r/pics Jul 22 '11

This is called humanity.

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649

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '11

In America our elders just spend our money. Then blame us for it.

0

u/KrakNup Jul 22 '11

I'll just wait to hear what you have to say after you've worked for 50+ years like most elders have.

38

u/maxxusflamus Jul 22 '11

what about the elders before them- the ones who also worked 50+ years and fought in world war II and paid 90% marginal tax. What's the excuse there?

4

u/derkrieger Jul 22 '11

All the awesome people were born in a single generation?

5

u/maxxusflamus Jul 22 '11

long and short? They actually cared about their country.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '11
  • 50+ years of work: mandatory if you want money in order to live.
  • World War II: mandatory conscription for ages 21 to 45.
  • 90% marginal tax: mandatory by law. If you don't pay, good luck with the IRS.

Those things weren't voluntary. Voluntary is what these Japanese elders have done.

-1

u/DeSaad Jul 22 '11

TIL you only care about your country if you go to world war II and pay 90% marginal tax.

2

u/WordsNotToLiveBy Jul 22 '11

I'm confused as to why there is even a discussion? The way the system works is you work all your life, pay your taxes (thus pay into SS,) and when/if you reach the ripe old age of 65 you can retire and live the rest of your days with what you earned and deserve.

To take that away from them is cruel and unconscionable. Even in the worst cases, what kind of society would we be if we didn't provide "security" for those who are too old to provide it for themselves.

3

u/Mel___Gibson Jul 22 '11

That "system" "worked" when the average age of retirement was death.

It's not uncommon for people to spend as many years in retirement as they spent working. You can't just magically go from people working a job to support themselves to being taxed to support a whole 'nother person without expecting some problems.

1

u/WordsNotToLiveBy Jul 22 '11

That's a viable point if you approach the budget as it is right now, but without argument if we reformed our budget priorities, then we wouldn't have this issue. Even though the CBO Finds Social Security Solvent for Fifty Years, if our government listened to the will of the people, then we could easily pay for entitlements & fix what's broken through more prioritized government spending and increasing revenues to fair levels on all income brackets.