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This cartoon cracked me up!

Terry

New member
Yeah, I just laugh when I see the social security statement come in the mail because I'm not expecting to see anything!
 

Lars

Active member
Sure there is humor in that, but...

At $60 million it might have been funny - at $60 billion it's really not a joking matter anymore. This scammer has indirectly ripped off millions of people worldwide through pension funds and the like, apparently pocketing a substantial part himself. Not funny. :mad:

I should stop now.
 

Terry

New member
Sure there is humor in that, but...

At $60 million it might have been funny - at $60 billion it's really not a joking matter anymore. This scammer has indirectly ripped off millions of people worldwide through pension funds and the like, apparently pocketing a substantial part himself. Not funny. :mad:

I should stop now.
No not funny.....but at the same time any bit of due diligence before investing would have raised red flags.
 

beamon

New member
Sure Lars. No one is laughing at or condoning, in any way, the actions of Madoff. The cartoon was pointing out the fact that the U.S. Social Security system is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, pure and simple.

They both work identically and fail for the same reason. When the number of people buying into the scheme is no longer sufficient to pay the claims of those already in the scheme, it can only fail. Despicable in both Madoff's case and the Social Security system as well.
 

Lars

Active member
Sure, I understand the parallel.

There is however a huge difference, in the intention behind each case. The people behind your social security system (and in many other countries as well including Sweden) might be accused of having the best of intention but being hugely incompetent. Madoff OTOH had the worst of intentions while being extremely competent.

WRT your social security system, you'll have the same flaw in any social protection network going back to prehistoric times - we take care of our elder and less fortunate, whether it's inside the extended family, in a tribe, a region, or a country, and as soon as contributions are lower than expenses the system is in jeopardy. So while you see your social security as a failure it's not the first and won't be the last such system to fail. But what's the alternative if you want to call yourself civilized?

Back in the dark ages there used to be a tradition here in Scandinavia to push our elders off a cliff ("ättestupa") when they became too much of a burden. We'd like to think that our current system is better, even though it has its flaws and deficiencies.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Not paying Social Security after paying into it all my life is tantamount to fraud ... the difference between Madoff and administrators of SS is that he is in handcuffs, where the incompetent and faceless SS folks get to draw a nice government pension that isn't in danger.
 

beamon

New member
We merely disagree, Lars, on the definition of "civilized". Civilized, to me, does not mean mandated charity. Civilized is 'manning up' and addressing ones' later years before their attainment. In fact, people not yet receiving S/S in this country are learning the hard facts of S/S, or the lack of it in the future, and many are doing what my generation should have been doing...saving! This, while being forced to pay for those who came before.

Don't take me for an uncaring, compassionless clod. I embrace charity, ie. true charity. When a person has exhausted all their resources, then society has an obligation to provide the necessities. I know, that's not a 'dignified' way of doing things in many peoples' eyes, but it used to work before the concept of 'entitlement' crept into our culture.

Not to worry, though, Lars. We are addressing the problem. With the sanctity of life plunging to new depths, constantly, the practice of medically authorized euthanasia will soon return us to the vibrant, young and energetic population that we once were. :D
 

Lars

Active member
Roger,
Of course I would not even think of considering you being any of those adjectives.

My country is comparatively small at a population of 9 million, and with a track record of parlamentary democracy and prosperity we can afford to support our less fortunate citizens as well as refugees from countries in political distress. I do however not view what we have as mandatory charity - the system we have is there because we as a population have repeatedly said through the democratic process that it's a system we want. So while you'll hear me and other Swedes repeatedly bitch about high taxes, we do appreciate what our taxes get us. I don't personally claim any kind of moral high ground here (I'm self-centered and egoistic, believe me), but I think that perhaps my country has done fairly well in that regard. At the same time we have one of the more attractive corporate climates in Europe (although you shouldn't come here and look for cheap labor).

My personal view of the US is that it's in many ways too large of a nation for democratic political processes to work well. Perhaps a solution is to decentralize more to state level, which is what many seem to propose these days. But that seems unlikely to happen over the foreseeable future.
 

beamon

New member
Lars: Our sense of nationalism has gradually eroded, with time, after WWll, thus, among folk like me with a strong nationalistic streak there is talk of decentralizing the U.S. Idle talk, I believe, but interesting in that it is even being discussed. :p

My mother's side is quite pure Swedish so I'm a bit vested in your approach. My father, however, hadn't a clue what his side of the family was, so when questioned by me as a youngster would reply, "Son, we come from a long line of prostitutes and horse thieves". It was only later that I finally learned what a prostitute was and could appreciate his humor.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
... used to be a tradition here in Scandinavia to push our elders off a cliff ("ättestupa") when they became too much of a burden.

Note to self: do NOT take pictures by the edge if Lars is around. :D


Some native Americans had a similar practice -- a ritual dance, sons behind parents. If the son deemed a parent was too much of a burden, the son used the rock he was dancing with to crush the skull of his parent. If done correctly, it is supposedly painless, parent never knows when it is going to happen.
 
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