AA5B

Though since treasuries are paid by the government is it not then still a ponzi scheme,

No, social security is investing in treasuries just like any other retirement fund might

in the fact the bonds must be redeemed to pay for shortfalls, in which case the government must tax the existing population

Well yeah, kind of. The government issues bonds to finance its debt. Some amount of that is a good thing, to fund large projects. However a poorly run government running a constantly increasing deficit and funding a constantly increasing debt with constantly increasing bonds is mortgaging its future to pay for its present. Think of the analogy of living off your credit cards. At some point you’ll hit a limit, everything comes due and you’re going to have a very bad time.

This is poor governance, regardless of who is buying the bonds. It has nothing to do with social security.

This is also why the idea of a smaller government is so compelling: we need to do something about ever increasing debt. However the political party that talks most about that is the one most responsible for that debt. You don’t reduce debt by more and more tax cuts for the wealthy nor ever increasing military.

There had been the expectation by some that our debt doesn’t matter as long as the dollar acts as the world’s reserve currency, but what happens when this stops? What happens when chaos spite and narcissism disrupts global trade and alliances, driving other countries away from trade with US, away from the dollar as an exchange currency? What happens when those countries no longer buy the enormous amounts of US Bonds they have been and no longer find our debt? And Social Security is at an inflection where it needs to pay out more than it’s bringing in do starts selling the bonds it’s invested in? We might be in for a very bad time, decades of government mismanagement under taxing the wealthy and overspending coming due at once, triggered by the idiot we voted for

The argument is it’s not a tax or insurance but a communal retirement fund meant to supplement private retirement benefits or keep the elderly out of poverty. It’s limited in what it pays out so your investment should be limited at the same place

People who earn $176k get the highest benefit, and they don’t get anymore no matter how much more they earn. They’re not getting more so don’t think they should pay in more.

I don’t know how the benefit is calculated but presumable if higher earners kick in more, the formula would need to change so it’s not all going back to them

All you gotta do is follow the law, the law of gravity. Start at the top and work your way down.

Please tell me this is made up. I still can’t get past the hygiene problems of nose piercings when you have a cold, to even imagine how awful this would be

Maybe they were curious?

We should make this an online thing even if it doesn’t happen. Imagine ai news popping up with stories of black market eggs from Canada!

Trump’s voice is loud, bombastic, and belligerent, but rarely anchored in reality. There doesn’t seem to be any limits to how low he will go, but that doesn’t change realities like the worlds two largest trading partners, thousands of miles of unguarded border, a long history of cooperation and yes, friendship. Do what you have to to deal with Trumps BS and know that half the US will cheer you on and only hope you’ll give us the chance to make it up to you in four years

Trump is much more a foe to the US than Trudeau ever would be

Let me interject a little hope into all the eggpocalypse doom and gloom ……. This morning I went to an excellent diner I’d never been to. The menu advertised $1.39/each to add additional eggs to a breakfast but that was the cooked and served price!!!!

This was one of those situations where even new tipping rules are insufficient. I had great food and fantastic service at excellent prices! What put me over the top is they only suggested 15% tip, like the old days. I’d never left 30% before but this was well deserved

This is why we need to do something now. Japan has been unable to offer enough of the right incentives to turn their birthrate around so how do we do any better? Act now. They waited until they had a problem before trying to turn it around and it hasn’t worked. Social and economic inertia is very difficult to turn but maybe if we start now, we can have different results. Japan never had much immigration to fall back on but we can use that to buy more time. We have a chance as long as we keep encouraging and welcoming immigration…… shit

Babies are expensive and time consuming to develop into useful serfs. The US is not yet hitting most of the consequences from low birth rates because it’s balanced out by immigration. As long as they keep encouraging and welcoming immigration ….

Maybe someone told him it was the Bible