Re: the future long term financial apocalypse of the USA

On Tue, 14 May 2024 21:19:48 +0200, D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

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On Tue, 14 May 2024, Paul S Person wrote:
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On Mon, 13 May 2024 12:29:17 -0700, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca>
wrote:
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On Sat, 11 May 2024 08:53:23 -0700, Paul S Person
<psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
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You do realize that, when Social Security started, the average life
expectancy was such that those eligible for it were "locked into life
long slavery to the state", right?
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When Otto von Bismarck invented the old age pension the average male
life expectancy was 69 so on average pensioners lasted 4 years.
Obviously life expectancy is much longer now.

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Exactly. As health and longevity improve, retirement age must rise to
keep the finances under control. Which means people must work longer.
Which is very ... tiresome.

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No, you can change the assumptions, funding, or invest the money more
wisely. What you are saying is just tired platitudes from politicians who
are funded by the tax payers seeking the easy way out.

No amount of increased funding or investments will work if the number
of years you must pay out steadily increases. Especially if, as at
present and for some time past, a really large generation such as the
Boomers are retiring.

That's part of the problem: not enough workers even /exist/ to pay in
to provide enough to pay out. There are also shortages of staff in the
sort of things old people need most: caregivers. There just aren't
enough non-old people to go around. Well, except by importing them
from other countries. Whereupon the Republicans scream because it gets
them votes.

Modern citizens in western european countries are nothing more but wage
slaves who exist to feed the public sector.

And you think Egypt or Assyria or Chaldaea or the Medes/Persians or
Rome were any better?

And what makes you think this applies only to Western Europe? Were
people better off under the Communists in the East? Has Japan ceased
to try to work its employees to death?

I think the most sustainable way forward is to abolish social security and
let everyone take care of themselves.

That's not how it works in traditional cultures.

Adults, with a life expectancy of 60 or so, would find themselves in
their 40s supporting both their children and their aged parents. This
is expected of them -- indeed, it is part of "honor your father and
your mother".

Only 1%-ers can afford to take care of themselves. Everybody else
depends on people they do not own outright.

As for $4k per month, I was notified my entitlement was $1600/mo and
that was Canuck bucks too....

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Different systems, different rules.
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--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"