Our defense budget isn't "Slightly" higher, it is almost double, and about as high as every other country in the world combined. What in gods name do we need to spend money on defense like that for?

There are American troops on nearly every battlefield in the world. You don't get that kind of worldwide coverage cheap, and trust me - the rest of the first world is grateful that US soldiers are there. If it weren't for the US' burning desire to be a superpower the world wouldn't be such a stable place.

Although a lot of people think of, and call, the Social Security a trust fund, it is not in the sense of a dedicated fund that one contributes to during one's lifetime which remains untouched until one retires and proceeds to withdraw those funds and the accumulated interest.

Instead, as stated before, everyone's contribution goes into one fund having continual and immediate withdrawl for disbursement to retirees who are presently collecting SS.

The idea that SS is your personal trust fund held until you retire is a myth; one that is intentionally been presented as such in order to distance its method from general tax revenue, which it essentially is in spite of being accounted for differently.

Anyone who says differently is either misinformed or participating in perpetuating the myth.

pictoratus

You are correct. That however does not change the promise made that when you retire your Social Security benefits will be paid. If we had not had the unprecedented population spirit that took place after WWII, the system would be fine. Today with about 3.5 working for each retired is not only paying the benefits promised but is producing a surplus of $175 Billion in 2005.

does not change the promise made that when you retire your Social Security benefits will be paid.

Put the promises made by the Federal Government in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up the fastest, or at all. :lol

For the record: I don't like how our taxes are spent. I think we spend too much on the military and I think we are taxed too high. But that doesn't mean I will suddenly pretend that medicare and medicaid aren't taxes. They're confiscated from us forcibly and thus should be included (and ARE included) in any official pie chart of what the government is doing with the money it collects from us. - Draginol

I agree, and thanks for your time.


There are some finer points about S.S. and the way the government presents it's budget figures to us that I think need to be explained.

Needless to say, doing so will be an article in the making if one is to do it correctly, then presented to the cool headed JU citizens for peer review.

Understood. I'd say we're even, now, anyway.

Just because you called me a pokemon? I kind of like Pokemon. Maybe I'll change my name to Noukachu.