Originally posted by moot
Social Programs are fine so long as you can opt out of donating and benefiting.
The problem with them is, though, is the number of people benefitting vs. those paying in.
When SS was first started, there were 4 people paying in, and something like 1 collecting. Now, it's more like 5 people collecting with only 1 paying in.
And, gov't. has raided the SS funds' whenever it's been in a real pinch. That hasn't helped it any.
I'll be honest with you on this note, lasz. I would support more defense spending if I thought it would mean the creation of thousands' of higher-paying jobs. However, with the price's that we pay for equipping the military anymore, it seems' like the money just sinks in to high-cost programs, with little in the way of economic returns, like jobs.
I do agree that we could use alot of those high-dollar systems' that we only get with profligate military spending. UAV's, enhanced body armor, battlefield robots, Stealth aircraft-all these things' improve the survival chances of the individual soldier, sailor, airman, or marine.
That said...we really need to fix our social systems' here, first. Putting a complete and immediate stop to illegal immigration would be a major relief to both healthcare, and SS in one stroke. I think the People of the U.S. could afford that, rather than the possible results' of those systems. Have any of you honestly thought about what would happen in this country, If SS, Medicare, and all of the other programs' were abolished overnight? I'd be curious to hear some of the reply's.