Social Security Reform - Today's News............

[PTraveler]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Not my idea...but a good one. IMHO

SS Private Accounts.
How about you have just one choice TIPS. The account is YOURS, you can include it into your estate. The money is yours.


Another plus is, this does not need a "bridge loan", the money is taken away from Washington, and the politicians.

Billy
website www.geocities.com/ba264

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

cut-throat, you always talk about poverty ,civil rights and slavery. I am a minority in the mississippi delta. I see more poverty in 15 seconds ,than you have  seen on tv in your life. I see civil rights violated everyday,now mostly against whites, here in the delta. The only slaves in the US today , are slaves to govt programs. I guess it would make you mad ,if I told you how drive in the snow or other things I know nothing about. cut-throat,  whats your point?

Well, I used to live in the south about 35 years ago, they still had restrooms in gas stations back then labeled Men, Women and Colored.

You don't have to live with discrimination to know it's wrong, but apparently it has not helped you.

What is your point?

 

[guest]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Alot can change in 35 years. We still have people with a chip on their shoulder, like you, but 90% of the others get along just fine even if we are different. Maybe you should come back for a visit and see for your self, you can't believe everthing you see on TV. I'm 51 . I can can remember the seperate bathrooms, water fountains , seating in theaters and restaurants. All of that changed a long time ago. I was in Greenwood Jr HI the first year of integration 1966. We had no problems,but on the news at night, Boston was burning because of integration. I climbed telephone poles for 30years in small delta towns ,where i would not see another white person all day. It was no big deal, you can't be a racist and survive today. Get real.

 

[Tadpole]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

guest,
Hi, Greenville MS class of 66 here. Senior year was also the first year of integration. Only 6 African-Americans, but no problems all year. The first day there were police all over the place and, except for people staring, no problems. Problems did not develop until Greenville started busing white children to black neighborhood schools. I had left by then but I heard that people moved out of the city and so-called "Christian schools" emerged as "white" only.

Haven't been back in a long time but I think everything finally got better.

 

[guest]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Hi Tadpole. The public schools are almost all black now,but some of the private schools do have blacks also. The biggest problems now are drug related crimes. In the larger cities, you can shop where you know you are safe. Here you have very few choices and you have to be careful even in daylight hours. You know how small the delta towns are, the local TV stations report murders almost every night. If it wasn't for the drugs, this would be a great place to live.

 

[Martha]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Hi Tadpole. The public schools are almost all black now,but some of the private schools do have blacks also. The biggest problems now are drug related crimes. In the larger cities, you can shop where you know you are safe. Here you have very few choices and you have to be careful even in daylight hours. You know how small the delta towns are, the local TV stations report murders almost every night. If it wasn't for the drugs, this would be a great place to live.

This doesn't sound like much of a place to live to me.

So how does this fit with your statement about there are no slaves but slaves to government programs?

This is probably a small thing, but it is easier to have an interaction with someone if they have a name other than "guest", even if it is a made up name.

Martha

 

[guest]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Martha, the good thing about living here is eveyone has to work together to solve our problems. The towns are so small that no matter what race, if you have a problem I have the same problem. Drug related gangs have driven blacks and whites out of public schools, I feel sorry for the ones that want to leave and can't because of cost. Most of the drugs are in the gov't projects, and there are alot of them. The people who live in the projects seem to be happy just living there ,doing drugs , drinking and living off the gov't. Thats sad,but I worked in these pojects for 30 years and saw it evryday. Thats what I call slaves to the gov't. programs.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

So, are you saying that there is no such thing as racism in the U.S. in 2005?

 

[guest]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

No, but it's not nearly as bad as in the past. The last person that told me they were a raciest, was a black lady in Winona after talking ,as I was working in her home,she said her daughter had married a white man in Chicago.By the time I left she and I were laughing and talking,I hope I changed her a little.I don't think alot of people know racism can go more than one way.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

No, but it's not nearly as bad as in the past.

Well, Well - I just heard the U.S. Minority Prison Population all break out in a rendition of Kum Ba Ya!

U.S. Prison Population by Race

Although blacks account for only 12 percent of the U.S. population, 44 percent of all prisoners in the United States are black

 

[haha]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Well, Well - I just heard the U.S. Minority Prison Population all break out in a rendition of Kum Ba Ya!

