Changing the world

[Silver]

I am certain there has already been a thread like this, and I am also certain that it is older than a month. Therefore, I am creating another one mainly because I recently heard two ideas that struck me as intriguing in so far as social and economic change for the better is concerned.

I only have two ideas here, which are not my ideas at all, but you are willing to share your ideas, however many you have rattling around that brain of yours.

1. Social Security should be available for the young, rather than the old. It should be available till a certain age, during a time when one is still young enough to actually enjoy life to its fullest without being weighed down by the system via the workforce. Perhaps the social security could be available until the age of 30 or 35, giving the individual a good twelve to seventeen years of enjoying life, after which time the individual's social security will be taken away. Let the middle aged and older people work, contribute to society.

2. Change the lotto system so that not just one, two, or a few people win all or the bulk of the money. Take the available sum and distribute it evenly among all of working America, so that everyone has the opportunity of a little extra cash.

Feel free to criticize these ideas as you see fit, and you are also welcome to share your own ideas.

[Alex K]

Which country do you live in? Because in mine, everyone gets social security. Anything else is crazy in my opinion. But your wording lets me wonder what you mean by social security, really...

edit: oh wait, social security in the US refers to old age benefits only, hence the proposal to move it to young age. Still a very strange idea, what do you want to do with poor old people, take them out back and shoot them?

I am certain there has already been a thread like this, and I am also certain that it is older than a month. Therefore, I am creating another one mainly because I recently heard two ideas that struck me as intriguing in so far as social and economic change for the better is concerned.

I only have two ideas here, which are not my ideas at all, but you are willing to share your ideas, however many you have rattling around that brain of yours.

1. Social Security should be available for the young, rather than the old. It should be available till a certain age, during a time when one is still young enough to actually enjoy life to its fullest without being weighed down by the system via the workforce. Perhaps the social security could be available until the age of 30 or 35, giving the individual a good twelve to seventeen years of enjoying life, after which time the individual's social security will be taken away. Let the middle aged and older people work, contribute to society.

2. Change the lotto system so that not just one, two, or a few people win all or the bulk of the money. Take the available sum and distribute it evenly among all of working America, so that everyone has the opportunity of a little extra cash.

Feel free to criticize these ideas as you see fit, and you are also welcome to share your own ideas.

[Tonus]

In the USA, Social Security is paid out upon retirement and scaled depending on how early or late you retired. A common misconception is that a worker is paying for his own retirement when SS is deducted from his taxes. Current workers are taxed to provide the benefits for current retirees. For a long time this provided the government with a surplus, but in the past few years it's been hit-or-miss.

I think the best thing to do in the USA is to get people to start saving again and eschew credit. Few people have anywhere near as much in savings and retirement funds to maintain their standard of living after retirement, and most Americans have almost nothing at all. Teach people about finances (especially about compounding interest) and show them how money can work for them instead of the other way around. We're living much longer past retirement and yet accumulating less in savings, and that's backwards.

[LastPoet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9-R8T1SuG4

[Silver]

My main concern for the flip in the social security scenario hinges on age. Not everyone makes it to 62, and of course the age requirement was recently raised to 65. Some people, not all, are living longer, sure, but there are still plenty who never make it to retirement age. The current problem with social security is that at the age of 60, one is too old to truly do all the things that could not have been done in youth. Age is a deterrent to true living, because of all the physical problems that come with age. Also, increasing the age of retirement just because a few are living longer is more for making certain that not everyone receives social security.

[thesummerqueen]

Youth is wasted on the young.

I appreciate things more now at 30 than I did at 10 or 20. I'm sure at 40 and 50 I'll appreciate them even more with greater understanding of the world around me.

[Napoléon]

[Nine]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9-R8T1SuG4

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"The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can’t do." - Captain Jack Sparrow

[max-greece]

A guy is praying hard to God that he might win the next lottery.

Suddenly God answers:

"OK - but help me out a little - at least buy a fucking ticket!"

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

Okay, so I have an idea that kills two birds with one stone. We have a hunger problem in the United States, and we have TOO DAMN MANY senior citizens. I propose we feed seniors to the hungry.

Also, in the 70s, the US military developed a "gay bomb" - a bomb that would turn people gay. I think we should drop it on overpopulated parts of the world, and also on the Ugandan and Russian governments. And also Jamaica.