You are right that most Americans will help those in need but the leap from that sentiment to justifying SS is a huge one. But given that it is true, why then do we need forced income redistribution? Why not let family help family, neighbor help neighbor, friend help..., etc.?
You are advocating for forced redistribution of income from one person to another. I am helping no one with my SS taxes. It is the US Government who is helping people. I have no control over it and no one is thanking me for it. The recipients of this largess will vote to take vote to take ever more which is why working and taxpaying Americans resent the HELL out of this program.
You have justified SS in your mind by viewing it as some benign social insurance program. It is not benign because it takes about 15% of people’s income. That means I spend every 39 days per year in forced labor on behalf of someone else’s. It is not insurance because there is no guarantee of future payments. The next generation could end if they have the political power.
[[why then do we need forced income redistribution? Why not let family help family, neighbor help neighbor, friend help..., etc.?]]
Because left ot themsleves, peopel will not help- forced to, they capitulate and deem it a ‘necessary evil’ so to speak-I’ts a well established fact that the richest parts of towns give the least (not all rich are stingy, but stats show lots are)-
[[I am helping no one with my SS taxes.]]
Actually you are- Your money is goign to them- and when you get older and need help- theirm oeny will go to you (Provided dear leader doesn’t squash the system altogether)
[[The recipients of this largess will vote to take vote to take ever more which is why working and taxpaying Americans resent the HELL out of this program.]]
Mosdt peopel on it ligitimately (IE peopel who aren’t ILLEGAL ALIENS) accept what htey get (and beleive me, it aint much per month for a great many people) and don’t ask form ore- I think perhaps you are confusing SS with welfare wherre most peopel on welfare who have NEVER paid in feel they are entitled and always demand more and more-
[[That means I spend every 39 days per year in forced labor on behalf of someone else’s.]]
Not sure how old you are, or how good your retirement plan is, perhaps good enough to see you through your golden years without needign help- but shoudl you need it, it’s there for you-
This is a much different hting than dear leader simply jjst takign money away from rich peopel and giving it to others- thsoe rich folks will not benifit- they just lose theirm oney- period- the SS system is designed as a community help program to take care of the elderly and disabled when they can no logner care for themselves, and we will all fall into one of those two categories at soem point if we live logn enough to grow old- IF we die young, then we can die knowing we’ve our part to help otwehrs in life and not simpyl just concerned about ourselves- I don’t concider that a bad thing-
[[The next generation could end if they have the political power.]]
Which is why we either need to do everythign we can to keep it going, OR fidn antoher way to help our elderly and sick- and YEs, the sick and elderly WILL recieve mroe than htey put in because that is the nature of growing old and sick and beign too feeble to care for oursleves any logner- The SS system somewhat ensured that them oeny woudl be there because many would die before ever needing it, but if left to depend on voluntasry contributions, peopel would NOT cotnribute what is needed and life woudl be even worse hell at the end for a great many-
you and I we’re not there yet, however, we may very well be- and it will be hell IF we have to rely on unreliable good will of people or if we have to do without because htere’s nothign there-
Suppose you went to your neighbors and said “Let’sw all begin pooling money now so that when we get older we’ll have soemthing to support us”- Not gonna happen- itm ight work for awhile, but pretty soon peopel will resent an obligatory voluntary cut to their pay because of our nature of beign shortsighted and only seeign hte immediate- If you think they will voluntarily keep donating the same amouitns so that the system can work, try loaining money to several peopel and expect them to pay it back regularly, and weatch all the excuses you get as to why they couldn’t coem up with hteir weekly payment this week, and next, and next etc- the excuses will be endless
[[It is not insurance because there is no guarantee of future payments.]]
It ‘could happen’ but I doubt it will happen- no president wants to lose the senior vote- IF it does, We’ll simply have to cross that bridge hwne it gets here- And yes, good peopel who haven’t reached retirement age yet WILL be out a lot of money- however, there will be a slight bit of solace knowing whiel they worked, they WERE helping others- even if begrudgingly so-