1+1=2 It doesn't equal 3, or 50. No matter how much you hope it does. That said. I'm sure you are aware of the fed govt's budget issues. The states and most municipalities are not too far behind. Money in, money out, debt service. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that there will be cuts in nearly everything soon. It's not a Republican thing, it's not a Democrat thing. It's a Math thing. And Math doesn't give a f%ck what our opinion is or what our political affiliation is.
we are talking about lives. let the gov't declare bankruptcy or furlough civil servants by 25%. cut benefits by 25% for civil servants and the problem will be solved. remember civil servants are not exactly the most talented or hard working people. they will not leave to get jobs in the private sector.
I visited my Aunt in a Medicaid facility in The Woodlands, TX just yesterday. It looked like a 5 Star Resort in the lobby. Once past the lobby and into the halls, there's the assorted pitiful ones in wheelchairs who grab your shirt as you walk by, mumble incomprehensibly, etc. The whole operation was very clean, and I was impressed. Nurses checking on patients, double checking medication doses, etc. My Aunt was very impressed with her male Nurse, a guy my age (53) who was a tall, fit, kind faced man. On the way out, my family members remarked at how nice it all was, but how could we sustain this kind of expense indefinitely? And of course we know the answer to that question. We can't.
it can be sustained by cutting wages and benefits. see 2 posts above. do u want instead to have dirty places as they have in parts of socialist europe?
Well yea, that and stopping the "War on Terror, Drugs, Crisis of the Day, etc." How about we stop funding cockroaches like ACORN while we're at it? Nah.
Zdreg - I understand your concern, but: The few that will be gainfully employed in the next ten years will be supporting family members that are not employed. Have you seen India or China? You have three generatons living under one roof, and maybe 1-2 wage earners supporting everyone else. That's where we're heading. Slashing pensions I can understand, slashing pay - that will be tragic. If you slash enough or tax enough to pay for Senior Citizens' care - you are creating higher unemployment, higher crime, more homelessness, and the death of many young people as a result. The elderly cost a heck of a lot more in terms of healthcare than the young do. How much more will the baby boomers cost us? The debts incurred over the past thirty years benefitted the baby boomers. That generation has spent more money, has created more debt, and has used up more fossil fuels than any other generation in HISTORY. And now you want young guys like me to get in debt to pay for the tens of thousands of dollars this generation will cost me the last six months of their lives? Yes, I may sound cold hearted. But the reality is a person spends 80% of their healtcare the last 6 months of their lives. There's no more money. Period. Stop sucking the lifeforce out of the young and the unborn.
Your view is a bit one-sided, don't you think? Points 1 & 2.... If by "debts", you mean "public debts", I think you need to be more specific. What debts were to their benefit and not to other generations... other than the fact the Boomers are the most numerous. The Boomers are the biggest generation, so of course "everything" bigger is attributable to them. However, let's not forget that they produced the most the most jobs and wealth for the country as well as paid the most taxes. Point 3..... When you say, "YOU want young guys like me to...." It's not that the "Boomers want you to pay for their needs"... it's rather (1) the way the system was designed from the beginning. If we ever would have had any real leadership in the Federal government, the "pay as you go Ponzi" scheme would have been revised 40 years ago... and (2) Don't forget that CONGRESS STOLE THE SOCIAL SECURITY RESERVE... money that was being reserved to pay for the coming social cost drain was stolen by Congress under the pretense, "there is so much money in the reserve that we'll never be able to use it all"... BS. So, I think your anger and frustration should be directed towards the Federal Government. The Boomers are just as much sheep as the rest... just bopping along as the government says... Not to worry, however... I doubt generations after the Boomers will actually be saddled with long-building debts. Instead, the US economic system and the $USD will collapse and wipe out all that is owed. Of course, that will bankrupt nearly ALL US citizens... If you're "young and have nothing now", you'll still have nothing after the "reset"... but you won't be paying off the debts of others.
My Aunt did say something funny...I asked where all the "guys" were in her facility, and she said "DEAD!"
You're right about the reset Scataphagos. I and many others get wound up easily about what's been going on. But the reality is, it doesn't really matter. The system is so huge, the issues so massive, that it's unmanageable. It will just collapse under it's own weight and things will start anew.