U.S. Prison Population by Race

Although blacks account for only 12 percent of the U.S. population, 44 percent of all prisoners in the United States are black

Hate to say it Cut-Throat, but you may have just proved that blacks commit more crime, and proportionately way more crime.

Which is really not much of a secret to anyone living in the real world. Just ask Jesse Jackson.

Mikey

 

[Cal]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Do blacks commit more crimes or are they convicted of more crimes? Is Rush in jail for his drug problem? How many blacks are sent to jail for their drug problem instead of some posh rehab clinic?

 

[Marshac]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

The more money you have, the better lawyer you can afford. It's like anything else, follow the money.

 

[retire@40]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Do blacks commit more crimes or are they convicted of more crimes?

According to the stats posted here the answer is yes to both. Hard to believe 12% of the population causes 44% of the crimes. Even if there are a few unfortunate false positives here or there, that's quite an impressive statistic.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

According to the stats posted here the answer is yes to both.  Hard to believe 12% of the population causes 44% of the crimes.  Even if there are a few unfortunate false positives here or there, that's quite an impressive statistic.

R40,

Please tell us why you are so impressed with this statistic. And going further, have you come to any conclusions on what should be done about this?

We're listening.

 

[Jarhead*]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

R40,

Please tell us why you are so impressed with this statistic. And going further, have you come to any conclusions on what should be done about this?

We're listening.

Cutthroat: While you're waiting for a reply from R40,
just a thought.
Why not propose an easier question. Maybe on how to perform brain surgery in the dark?
I for one, after living for 30 years in an area where whites were the minorities, I am fully aware of the statistics. (By the way, my grandparents were both Spanish immigrants).
Civil rights appears to be foremost on your radar screen, and that is commendable, unless you are being a "cocktail party liberal". (Term used by minorities in my former area).
If you are fighting the good fight, and not just posting your thoughts on an internet board, good for you.
Are you involved in any marches, protests, etc.?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Cutthroat:  While you're waiting for a reply from R40,
just a thought.
Why not propose an easier question.  Maybe on how to perform brain surgery in the dark?
I for one, after living for 30 years in an area where whites were the minorities, I am fully aware of the statistics.  (By the way, my grandparents were both Spanish immigrants).
Civil rights appears to be foremost on your radar screen, and that is commendable, unless you are being a "cocktail party liberal". (Term used by minorities in my former area).
If you are fighting the good fight, and not just posting your thoughts on an internet board, good for you.
Are you involved in any marches, protests, etc.?

Jarhead: - Really surprised at you! - While I am no Martin Luther King, I'll answer your question like this.

You don't have to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan to be part of the problem.

For evil to persist, all it takes is for good men to do nothing. Even if they only restrain themselves from internet posting.

 

[retire@40]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Please tell us why you are so impressed with this statistic. And going further, have you come to any conclusions on what should be done about this? We're listening.

If you are not amazed at 12% of the population committing 44% of all crimes, then it must be tough to impress you. By the way, you supplied this stat not me.

I don't know what your solution is since you haven't provided one, but mine is that you can't make people not behave like criminals. So unless they can figure it out for themselves my solution is to keep building more prisons.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

If you are not amazed at 12% of the population committing 44% of all crimes, then it must be tough to impress you.  By the way, you supplied this stat not me.

I don't know what your solution is since you haven't provided one, but mine is that you can't make people not behave like criminals.  So unless they can figure it out for themselves my solution is to keep building more prisons.

You leapt to the conclusion that 12% of the population was committing 44% of the crimes.

This presumes that all of the criminals were caught, prosecuted justly and evenly and Incarcerated. We know that this is not the case.

Do you see how your reasoning is more flawed than the current system?

Build more prisons? - Sometimes, I meet people that make me ashamed to be a human being.

 

[R B C]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Guest,

How about answering Mickey's question "what kind of minority are you? I grew up in Hawaii, as a caucasion I was a minority also. So what? Do I believe that this distinction lets me somehow identify with the plight of the African Americans, the Native Americans, the Native Hawaiians, the Central, and South American immigrants The answer is no. Do I have some superior understanding of what it means to be a minority in the US? NO! Do I believe that there have been advances in the past 40 years? The answer is YES. Do I believe that racism doesn't exist in the US today? The answer is NO.

