August 18th, 2006

Social Security Sucks

SS

I just received my “Social Security Statement” in the mail. This is the first one of these that I’ve seen. I almost ripped it to shreds and threw it away. That’s how much I am opposed to this ridiculous program.

I forced myself to read the statement in its entirety while suppressing the urge to kick something annoying, like a cat. Here are some select excerpts from the statement:

Social Security is the largest source of income for most elderly Americans today. It is very important to remember that Social Security was never intended to be your only source of income when you retire.

Uhh.. isn’t this paradoxical? First they tell us that it’s the largest source of income (and probably it is usually the only one) for elderly people, and then they offer a reminder that S.S. was never intended to be your only source of income. Hmm..

For more than 60 years, America has kept the promise of security for its workers and their families. But now, the Social Security system is facing serious future financial problems, and action is needed soon to make sure that the system is sound when today’s younger workers are ready for retirement.

I have a suggestion for some “action”. Kill the program. Let it wither away into oblivion. It is socialism, and encourages laziness, frivolous spending (as opposed to frugality and actually saving your money), and is a major factor in this country’s lean towards becoming a welfare state. I’m glad they are facing “serious future financial problems”. Perhaps that is a sign that the program should have never been created in the first place. It is not the government’s responsibility to provide for its citizens’ every need. The government is charged with securing this nation, and allowing those who live within its borders the chance to work hard, prosper, and live comfortably, when possible. Uncle Sam should have no power to take my money and give it to somebody else who “needs” it. It is their own fault (usually) that they did not save, or purchase insurance, or control their spending habits.

President Benson explained this masterfully in his lecture “The Proper Role of Government”. Said he:

This means, then, that the proper function of government is limited only to those spheres of activity within which the individual citizen has the right to act. By deriving its just powers from the governed, government becomes primarily a mechanism for defense against bodily harm, theft and involuntary servitude. It cannot claim the power to redistribute the wealth or force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity against their will. Government is created by man. No man possesses such power to delegate. The creature cannot exceed the creator.

Uncle Sam has no right taking my money and giving it to somebody else. Yes, they can take it through taxes to serve their own purposes (oh boy, that’s another post for another day…), but they have absolutely no right to take it and give it to some retired person who cannot support him/herself.

I love the church’s stance in this regard. First, you take care of yourself. If you cannot, then it becomes the responsibility of your family. If that is not possible, only then will the church help out. The government would be wise to mimic this principle of self-reliance, and reliance upon family and friends, before robbing from my pocket. Moving on:

Note: You currently pay 6.2 percent of your salary, up to $94,200, in Social Security taxes and 1.45 percent in Medicare taxes on your entire salary.

This is absurd. Income tax (illegal; yet another post for another day), social security, medicare.. Imagine how many vacations I could go on if the government would stop stealing my money! Thankfully, I’ve been a student until this past April, and full-time students do not have to pay social security or medicare. However, I am no longer a student, and so I am bracing myself to find out how much I’ll have paid to this fund by the end of the fiscal year. It won’t be pretty.

Today there are almost 36 million Americans age 65 or older. Their Social Security retirement benefits are funded by today’s workers and their employers who jointly pay Social Security taxes — just as the money they paid into Social Security was used to pay benefits to those who retired before them. Unless action is taken soon to strengthen Social Security, in just 11 years we will begain paying more in benefits than we collect in taxes. Without changes, by 2040 the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted. By then, the number of Americans 65 or older is expected to have doubled. There won’t be enough younger people working to pay all of the benefits owed to those who are retiring. At that point, there will be enough money to pay only about 74 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits. We will need to resolve these issues soon to make sure Social Security continues to provide a foundation of protection for future generations as it has done in the past.

Man, I don’t even know where to begin with this last one. This program needs to be sent to the chopping block.

[UPDATE: From the WSJ: Many Americans Expect to Rely Most On Savings in Retirement, Poll Shows (thanks James)]

14 Responses to “Social Security Sucks”

  1. Connor
    January 1, 2007 at 8:46 pm #

    In another absurd use of my money, Uncle Sam will (most likely) soon be opening his pockets to illegal immigrants. Ludicrous!

  2. Curtis
    January 2, 2007 at 5:44 pm #

    Why shouldn’t illegal immigrants receive benefits when they have been paying into the fund?

    I’m strongly in favor of Social Security and feel it is a very good program. Of course, I’m not opposed to socialism as you are so this shouldn’t come as much of a shock to you considering our previous conversations.

    S.S. does have some issues. The trust fund is due to disappear in 40 or so years. This can be easily remedied with a little tweaking (raising the ceiling on income taxed or getting government workers to pay into S.S. instead of into their own private accounts etc.).

  3. A
    July 22, 2008 at 9:31 am #

    I am on disability and i have to take $93 of my money out to pay towards the insurance but they they require me to have a secondary insurance carrier so i have to pay another $137 for that thats bull so if you are on disability you are punished twice so thats $230 out of my $470 a month thats bull disabled people are totally screwed out of their money when we need it the most

  4. Jesse Gavin
    October 22, 2008 at 8:33 am #

    You may appreciate this video, given your disdain for Social Security.

