Mary Jane Colombo
       

Slow news day
Not enough drugs
Pakistan uncertain
German mail service
Harlem apartments
Increased poverty
CNN still boring
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Persian Gulf buildup
Exiting Iraq
Buildup in Kuwait
Republican Guard
Visit Karl Rove
Pothead for mayor
Electric cars obituary
Citigroup spanked, oops
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Rail road fraud
Washington lobbyists
Speedy public trials
Angela again
Racism & xenophobia
Money & the media & politics
Big government
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Angela and the banks
News Flash! Black Americans support Obama
Dubya top lawyer attacks health care bill
China censors internet?
A rose by any other name
Cancer, insurance and actuaries
Hip and not hip
Another scapegoat
More smart phones
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Americans distrust their government
The bible again
China doing the right thing
States’ rights
Netflix
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The man may be a borderline moron, and arguably an uncompassionate total right-wing asshole, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. You gotta give the guy credit for saying that social security is a ponzi scheme. Of course it is, it’s obvious.

Now, it may not have started that way. Back in the 1930′s people died a lot younger. According to one online statistic (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005148.html), the average life expectancy at birth, all races both sexes, was 59.7. In 2007 it was 77.9. For myself, having been born the same year as Bill Clinton, George W, Sylvester Stallone and Cher, starting to collect SS benefits at age 66 means I will be on the dole for 12 years, while the average joe starting at 65 in the 30′s would have collecting for -5 years (THAT’S MINUS FIVE, DUH!).

If you get my drift. What started out as a system where working people supported the elderly, has turned into a system where there are not enough working people to support growing numbers of the elderly. So whether or not there was malice aforethought in the design of the Social Security system, the end result is much the same as with Bernard Madoff or Enron. Lots of people getting screwed. People expecting retirement benefits that aren’t there.

In fact I was appalled to discover (naive me…) that getting Medicare benefits is not really a benefit at all. Free medicare only covers hospitalization, and a very limited coverage at that. To get money paid towards your doctor visit, you have to pay the government — YOU HAVE TO PAY MEDICARE — $125 per month, again for very limited benefits. Hmm, another great myth exploded.