Welfare State: Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages
soulbrono1
205 Posts
From CNBC.com: http://www.cnbc.com/id/41969508
"Government payouts???including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance???make up more than a third of total wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn???t taken before the majority of Baby Boomers enter retirement."
...
"At the very least, we can take solace in the fact that we???re not quite at the state welfare levels of Europe. In the U.K., social welfare benefits make up 44 percent of wages and salaries, according to TrimTabs??? Schnapp."
Does anyone think this is a good thing?
"Government payouts???including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance???make up more than a third of total wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn???t taken before the majority of Baby Boomers enter retirement."
...
"At the very least, we can take solace in the fact that we???re not quite at the state welfare levels of Europe. In the U.K., social welfare benefits make up 44 percent of wages and salaries, according to TrimTabs??? Schnapp."
Does anyone think this is a good thing?
Comments
That's a pretty inane thread title.
Everywhere is freaks and hairys
Dykes and fairies
Tell me where is sanity?
Tax the rich, feed the poor
Till we run out, rich no more
I'd love to change the world
(Dee-dee-dee-dee)
But I don't know what to do
(Dee-eee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
So I'll leave it up to you-ooo-ooo
(Be in my prayer)
Population, keeps on breedin'
Nation bleedin', still more feedin'
Economy
Life is funny, skies are sunny
Bees made honey, who needs money?
Monopoly
I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
(Dee-eee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
So I'll leave it up to you-you-ooo
(We-eee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
Oh, yeah! guitar break)
(Rich or poor)
(It's your fault)
(Screw you)
More pollutions, there's no solutions
Restitution, mass confusions
Spread the word
Rich or poor
Save the earth
Stop the war
Spoken:
(And we've got nothin' to do)
(Just turn on)
I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you-ooo-ooo, woo-ooo
Woo-ooo-ooo-ooo
(Dee-eee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
Just turn me on.
The title comes straight from the title of the CNBC article. I just copied and pasted.
In any case, an argument for an increase in government programs that redistibute wealth will only increase this figure, right?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Actually it's not, or it's not supposed to be.
My father was friends with the man who set up Social Security and it was very definitely supposed to be a 'locked box' wherein your money was put aside for you and the government could only take the interest.
All of the money that the government has removed from SS was done so illegally - I'm amazed that some kind of massive class-action lawsuit has never been filed. When the day comes they can't make the scheduled payments all hell is going to break lose - or at least it should.
The whole glibertarian cheapskate world view would be funny if it were rare, but it's increasingly common and seems to be getting meaner by the day.
The bogus concern about "government programs that redistribute wealth" would be more impressive if it also condemned the programs that redistribute wealth TO the wealthy as well as the ones that help the poor. But somehow that never seems to happen. It sure never happens with the inflamed bungholes at Fast Money.
While the government did borrow money from SS in the many years it produced surpluses, that does not break SS or make it bankrupt, or a ponzi, or any of the other things people are saying. All the money that was borrowed will be repaid.
Not that people shouldn't be upset about it. The borrowing, allowed for low taxes (or high spending depending on your view point) in the past. It will likely mean higher taxes (or lower spending) in the future.
Now there is a death panel.
What in the world is this statement based on?
b/w
The government owes trillions of dollars and SS is probably last in line to get repaid.
Isn't this something you should research before forming your opinion?
This.
Federal taxes are lower now than they were at any point in the last 50 years. I haven't noticed that the complaining has diminished.
As discussed elsewhere, capital gains taxes are at 15%, and many wealthy people get the bulk of their income from capital gains. Does that sound high to you?
I'm waiting for the conservatives to start agitating for the return of poorhouses and Dickensian orphanages. Gingrich tried to bring the topic up in the 90s and got laughed at generally. But the GOP has gone further right since then, and it's much crazier. It's only a matter of time.
That's so funny it deserves its own space.
The extent to which people have swallowed that propaganda is remarkable.
Hey, money can't buy you love.
It can, however, ensure greater access to the basic necessities to live a life of security, safety and dignity.
Yeah... Right...
Right (no sarcasm). I'm not arguing that we shouldn't pursue programs that reduce inequality. I don't think that having a larger government is going to magically cure our problems though.
Not corporations, but markets. Yes, I think that markets are more efficient at allocating resources than governments. There are also organizations called "charities" too. Thanks for blowing it out to extremes though.
I think the middle class and upper middle class are still wealthy relative to the people who some would say would benefit from the redistribution of income.
Federal taxes are likely still at Bush ere levels because of the recession. I think the complaining has increased latelly because there's a perceived threat of a greater attempt to redistribute those taxes (or future taxes).