The Coming Entitlement Meltdown

[EdWort]

So do you really think any of our current politicians have the balls to be the one to turn off the check printing presses?

Absolutely not a single one has the cajones. They will just let it spiral and keep taking more and more till we start tossing empty beer cases into Boston harbor (no one in their right mind would toss full cases of beer into the harbor to simulate the Boston Tea Party).

 

[Seabee John]

Absolutely not a single one has the cajones. They will just let it spiral and keep taking more and more till we start tossing empty beer cases into Boston harbor (no one in their right mind would toss full cases of beer into the harbor to simulate the Boston Tea Party).

well maybe full cases of lone star light...lol

 

[Chriso]

Or Beer 30 Light. There are a couple other cheapo banditos in WI that would qualify too, I just can't remember them.

 

[mrfocus]

That is a major concern. Good thing I shell out all that medicare tax, right? /sigh Thinking about this makes me consider moving to Canada.

Tough luck, I heard about 2 months ago that an actuarial study by McGill University found that the retirement fund of Quebec would be empty by 2050 at the current rate. I'm not sure for other provinces, but everyone other than Alberta (Oil capital of Canada) is probably in the same boat. One of the good things is that Health Care is free, but we will have the same problem as government spending for healing the elders will just be too high, and eventually we're probably just gonna have to pull the plug after a certain age. Would a politician ever tell you that now, nope. Didn't even hear anyone talk about the retirement fund being empty (even the opposition parties) cause everyone knows we're f***ed up.

 

[homebrewer_99]

You are not alone. I've lost over 30K in my 401K in the last 3 months. Been there, done that. It will be back though. It always has. The good thing is that units costs are much lower and I'm able to buy more with my contributions at the moment. Gotta think positive since I won't get a pension and SS will be bankrupt or they move the eligablity age to 85.

I'll start getting my pension in 18 months...no bills and 50+K a year... :rockin:

 

[Mutilated1]

Absolutely not a single one has the cajones. They will just let it spiral and keep taking more and more till we start tossing empty beer cases into Boston harbor (no one in their right mind would toss full cases of beer into the harbor to simulate the Boston Tea Party).

It really wouldn't make any difference if any of them had the stones for it or not, we'd vote them out of office immediately as soon as they tried to cut off the gravy train.

We The People, dudes... Its nice to blame politicians, but we get what we deserve.

 

[homebrewer_99]

...We The People, dudes... Its nice to blame politicians, but we get what we deserve...

Not true...do away with the electoral college and you'll get the most popular candidate in there...

America has the best government Big Business can buy...they are all owned by somebody... All they do is tell us what they think we want to hear...

I think we should DEMAND a citizens referendum that requires all politicians be hooked up to a polygraph whenever they open their mouths...no difference than an ankle bracelet for criminals.

 

[EdWort]

Not true...do away with the electoral college and you'll get the most popular candidate in there...

Yep, voted in by the two states with the largest number of people dependant upon the nanny state (New York & California).

Luckily we are a representative republic and not a democracy or we would have gone the way of Rome years ago.

"A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only last until the citizens discover they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that the Democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, to be followed by a dictatorship, and then a monarchy." Prof. Alexander Tytler

We are nearing the point where the takers outnumber the producers.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

The only one who I have heard make any sense is Obama (uh oh political!!!!) I am not saying I support or oppose him. He just stated that americans that make over 97K do not pay a proportional amount of payroll and social security tax, and that equalling that out would fix the problem. Any one know about the legitimacy of that statement?

Preferably from people who don't make that much since they will be financially motivated to oppose it.

He is correct people who make over 97K do not pay a proportional amount of payroll tax, in fact it is highly disproportionate.

Basically the top 5% pay about 55% of income taxes. The top 10% pay about 66% and the top 50 % pay over 95% of income tax. Imagine the bottom 50% only pay 4 - 5 % of income taxes ! Now that is disproportionate and grotesque.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/04in06tr.xls

In a democracy once 50% or more realize that they can vote themselves their neighbors money ( stealing without the guts to do it oneself ), how can you survive?

Now they discuss giving a tax "rebate" of up to $ 1,200 dollars to those WHO DON'T PAY ANY INCOME TAXES.

 

[Mutilated1]

Not true...do away with the electoral college and you'll get the most popular candidate in there...

The fact that doing away with the electoral college is an extremely bad idea aside...

Having the most popular candidate in there will solve precisely squat. The most popular candidate is more than likely worse than the most unpopular.

