they were deducted. However (and my dad will still attest to this) I looked at my first check and said "Who the heck is FICA and why are they taking money out of my check?" Thus I was introduced to the world of payroll taxes. It didn't take me long to start asking questions about Social Security- I wanted to know that my money was at least being stolen for a good cause.
I would say I was probably sixteen when I realized the extremely obvious truth- Social Security will go broke. How can anyone not see that? Simple math- if it's barely holding its own with the baby boomers working, my generation starting to work, and the WWII generation being the retirees- how do you expect it to survive the retiring of the entire baby boomer generation?
If the baby boomers had been wise enough to ignore that "The world is overpopulated! We're all gonna starve!" crap, and had collectively decided to raise a generation with enough new young'uns (like myself) to replace the gap they leave in the workforce, Social Security would probably be just fine. But no. Or maybe if they hadn't murdered 40 million of their babies, some of those kids would be providing some sort of contribution to society now. But my generation now has the dicey problem of not being big enough to support all of our parents. So we're stuck (once again) with the crap we inherited, and we somehow have to support the baby boomers into retirement.
I don't have a problem supporting my parents (neither of whom are yet retired), or retirees in general. They've done their share. They worked until they couldn't go no more, and now it's my job. My pastor taught it like this: a person's life has three stages- learning (school-age), earning (workers), and returning (retirees). The workers- the people between twentysomething and fifty or sixtysomething- are the ones responsible for keeping the economy going through their work.
But the system as it is will die. If you know that in advance, and you do nothing, it's on your hands. I figured this out when I was a teenager. I figured out that when the baby boomers retire, the system will collapse. It's simple math. And people who are leading this country would try and tell me not to worry? Are you, Mister Been-A-Senator-For-Longer-Than-I've-Been-Friggin'-Alive, dumber now than I was when I was a punk kid? Wow.
I don't know the ins and outs of Bush's plan. I keep hearing people ramble on about how it involves stocks and bonds and all this complicated crap. I keep hearing that his plan will force us all to invest our money into accounts we know nothing about. Typical Democrap scare tactics. If they would pay attention for about a second and a half, they would hear the phrase "give the workers a choice to put some of their money in private accounts." This is one of the major differences between Right and Left- the Dems think the government should control everything. I mean, gosh, they were smart enough to get elected- they must be smart enough to know better than me how to handle my own money! Right? Right?
Uh, no.
Well, that's what they think. What do conservatives basically think? You earned it, you invest it as you see fit. Sounds reasonable- matter of fact, that's the only option I'm willing to discuss. If "being able to invest some of my money into private accounts" is the best I can get right now, well, so be it- for now. But I can't settle for anything less than "oh, you worked for this? Why don't you keep it?" And neither should anybody else.
I caught a glimpse of Scott McClellan dealing with a press conferenceroomful of stupid reporters today. One of them brought up how everybody should be scared that Bush said the way SS works is basically a file cabinet full of IOUs. The reporter showed a remarkable lack of financial knowledge, and Scott showed remarkable restraint. Because that's exactly what it is- I pay the governmentwatch the government steal a significant chunk of my wages every two weeks, and they tell me they'll pay it back one day. Well, any fool can see the obvious- what President Bush shouldn't have to spell out to moronic Democrats- that if things stay the way they are, there's no way I'll ever get all that money back. Something has to change in order for me to get my money- either my kids and grandkids will be paying 75% of their paycheck to pay my Social Security, or the SS system must be drastically altered now. Twenty years ago would've been better, but since people didn't want to fix it then, let's do it now. Right now.
'Cuz it's real simple. I'm going to cash in on those "IOUs". Oh yes. I will be getting my money back. If the Dems want to undermine Bush (since he's apparently the first person with the cojones to try and fix this beast), then what'll happen is when I'm an old codger who wants to sit on the front porch all day hollering at kids, I won't have any money. And I'll say, "Hmm. I seem to recall Social Security taking X number of thousand dollars from me over the years, with the promise that I'd see it in my old codgerdom. But some conniving politicians made sure that wouldn't happen. I think I'll just mosey on over to their house and get my doggone money back, so I don't have to work until I'm 93..."
Yup. Might be what I'll have to do.
Now, I'm not saying I'll rob anybody, or break & enter somebody's house- I'm just saying I'm gonna get all my money back. All my money back.
This has been your rant on Social Security.
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