[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fiddlerdave', ' ')The whole reason Social Security was started was because of the terrible plight of the elderly

[Cloud9]

What part of the word unsustainable is not understood? A %100 tax on the rich will not end the deficit. At this point, taxes are irrelevant. The welfare recipients, every one from Jamie Diamond down to the poorest person in the country have sucked the system dry. Our solution is to inflate the currency. This is the most unfair tax that anyone can imagine. It makes food and fuel and housing too expensive for the poorest of the poor. While the bottom quartile starves, Jamie Diamond will continue to do God’s work by buying another yacht, and we, the stupid monkeys that we are will think we are richer because we have more pieces of green paper in our pockets.

[Ludi]

Now conservatives COULD get rid of SS and Welfare by taking care of poor people themselves, rendering these programs again unnecessary.

But they would rather end the programs FIRST, and let the poor die off naturally.

[Mesuge]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', ' ')In his heart of hearts he believes what Reverend Wright told him. He is a socialist and a racist. I knew that those sentiments would be to a large extent constrained by his own party and the demands of the office.

[Quinny]

The more I read this board the more I realise that most Americans do nut have a freaking clue what Socialism means.

[Mesuge]

Quinny> The real meaning of socialism (scandinavian sort) is what federated americans will never experience, perhaps only after the great implosion into separate enclaves, chunks of the NW territories have got good chances to get close on some of its aspects among other candidates..

[The_Toecutter]

Oakley is pretty much correct.

That being said, the poor are not going to just roll over and die. Children of the Greatest Generation and Boomers, upon seeing that they are being cut off from money they need to live, also aren't going to be happy, nor will they be happy if they have to be taxed 70%+ of their income to pay for it when their parents people had already paid into social security their entire lives and have not gotten back out of it anything near what they had put in.

High inflation(10%+ YoY) or hyper inflation without a commensurate wage increase and new jobs will turn this nation into a 3rd world shithole in time as well. What good is a social security check if it is no longer enough to live fof of, or worse, doesn't even buy a loaf of bread?

The money for the program has already been spent; the only real solution is to somehow get it back, if that's even possible.

I see four possible longterm outcomes:

1) Americans are going to lose their ignorance, and likely become violent against their leaders to establish a better government
2) Americans are going to lose their ignorance and peacefully transition to a new way of life and use whatever physical resources around to do it(our leaders at the moment aren't willing to allow this outcome)
3) Americans are going to remain ignorant altogether and become violent as scarcity sets in; chaos would result
4) Americans are going to remain ignorant altogether, and put the next Adolph Hitler in power that finds a convenient scapegoat, or starts the next World War

Multiple of these scenarios could also occur in a certain order.

With regard to this winter, I personally think a lot of Americans are going to slip into homelessness, provided that things don't improve(and so far, they are not). If this does happen, do not count on government statistics to accurately reflect this, even if Food Stamps and other stats will give some indication as to the situation.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lore', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lore', '
')What were the Republicans doing the last four years? Just voting no?

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'L')udi, which would you prefer, prices so high that government assistance checks won’t buy a month’s worth of food or fewer people on government assistance? I’m a government employee and you people need to cut my salary.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'L')udi, which would you prefer, prices so high that government assistance checks won’t buy a month’s worth of food or fewer people on government assistance?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'I') will be happy if there is no significant legislation that passes from either the Repubs or the Dems over the next two years. Unlike some others on this board, I prefer local solutions and people figuring out for themselves how to build their own personal lifeboat.

[Ludi]

I've started a thread where you-all can tell us how you're going to help your community this winter:

how-will-you-be-helping-your-community-this-winter-t59982.html

I expect to see a nice fat post from every conservative who bitches about the Welfare State.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', ' ')Just WHAT can the common man do against "THE SYSTEM".?

[Mesuge]

Gas> England? With 5security cameras per square meter.., not much can be done. Seriously, in terms of politics you simply have to wait for more chaos, the current system has got such a momentum, most of the public is still highjacked in gullible "me worry?" ultra-sheeple mode, it's a waste of time/energy to organize 3rd parties and what have you at the moment.

At the minimum scan local/national politics, if there is meaningfull strike (cog in the machine), e.g. blocking traffics, shutdown of TV studio, GMO facility protest, take part in it, make contacts. Don't waste time on silly protests with gatekeeping "fake-lefty" shills as speakers.

On the personal, daily action level, there is plenty tips around here, stop paying into that freakin' system starting with: axing cable TV, axing fixed phone line, get IP phone with net connection only, buy at local/agro markets (limit frequent big box shopping visits), bicycle short errands, ..

One of the greatest schemes how the system is raping people in daylight, is this con of atomization of society, there are very few multigenerational families these days, everybody has got own flat/house. This is crazy let alone from utility, taxes, enviro standpoint. On the other hand, more people under one roof, is often times not easy to manage, bills, cleaning, personal issues, ..

Try brainstorm about possible barter options in your hood, what are your skills and hobbies in this regard, perhaps you can grow some veggies, perhaps you can paint nice portraits, repair/refurb "antiques", ..

[Oakley]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fiddlerdave', ' ')The whole reason Social Security was started was because of the terrible plight of the elderly

[dolanbaker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', ' ')Just WHAT can the common man do against "THE SYSTEM".?

[Ludi]

That's good advice, dolanbaker. Also we can become active in the Sharing or Gift Economy, and bypass money altogether.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dolanbaker', '
')It's the banking sector and those behind it that (mainly) caused this mess in the first place.

[vision-master]

So, I hear you own 5 miles of riverfront?