I will to continue to "fight" for these peoples as best I can by voting for politicians who I bellieve have their best interests at heart, to vocalize support for policies that serve to ameliorate the damage of past segregationist and repressive policies, and yes to demonstrate for changes that honestly serve to better the conditions for ALL of US citizens. If that means I am termed a "pointy headed liberal" or a "cocktail party liberal", so be it.

I still can look at myself in the mirror and honestly feel I'm postively contributing to the solution instead of somehow whining, rationilizing and justifying the current state of affairs and bemoaning the minimal advances available to people that have suffered during these years of repression.

Don't really know what this has to do with the subject but then again I didn't start this line of discussion.


On topic; I believe that the proposed changes of the bushies will do nothing more than destroy the SS system as it exists today. The whole beauty of the current system is that it is a "minimal" amount meant as a safety net for those less fortunate individuals who would otherwise be a burden to their families and ultimately to the state. If one wants to one can under the current system invest any amount of their income in whatever investments he or she chooses. I believ that this is exactly the major advantage to the current system.

However some of us are relying on the little we may receive as a "supplement" to the monies we've put away. For myself it's allowed me to be a little more "aggressive" in my investing strategies while I've been working.

Regards,
RBC

 

[WR]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

C-T

You leapt to the conclusion that 12% of the population was committing 44% of the crimes.

This presumes that all of the criminals were caught, prosecuted justly and evenly and Incarcerated. We know that this is not the case.

And if all criminals were caught and all got prosecuted/jailed what makes you think this ratio would change? What makes you think it wouldn't look even worse?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

C-T

And if all criminals were caught and all got prosecuted/jailed what makes you think this ratio would change?  What makes you think it wouldn't look even worse?

So, what does that say to you? - Are you saying that Blacks are more inherently evil than whites? Or are you saying that this country's history of discrimination, slavery and injustices have provided an economic playing field that is very difficult to overcome?

 

[wabmester]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Are you saying that Blacks are more inherently evil than whites? Or are you saying that this country's history of discrimination, slavery and injustices have provided an economic playing field that is very difficult to overcome?

CT, I'm just curious where you're going with this. The solution is obvious: kill whitey and redistribute his wealth. But I'm pretty sure even the most bleeding-heart liberal isn't ready to embrace this strategy.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

Wab,

The only place I'm going with this, is just the recognition that racism is alive, well and thriving in this society. Just look at some of the posts in this thread. That is the first step in righting wrongs!

The post that started this basically described things in Mississippi as all hunky dory and that discrimination was a thing of the past and did not affect current economic conditions.

No I don't propose kill whitey, but I don't think building more prisons is even in the ballpark.

 

[wabmester]

Re: Social Security Reform - Today's News.........

The only place I'm going with this, is just the recognition that racism is alive, well and thriving in this society. Just look at some of the posts in this thread. That is the first step in righting wrongs!

I'm skeptical that this is even a step in the right direction.   I think part of the problem is labeling people as racist.

I don't think there's any question that cultural, educational, and economic factors will keep the *poor* man down, whatever his race.

Now, there's a much nastier question that liberals (like me) hate to address.   Could there be a genetic basis for people belonging to the underclass?   I think the answer is obviously yes, and I think some white people and some black people will be doomed for generations to come, regardless of how hard we all try to help them.

Here's where my contrarian views really get me in trouble.   First, let me say that I don't think I'm a racist.   I believe strongly that members of all the people we divide into "races" can attain the highest levels of human accomplishment.

But what if there were a social group that failed for generations to escape crime and poverty?   And what if members of that group were descended from slaves?   Isn't it possible that slaves weren't selected from a high-achieving gene pool?

The "liberal" solutions to the problem you're describing seem off-base to me.   We shouldn't necessarily have race-based policies to overcome a history of oppression.

I think this country has done a pretty good job of allowing motivated people to escape the bonds of poverty.

But a much more difficult question, which I don't think the typical liberal ideas address, is what can you do for people who aren't motivated, for whatever reason: cultural, educational, genetic, etc?

Personally, I think if we accept the idea that some people won't buy into the WASP idea of success, whatever their race, then we can begin to address the social needs of those people better than we are today.