  5. mugs
    February 17, 2009 at 6:46 pm #

    hey A
    you are not required to have a supplement to medicare and if you only get $470 a month you should call your state medicaid office and see if they will pay your $93 medicare premium
    and yes, i do work for social security and get harassed everday by people who aren’t grateful for the help we provide
    my advice to you, young connor-go get a great paying job, be fiscally responsible and save your money and then you won’t have to worry about the solvency of the system. and i hope you don’t ever find yourself in a situation where you become disabled or elderly and need help and have to rely on this system you find so objectionable.

  6. patrick mccauley
    December 18, 2011 at 5:05 pm #

    I have worked for many years without a break in my work history. I became disabled and applied for benifits, waited 9 months to be told I did not qualify, then appealed but was denied before they received all my Dr.s reports. It has been over 2 years madness, waiting to see a law Judge, still at least 9 months away. Yes I have a Lawer, and I do qualify by there own admission. My pension wont approve me until S.S.A. does. I guess they don’t want to pay me my money either. ( union pension fund ) makes me sick
    By the time I get any money, I will have lost everything. I dont know anybody of working class who can wait this long w/o a paycheck. THIS SUCKS

  7. Silly Me
    December 7, 2014 at 9:29 pm #

    Soooooo……..Im going to be nice here, but most people think of how much money they would have left over if they did not have to pay into SS to take a VACATION or buy that new car…..are you NUTS! That’s how people get in trouble when they get at that ripe old age to retire in the first place. So our government has to be responsible for us because we cannot not be responsible for ourselves. No one takes responsibility for their actions. If the social security system is broke than go look in the mirror and ask yourself how your going to fix it instead of blaming everyone else and the government. Soooo…….put on your big girl panties people and start being a little more proactive and start supporting our country or GET OUT cupcake!

  8. CubbyN
    November 3, 2015 at 8:21 pm #

    I paid into this fund for years, and the government is NOT entitled to this money – I AM!

  9. Steve Stallone
    November 9, 2015 at 6:05 pm #

    I know a guy who worked 20 years at the Government as an agent, and then got fired because he reported his boss for smoking cigarettes in the federal office. Now this guy collects disability. We should grab that boss and hang his useless smoking ass from a tree or a street light for smoking in the federal office and causing another useless drain on social security.

  10. Betty Vasbinder
    February 2, 2016 at 6:24 pm #

    I am 69 yrs. old and my husband is 70 yrs. old. We are both retired, although he still works a part time job and works full-time some mos. of the year as an inspector. No, we did not save enough to care for ourselves after retirement. With our money we were caring for our children, helping care for our parents (mostly mine). They also worked hard, long years, but due to lack of education they never earned much, and they were also helping to take care of their parents (pre SS people – who also worked all their lives!)
    I don’t feel in the least guilty accepting my check – I paid my money into to SS for just this time in my life. Sounds as if your life was somewhat easier. p.s. In our near 47 yrs. of marriage we have taken 4 of what most people consider vacations, all other trips we to visit family. Not too much ‘waste’, right?

  11. Laura
    February 16, 2016 at 8:49 am #

    I am a disabled person, that worked for many years, usually one job with a part time job, if I was attending school. Two if I was not in school. I think the first article is ridiculous. What makes you think that Social Security is paying for me. I put into Social Security for many years, & I believe that I’m paying my own way. Social Security was never meant to be permanent. I do not believe in socialism, & I hate the fact that I have to be on Social Security, but I did pay in for many years, and feel that it’s my money that I am now living on. It is not our fault that the government decided to spend our money. That fund was not supposed to be touched, and saved for those who put into it, so they could then receive it back when they retired. It was only supposed to be during the war that Social Security was supposed to exist. If they put an axe to Social Security, many elderly people would suffer, but only for a little while. I believe that you may feel this way now, but I don’t doubt that in the future you will be in the collection line with the rest of us. I think that if the government wasn’t taking so much of our money then we would be able to save for our future. With the government taking so much how can the average person save money?? I could go on and on, but the point is you’re right Social Security said I’ve never continue to exist, but it does, and we have all paid into it for years, and when we retire we should be able to get it back. Even if the government decides to spend it on guns or business lunches.
    Laura

  12. sherry donegan
    April 17, 2019 at 9:40 am #

    I hate social security it not worth what I paid into they gave me medicare it sucks even more

  13. Jenny b
    December 17, 2020 at 4:39 pm #

    It’s just a rip off – unless you are destitute. Let us invest it in the program we want, even if it means we are still required to contribute a fixed amount. The ROI is terrible because it’s basically a long term disability insurance plan where people who never paid in can collect.

  14. Robert gaylor
    November 26, 2021 at 7:21 am #

    Sure sucks minimum wage was 225 and now in my state 15 dollars that’s 31200 year and my social security is under ten thousand and death benefits are a couple of hundred dollars and funerals are ten thousand dollars and if you get a raise Medicare goes up and the percentage you get doesn’t cover even meat prices and even if you want to work you are penalized .so at ten thousand a year you live on one third of minimum wage

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