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We have 95,000,000 working age Americans not working. These people are not contributors o our economy. I believe the vast majority would like to work. They are not parasites. Until government gets out of the way we will just continue to go down the drain.
You keep repeating this manure like it meant that all these people are unemployed. "Working age Americans not working" include those millions who have retired early, who are still in high school or college, who are physically disabled, who are independently wealthy, who are mentally ill, who are incarcerated, who are stay-at-home wives and mothers ...
Get a clue. The US population is about 320 million.
23.3% of the population (about 75 million) is under 18.
13.1% of the population (about 42 million) is 65 or older.
That leaves about 203 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 65, including 16.8 million between the ages of 55 and 64, many of who are retired. The average retirement age in 2014 was 62.
There's also those who, like myself, are past "normal retirement age", but keep an iron or two in the fire with part-time work, "temping", or a sideline business. "Semi-employment" seems to be evolving as a more viable option with every year.
These are the sort of roles which, by definition, can't command the "living wage" that some people are clamoring for; but you can't expect that when the majority of the jobholders either have other sources of income, or don't have the responsibilities of dependents. We have the Earned Income Credit (and in recent years, a secondary Child Credit) for those truly in a bind, but anyone familiar with the tax system will confirm that there is also a large potential for abuse here.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 03-03-2016 at 06:32 PM..
As long as there are overgrown children who are naïve enough to believe that government interference benefits anyone but a privileged few, you will have these discontents. The nature of a truly open economy is to wear down all artificial barriers and level the playing field. But there have always bee chronic whiners who expect Big Brother to "protect" them.
The people you're complaining about recognize that the playing field is not level, and that Big Brother is the main reason it's not level. The different points of view about this issue see different groups as being Big Brother, but nearly all recognize that Big Brother is the problem. The majority sees the 1% as being Big Brother. Furthermore, there is no such thing as a truly open economy. Especially when Big Brother prevents it from being open. Therefore, the theory that the open economy will wear down the barriers and level the playing field is just an abstract theory, because there is no open economy.
The worst countries in the world have very little "government interference" dude.
I've said before, and will restate, that in the increasingly interdependent and insecure environment that characterizes a mature post-industrial economy, I don't have a problem with a basic societal "safety net". We can easily afford it, but federalization not only increases the likelihood of abuse by an unmotivated few -- it gives the bureaucrats in charge an incentive to increase their power (and budget) by recruiting a bigger clientele.
Return of the basic system to local oversight and control would weed out the abusive minority, and a principle of "reinsurance", adapted from the private sector, could be used to provide for localities affected by one-time economic events. Poorly-managed or downright-corrupt poverty-pocket cities would likely still be a problem -- but this, at least, would focus attention on specific cases, which would have to be specifically addressed with input from all those affected.
Basic security is one concern, but the "pork-barreling" and horse-trading of questionable infrastructural and other projects among established politicians and lobbyists is quite another.
Local control of the safety net makes it easier for it to discriminate against those who aren't favored locally. Keeping it federal causes the discrimination to only happen to those who aren't favored federally.
You keep repeating this manure like it meant that all these people are unemployed. "Working age Americans not working" include those millions who have retired early, who are still in high school or college, who are physically disabled, who are independently wealthy, who are mentally ill, who are incarcerated, who are stay-at-home wives and mothers ...
Get a clue. The US population is about 320 million.
23.3% of the population (about 75 million) is under 18.
13.1% of the population (about 42 million) is 65 or older.
That leaves about 203 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 65, including 16.8 million between the ages of 55 and 64, many of who are retired. The average retirement age in 2014 was 62.
Thank you, I cringe every time I see someone throw around the big scary "working age Americans not working" thing, it is such a pointless fear mongering statistic.
I'm in my 40s, don't work, and have no desire to work. Woe to me, I'm part of the scary statistic.
Local control of the safety net makes it easier for it to discriminate against those who aren't favored locally. Keeping it federal causes the discrimination to only happen to those who aren't favored federally.
This is why I have issues with people who scream "I hate the Government" ! Certain things the Federal Government has to protect from the 50 states fiefdom! Fiefdom | Define Fiefdom at Dictionary.com
Ah, they emerge. Forty years old and don't work and don't want to work. I was born before WWII and work every day. We are dying off now. Soon we will all be gone. Then the Mexicans and Chinese will pick over what is left and you WILL work for your bowl of rice. You will be lucky if you own a spoon. I have seen such places. You won't like it and guess what? You won't be blogging about it.
We have 95,000,000 working age Americans not working. These people are not contributors o our economy. I believe the vast majority would like to work. They are not parasites. Until government gets out of the way we will just continue to go down the drain.
Funny that the people who claim that the problem is caused by government interference don't ever care to actually back up their claim. To the extent that the "cliff effect" of various public benefits still exists, I agree that it's an issue, but what about all the benefits that are well-designed to phase out in such a way as to not disincentivize work?
We have 95,000,000 working age Americans not working. These people are not contributors o our economy. I believe the vast majority would like to work. They are not parasites. Until government gets out of the way we will just continue to go down the drain.
The vast majority of that 95,000,000 are retired, disabled or students in school. Only 5.8 million of that 95,000,000 indicate that they want a job. They are included in the 95 million number because they are not looking for work.
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