Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[The Oracle]

More encouraging signs for those looking to get rid of political correctness

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/12/trum...h-threats.html

Dude, made up, didn't happen and if it did, overblown. Anyway, there's crazy people just like that EVERYWHERE!!!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

I know a lot of you here weren't even born then but for those who were, where were you in February, 1962 when Jon Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth?

Glenn died yesterday at 95. He was my hero at 14 and had an impact in my decision to enter the Marine Corps with the hopes of becoming a Naval Aviator and wearing the Wings of Gold 5 years later and in 1967. This is a very nice video that recaps that time in US history for the Mercury 7.

http://www.space.com/14606-houston-friendship-7-america-50th-orbit-anniversary.html

[Whitley]

Just few details here but it is the start of the Republicans cutting into the social safety net (which has been a major goal of theirs for years):

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gop-introduces-plan-to-massively-cut-social-security-222200857.html

[froot loops]

Retirement age at 69? FFS

[iam416]

Long overdue.

[Dr. Strangelove]

[ame]https://twitter.com/ajjaffe/status/807387479011655680[/ame]

[Whitley]

Long overdue.

Easiest way to fix social security is to take the cap off payroll taxes for that (currently set at 125k) and just like that it is fixed and then some.

[iam416]

Yeah, no thanks. I have zero f'n interest in enlarging the scheme. But, sure, ponzi schemes work if you add more money than you owe.

[Whitley]

Yeah, no thanks. I have zero f'n interest in enlarging the scheme. But, sure, ponzi schemes work if you add more money than you owe.

Social Security is a ponzi scheme? So in your world there should be no social security?

[entropy]

It does assume the future generations are larger than the current to keep it solvent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[froot loops]

That bill has little chance to pass even if they eliminate the filibuster.

[iam416]

Social Security is a ponzi scheme? So in your world there should be no social security?

I believe it's a textbook ponzi scheme (I forge the important distinction b/t that and a pyramid scheme, but I believe SS is ponzi). I will only get paid what I put in *IF* the government compels people 30 years from now to pay into the SS. The money I put in will have been long spent.

But here's the thing -- the notion underlying SS is forced investment so that those of use who work will have some sort of savings. I think it's utterly fucking preposterous to FORCE people to invest with government beyond $125,000 -- hell, beyond $75,000. It's no longer a safety net at that point. I'd much, much, much rather allow people to to invest that money on their own.

So, no. I want no part of broadening social security.

[iam416]

That bill has little chance to pass even if they eliminate the filibuster.

Correct. Only Ds can change SS. Even though it makes all the sense in the world given life expectancies when SS was implemented vs now, there is no way Rs can do it unless they have supermajorities. And even then, it's a poison pill like Obamacare that, like Obamacare, will get demagogued to the hilt and cost them elections.

Has to be bipartisan, and there's no way the Ds will ever make sensible changes to SS -- well, I mean, other than to eliminate the cap and/or means test it -- which would be quite the double dip.

[hack]

A ponzi scheme is a fraud in which people believe their money is invested in something, but in truth it is just redirected to older investors who need to be paid out. Each generation of investor needs to be larger to provide a ``rate of return'' for others.

Social Security is not that.

[hack]

Hack, the picture cartoon you posted doesn't show-up unless you cut and paste then view it.

It's easy to say "educate" the unemployed/under-employed. I think that's harder to do and do it right than it appears. I also think we've had this issue briefly come up before. There's a disconnect between what our secondary schools and universities are delivering out the door and what an emerging US economy needs.

I think it might have actually been you that posted at some point that the technical skills needed in the US economy explains why there are so may Indians, for example, that are coming here to work via the I-551, often known as a green card.

10 years ago in the construction boom that powered ATL's economy there was a huge increase in unskilled labor from South and Central America including Mexico. Over the last 3-5 years immigration has been coming from India where the skills the US IT economy needs is being met by the Indian Educational system.

Dunno why it wasn't working at the time, but had to run. Here is: