Jeryn wrote:
What I was getting at is that if someone's money has been taken for a social program in the first place, I fail to see the issue in them reclaiming what they put in (and no more than that) regardless of need or sloth or whatever. It's their money.
For instance, I'm paying who only knows how much into social security, and the most recent statement I got in the mail about it says that they expect it to be depleted in 2037, and that current estimates are (I think it said that) I'll see about $0.76 on each dollar I put in. Now, I've never taken a dime in aid myself, but given that the aid does exist, and it's coming from somewhere, I'm perhaps a little more lenient than many in gracing someone with my approval for their getting something back out.
Good post Jeryn and I dont disagree with anything you said. This part in particular made me think of what's going on now in Greece, where there are riots and now deaths from protesters who are angry that social programs and entitlements need to be cut because the nation is in utter fiscal shambles.
We are sold this idea that we'll get free this and safety net that. It is sometimes a slow creep punctuated by large strides. The people I know dont expect to see any of the Social Security money they've put in. At least not all of it. Yet what realistic choice to we have but to pay into it? Socialized healthcare the same thing. Are we to trust our government is better than the Greeks? The EU bailed them out to the tune of 144 billion, That's a fraction of our latest stimulus package. If that sort of thing happens to us nobody will be bailing us out, even if they were inclined to do so.
Eh I'm babbling now, probably should have been a separate discussion