OK Neil, we know...everytime a democrat speaks, a kitten dies.
Good post, Arrow. It clearly defines the major problem we're facing. When economy crashes, unemployment benefits and early-retirement claims for SS go up - at a time when there's fewer paychecks and tax revenue to pay for those benefits. Unfortunately, politicians in BOTH parties have always done their funding calculations based on rosy predictions for the economy. I'll spare you the examples.
I paid into SS all of my adult life and although I have some 401k and IRA tucked away, I'm also planning (hoping?) to collect social security in a few years as well as utilize Medicare. Other than receiving unemployment compensation once after a layoff (for about 4 months), I've never been a welfare leech. Did my time in the Marines, paid my taxes, put two kids through college, voted, etc. and now I want what I paid into. Like everyone else, I DO resent government waste and those who cheat the system.
That being said, I believe in Social Security/Medicare because I believe the measure of any society is in how well it cares for it's children, sick and elderly. For all the blustering we've heard about Obama and "Socialism" it's worth noting that there are many "socialized" aspects in our society now that we all enjoy and expect: from public schools, to fire/police departments, to road/infrastructure building projects to the military for which we are taxed. Paying into such a system (via taxes) is part of living in any industrialized society and the US has been alone when it comes to public health care.
For those who boast about how "self-reliant" they are and resent paying
any taxes, the reality is that, unless you live on your own private island, there are very few of us that are capabile of complete self-reliance when it comes to unexpected health and living expenses - especially for the sick and aged who easily exhaust their life's savings paying for bloated and expensive health insurance or bills.
So the question is...who wants to be first to volunteer to forgo collecting on Social Security/Medicare? I'm sure you could opt-out if you wanted. It's long been known as the third-rail of politics for a reason; mess with it and you cut your political throat. It's not going away... so the next question is, where do we cut cost and waste - not only in SS/Medicare but throughout the government?
Tax cuts have long been the battle cry of the GOP as a means to choke off bloated spending - but it's more of a talking-point than a practice as evidenced by many GOP deficit-financed projects. Spineless Dems champion labor and welfare laws that raise taxes without policing costs. Politicians in
both parties are survivalists when it comes to their own necks and always vote in as much pork as they can get to keep constituents happy.
I don't know the answer about fixing government. Manipulation of media and public opinion for a distracted citizenry has been fine-tuned to a science. Read, keep your mind open and vote your conscience for who you think are the good-guys and hope they turn out that way.