People are going to vote in the politicians who promise them the most, and the politicians once they are voted in are going to spend like there is no tomorrow to justify their existance and protect their job.... Thats the problem and that will not change if you elect them via the electoral college or a call in show like American Idol.

 

[z987k]

Yep, voted in by the two states with the largest number of people dependant upon the nanny state (New York & California).

Luckily we are a representative republic and not a democracy or we would have gone the way of Rome years ago.



We are nearing the point where the takers outnumber the producers.

In the history of the world no government let alone a democracy or republic has ever stood. It seems a dictatorship of some sort always wins. And even then that government falls when the people pull their heads out of their asses and reinstate something resembling a fair government.

 

[Surly]

We like to blame the politicians. Then, we don't pay attention to what is going on. then, when we are told by some special interest group that they are bad, we vilify them.

Ok, that's fine. But now the real question....

What are we willing to give up? No, not the stuff the other guy wants. What are we personally willing to give up.

Your big trucks?
Your mother's ss entitlement? Can she live with you?
If you need an organ transplant, you willing to take yourself off the list?

We have huge problems here people. and, they will not simply be solved by pointing fingers and saying its pther people that have caused it. We all have.

Too many people with too many wants that turn into demands.

 

[skinfiddler]

We like to blame the politicians. Then, we don't pay attention to what is going on. then, when we are told by some special interest group that they are bad, we vilify them.

Ok, that's fine. But now the real question....

What are we willing to give up? No, not the stuff the other guy wants. What are we personally willing to give up.

Your big trucks?
Your mother's ss entitlement? Can she live with you?
If you need an organ transplant, you willing to take yourself off the list?

We have huge problems here people. and, they will not simply be solved by pointing fingers and saying its pther people that have caused it. We all have.

Too many people with too many wants that turn into demands.

I am willing to give up the taxation and regulations that force truck makers to move to other countries and raise the the pricing of trucks.

I am willing to give up the practice of forced income confiscation by government entites only to have those monies go to those who didn't earn it, who are not infirmed and are unwilling to work.

I am willing to give up the idea that it is OK for government entities to tell me how best to spend my income.

I am willing to give uip the idea that government entities can tell me how much force I can use to protect myself, my family and property.

etc.

The notion that "most people are progressive" is insipid. "Most people" do not know where they are in the political spectrum and don't care. Many have "grown up" mistakenly believing that government exists to give rights and provide all manner of creature comforts for them. By virtue of the fact that many accept their freebies from mothe government is NO indication that they are progressive or anything else politically.

 

[Seabee John]

I am willing to give up the taxation and regulations that force truck makers to move to other countries and raise the the pricing of trucks.

I am willing to give up the practice of forced income confiscation by government entites only to have those monies go to those who didn't earn it, who are not infirmed and are unwilling to work.

I am willing to give up the idea that it is OK for government entities to tell me how best to spend my income.

I am willing to give uip the idea that government entities can tell me how much force I can use to protect myself, my family and property.

etc.

The notion that "most people are progressive" is insipid. "Most people" do not know where they are in the political spectrum and don't care. Many have "grown up" mistakenly believing that government exists to give rights and provide all manner of creature comforts for them. By virtue of the fact that many accept their freebies from mothe government is NO indication that they are progressive or anything else politically.

+million - on everything he said... RIGHT ON THE MARK!!!

 

[Rick_R]

americans that make over 97K do not pay a proportional amount of payroll and social security tax

As someone else already mentioned, over half the taxes are paid by the top 5% of income earners. They are doing their share. But Obama (and all) would rather have the votes of the 95% than the 5%.

The job of a politician is not to run the district/state/country well but to get elected. The skill set necessary to get elected is not particularly relevant to the skill set required to run the district/state/country well. So you can't blame Obama (or others) because, bottom line, any politician who stands up and tells the truth about what needs to be done will lose more votes than he/she would gain . . . which makes him/her a bad politician because his/her job is to maximize votes.

Rick

 

[kornkob]

Absolutely not a single one has the cajones. They will just let it spiral and keep taking more and more till we start tossing empty beer cases into Boston harbor (no one in their right mind would toss full cases of beer into the harbor to simulate the Boston Tea Party).

it's not that none of them have the balls-- it's that it would take a large number of politians with the balls to do it to all be in office and working together to make it happen. The 2 party advesarial system we've developed in this country doesn't really allow for that to occur.

France, for all its problems otherwise, at least has a form of democratic rule that can change the parties in power pretty regularly. A multiparty system allows for politians easily align themselves with groups to pass legislation without fearing that they'll lose access to the coffers of cash from the 'big 2' parties.