Fixing social security

[Forkyfinder]

Remember that one time you didn't take out the trash? There is your punishment.

Good news is that 1 in 5 Boomers is willing to "transfer" some money.

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Ironic - 3% of that is illegal...

 

[SAJ-99]

Ironic - 3% of that is illegal...

The loan? I think not technically, as long as you report it to the bank on the loan application.

 

[SAJ-99]

The loan? I think not technically, as long as you report it to the bank on the loan application.

Should probably add that it appears lying on a loan application is fine, but lying to get SSI is complete and total fraud.

 

[MTGomer]

No jealousy here, I am 100% ok with Bezos making a trillion dollars and burning $1,000 bills to roast marshmallows if that makes him happy. He earned it, he can hoard it or spend it as he wishes.

When I think about “taxing the Rich“ this is what I think too.
Judging by comments in this thread or just statements from people or politicians, in general, it means wildly different things to other people. It seems that the couple that both have professional jobs and together are making a couple hundred thousand to half a million a year, or someone that owns a moderately successful small business is considered “the Rich”, and should “pay his fair share” when, in fact, the person even with the $5 or $10 million net worth is exponentially closer to a homeless person on the bar of wealth than he is to Jeff Bezos.

 

[406dn]

in fact, the person even with the $5 or $10 million net worth is exponentially closer to a homeless person on the bar of wealth than he is to Jeff Bezos.

I think it depends how you look at it.

If you take the spectrum from poorest to richest, when you get to say a net worth of 10 million dollars, there are many more people with less wealth that that person than there are with more. The air gets even more rarified with a higher net worth levels. Some one with a 100 million dollar net worth is still a piker compared to Bezos, but almost everyone has a lower net worth than that person.

I don't think it is very easy to put a easy definition of what is rich. I do not think most people with a net worth of a million, consider themselves "rich". For some one with almost no net worth, they would likely consider a person with a net worth of a million, rich.

The wealthiest 1% of the population have 30.6% of all the wealth in the country. That is larger than the wealth of the entire middle class, if you define the middle class as the middle 60% of the population. Collectively the middle class has about 26 % of the wealth in the country. The bottom 20% own 3% of the wealth in the country. The top 10 % of households have a net worth beginning at ~ 1.6 million dollars. The bottom 10 percent of the population have zero net worth.

 

[longbow51]

As for those happy Nordic countries you might reassess in about 5 years.

 

[406dn]

As for those happy Nordic countries you might reassess in about 5 years.

It's been rolling along like that for a good long while. I'm not advocating for it, but it is what it is. Compare Norway's balance sheet to ours some time.

 

[VikingsGuy]

As for those happy Nordic countries you might reassess in about 5 years.

I think the nordic "exceptionalism" comes mostly from a small (by nation standards) largely ethnically, culturally, linguistically homogeneous and educated populous. It is not at all clear that there is any lesson to learn about how to run a huge and populous multicultural nation embedded in their experience. I am so bored with nordic examples on every conceivable topic. And this is coming from a majority Norwegian descendant.

 

[wyoelkfan15]

We have crazy ideas like striving towards a completely free market, absent of government interference and intrusion.

That worked out great for America's waterways and big game populations before government interference...

 

[VikingsGuy]

Yeah, we advocate for crazy things like liberty, property rights and wanting the government to leave us the fck alone.

We don't think the federal reserve system is beneficial to the nation because we've seen what happens when we simply keep printing money we can't back up. Spending money you don't have has always ended well, right?

We would like if people had the freedom to give to charity only through voluntary means, not forcibly.

We don't think America should be the world's police force and would like to stay out of wars that don't directly tie to the defense of our country.

We have crazy ideas like striving towards a completely free market, absent of government interference and intrusion.

And us fascinating creatures think the 2nd Amendment is important to protecting our liberty.

And we don't blindly and naively trust the government to make the best use of our tax money.

We are fascinating...

The best political belief system for 15-25 year olds. And then most grow up and realize the real world has many complex issues full-on libertarianism has no real answers for. I loved my libertarian phase - I knew everything and had all of life’s answers- until I didn’t.

 

[406dn]

I think the nordic "exceptionalism" comes mostly from a small (by nation standards) largely ethnically, culturally, linguistically homogeneous and educated populous. It is not at all clear that there is any lesson to learn about how to run a huge and populous multicultural nation embedded in their experience. I am so bored with nordic examples on every conceivable topic. And this is coming from a majority Norwegian descendant.

Spoken like a true Norwegian, modest to a fault, coming from another Norwegian, Vikings fan.

Yes, this country is much different culturally than the Nordic countries. But not to consider their outcomes, at all, is unwise.

In a round about way, you are admitting their societies are functioning better that ours. I'll offer that one of the USA's problems is that we just assume we are better than everyone else.

 

[BuzzH]

Spoken like a true Norwegian, modest to a fault, coming from another Norwegian, Vikings fan.

Yes, this country is much different culturally than the Nordic countries. But not to consider their outcomes, at all, is unwise.

In a round about way, you are admitting their societies are functioning better that ours. I'll offer that one of the USA's problems is that we just assume we are better than everyone else.

All this Norwegian talk...who's bringing the lutefisk and lefsa?

 

[VikingsGuy]

All this Norwegian talk...who's bringing the lutefisk and lefsa?

Fresh lefsa is wonderful. Lutefisk is a crime against humanity.

 

[406dn]

All this Norwegian talk...who's bringing the lutefisk and lefsa?

I'll bring lefsa, you don't need to bring much lutefisk for me.

 

[BuzzH]

Fresh lefsa is wonderful. Lutefisk is a crime against humanity.

Yeah, I agree, I never did get the taste for lutefisk.

My Grandfather seemed to like it, I think he was just showing off.

 

[406dn]

Lutefisk could be the answer to our nation's obesity problem.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Would it be any worse if it was $250 trillion?

As a sidebar, everybody should watch the Grapes of Wrath film. Quite interesting. California...the land of milk and honey! Funny how life changes. Socialism is NOT the answer

If you invite govt into your life, you get one size fits all with a favoritism overlay. If you step back and say, jeez, I can prepare for retirement myself by living a modest life, invest conservatively, save my dough, invest in myself by finding a career that pays well, the whole country would be significantly better off. But the evil part of mankind raises its ugly head....how can I make somebody else pay for something I want!

Human history does not support the premise that 95+% of people can navigate 75 yrs of life entirely as an island and have it work out in all cases. So, you either provide systems to address the least amongst us or you can build a moat to protect yourself from the inevitable uprising. I choose the former.

 

[406dn]

Human history does not support the premise that 95+% of people can navigate 75 yrs of life entirely as an island and have it work out in all cases. So, you either provide systems to address the least amongst us or you can build a moat to protect yourself from the inevitable uprising. I choose the former.

We would not have a border crisis, if there weren't so many people living lives of absolute desperation. There are countless examples in history when masses just could not take it anymore. Desperate people will do some pretty desperate things.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

It's been rolling along like that for a good long while. I'm not advocating for it, but it is what it is. Compare Norway's balance sheet to ours some time.

Not really a fair comparison, they have the oil production of Texas and the population of CO, while producing all their electricity from hydro and other renewables… essentially awash in cash. Its like if Kuwait were socialist.

Also you have to look at all of Europe together if you are going to compare to the US… MA has amazing healthcare, social services, etc (insane how much shittier insurance is in literally every other state) meanwhile Mississippi… Moldova…Alabama… Albania

 

[Desk Pop]

The best political belief system for 15-25 year olds. And then most grow up and realize the real world has many complex issues full-on libertarianism has no real answers for. I loved my libertarian phase - I knew everything and had all of life’s answers- until I didn’t.

Cool. I was a liberal between the ages of 2 and 5. I thought the whole world revolved around me and everyone else's job was to give me stuff I didn't pay for - until I didn't.