| ??? 03/31/07 07:35 Read: times |
#136279 - I have no idea Responding to: ???'s previous message |
Craig Steiner said:
Is it sustainable? Most claim it isn't, others say it is. Anyway, everyone that's been claiming things, have a political agenda, one way or another. I don't think anyone has had the courage, or incentive, to issue even a halfway decent study. I tend to be cautious, and make some provisions myself for retirement purposes. One thing to note: The average age of the population is rising. So claims are made that the active population will be too small to sustain the retired population. So far I don't think the side effects have been taken into account. Currently we have an unemployment rate of approx 10%. These need to be sustained too.. If the active population shrinks, and the number of jobs keeps stable, we'll have less unemployment and hence more for pension funding, at the same cost.. will that even out? I don't know, but sofar I've heard of only one study in Belgium looking into that. It always makes me think of the global warming issue... quite similar... I think no one has been able to figure out the complete system. So all predictions are just what they are.. predictions and not proof. I'll grant you that that's a very positive way of looking at it. But when I have to write a check to the government for tens of thousands of dollars, I tend to wonder what I'm getting back. Not a whole lot other than roads and security--and that should cost a lot less than what I'm paying. I'm sure someone else is enjoying my money, though. But if they're using it to buy beer or are getting free health care that I personally have to pay for or are getting retirement benefits that I will never get myself, that does not seem inherently fair to me. Even if I might be earning "a lot of money," that doesn't provide any moral justification for me funding someone else's life. Regards, Craig Steiner Well, abuse will always be there. But that can be minimized. And I think the fact that people abuse the system should not make us throw away the system. It's like shutting down the forum because some use it for homework purposes...Always consider the majority of people... Not the few exceptions that are usaully more mentioned in the media than joe average, just doing the best he can. It's a pity that the media nowadays have lost some of their moral responsibility and ethics. They tend to amplify and generalize the exceptions, so it is perceived by the public as common practice. Makes 'm sell more ad-time or newspapers, but also increases the general (unjustified) feeling of discomfort and anxiety.. Ah well, time to quit being "a grumpy ol' man". Time to have nice weekend... all of us... rgds Patrick |
