Thread: Social Security - Take it or leave it?

Originally Posted by honedright

No, I don't think that's it at all.

Refinement of the restatement:

If you're mugged, and later meet the mugger in more advantageous circumstances and he offers to repay some portion of the money he took, and he must mug another person in order to repay you, do you refuse it because you don't condone the second theft?

I think that better states the case.

It is still a false choice - because your decision to accept repayment does not affect his decision to mug that second person (he's already mugged that person by the time you catch him and the repayment offer is made). Or back to the actual question - your decision to accept social security payments will not affect the goverment's decision to collect SS taxes from your grandchildren.

Originally Posted by mparker762

It is still a false choice - because your decision to accept repayment does not affect his decision to mug that second person (he's already mugged that person by the time you catch him and the repayment offer is made). Or back to the actual question - your decision to accept social security payments will not affect the goverment's decision to collect SS taxes from your grandchildren.

Yes, I see your point

I personally have paid into my own super annuation since I began working at age 15, as I did not fancy the prospect of surviving on a meagre government handout when I retired.
Even our government realised over a decade ago that there will not be the number of people working in the future to support the aging population so they brought in compulsory super annuation, wether it,s with the company you work for or a private scheme is up to you. Basically they are telling you that you will be looking after your own retirement financial plans. They have also raised the mininum retirement age to 65 for people born after 1964 and also there is now no upper limit on retirement age. So if you can not provide for your own retirement you will proberlly have to just keep on working till you drop or quallify for a disability pension.
So in answer to your question, no I won,t be standing in line waiting for my subsistance cheque, I plan on doing more than just eating and sleeping when I retire.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I'll partake because I paid into it.

There are many things I am forced to pay for that I don't think I should have to, and when I am offered the opportunity to recoup some of it, I do

You paid into it. So where is all that money you paid?

I believe it is gone. It was taken from you and given to someone else. If it's gone how can you recoup any of it?

Originally Posted by honedright

You paid into it. So where is all that money you paid?

I believe it is gone. It was taken from you and given to someone else. If it's gone how can you recoup any of it?

It isn't gone, it's still a number in their system. I get letters annually telling me how many numbers they've collected from me which subtract from my quality of life now. You don't think my employer actually sends them cash do you?

I'm taking it. I paid in, I'm going to take it out.

Big assumption is that the social security system is still afloat when I reach retirement age, which I highly doubt. It's amazing that Bernie Madoff goes to prison for 150 years for his ponzi scheme, which defrauded people of $64.8 billion, but the government holds a gun to our head to fund their ponzi scheme, which is defrauding the American People of Trillions, and if we don't fund it we go to prison. Create your own ponzi = prison. Don't fund the government's ponzi = prison.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

It isn't gone, it's still a number in their system. I get letters annually telling me how many numbers they've collected from me which subtract from my quality of life now. You don't think my employer actually sends them cash do you?

Lee at 71 you're still working ?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Lee at 71 you're still working ?

Hey Jimmy! Thank God for the future and its time machines! Yes, I'm still working. The retirement age is now 110, but since we get all the free healthcare we want, we're living to 150 so it's all good. Well, break's over, gotta run!

PS thanks for willing me your hone collection many, many decades ago on SRP

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

It isn't gone, it's still a number in their system. I get letters annually telling me how many numbers they've collected from me which subtract from my quality of life now. You don't think my employer actually sends them cash do you?

No, no, no...

You're employer sends them hope and change, hope and change...

Keep saying it over and over...hope and change

And then take the BLUE pill

Oh yeah - wash that pill down with a big swig of kool-aid

When I came out of college it was the early 90s and things were a little tough then. I must have applied for dozens of jobs as a new graduate over a 6-month period and got nowhere. I was about to start flipping burgers when I was lucky enough to get a break.

During that time, I collected the dole. It wasn't much, but it helped a huge amount. Moreover, as a college grad, I had not paid into the system as such.

I knew I would have a career one day, and so I knew I would pay it back. Needless to say, I've probably paid hundreds of times what I claimed, but I don't mind one bit. The system helped me out in a tough time, so I'm completely committed to ensuring others benefit as I did.

I am very grateful that we have a social security system.

(Declaration: I am not a commie.)