“And it’s about to collapse which you dont seem to have any comprehension of...You keep alleging that SS is not a ponzi scheme.”
SS is not about to collapse, and can never collapse entirely. It’s not like a business or an investment. It has no credit accounts, etc. It is a pooling of funds, and a distribution of funds. If the pooling is inadequate for the expected distribution, then the distribution is fractionally reduced. That may happen, but that’s hardly a collapse.
Even if we get to a ratio of 2 workers to 1 retiree, the numbers still work out. On average, workers earn $50k per year. They give 6.2% or $3100 per year and their employers match, for a total contribution of $12,400. You take out 1 % for overhead, that leaves $12,280 for the retiree. That can go on forever; it will never, ever collapse or go bankrupt or look like a ponzi scheme.
(And if inflation kicks in, and everything doubles, then the pooling of money is automatically doubled, and the SS check is doubled. It’s a brilliant solution to inflation.)
Hey, the stock market tanked 6% the last two days. Scary, huh? SS will never scare you like that. SS is as solid as the United States of America. It is not a Ponzi scheme. I’ve proved that. If you want to insist that SS is a ponzi scheme, explain to me (a) who is the corrupt benefactor? (b) how can SS will run out of money? Remember - the issue with SS is that around mid-century, the promised benefits will only be funded up to 75%. That is not total collapse. That is a SS check that is only $1200 per month instead of an expected $1600. But if you are a good saver, that is a small thing. If you are a very bad saver, at least you have $1200.
“Conservatism does focus on self reliance”
Of course! But that doesn’t mean you have to dig your own well, or pave your own roadway, or have five radio stations on every channel colliding with each other, or a host of other things.
Look - in any team competition, teams have to work together. You’d lose in football, or in a war, or in business, if all your players were self-reliant and refused to work together. America will lose in the global competitive market place if we refuse to do the smart things together when they constitute a smart thing.
For the good of America, we use government as a tool to do the smart thing on all sorts of matters. SS is one of the smartest things we do.
What makes you think the USA is solid at this point?
It is not a Ponzi scheme. I’ve proved that. If you want to insist that SS is a ponzi scheme, explain to me (a) who is the corrupt benefactor? (b) how can SS will run out of money?
Once again: TOTAL LIE
Benefactor: Congress (trillions of dollars in general funding that have been spent and replaced with paper)
How can SS run out of $$? Obviously you are not studying demographics AT ALL.
You talk as if inflation is a good thing: It's not it's an intentional devaluation of everyone's currency in the USA.
You expect 99% efficiency in a government program? Are you on drugs??
It is a pooling of funds, and a distribution of funds.
Which is the VERY DEFINITION of a PONZI scheme. The $$ taken out is NOT the $$ you put in.