S. S. & the Deficit. Just a thought and some questions

[Rinji]

With what little I knowledge I have of what's going on, as I haven't been on this earth as long some our members, I had an interesting thought. Lemme know what you think.

As far as I know, the government keeps dipping into our social security funds to pay its loans. And the government gets its loans from the Federal Reserve, which is a corporation and not a part of the government like they want you to believe (even though they were created by the government). They are basically the ones we owe the deficit to.

Since social security probably won't be around for my generation, is it fair to say that the social security being drawn out of my pay check today could also be thought of as a deficit tax?

Because the way I see it, that's where the money is really going, to pay for the deficit.

On another note,
It just astounds me how people my age don't know what's going on, or are not trying to figure it out. It's like a giant cloud of ignorance has loomed over us. They don't teach us about any of this in school. And even if we did ask questions, it just seems like the teachers don't know much of what's going on either.
I have taken a few college level economy courses, but even they don't touch on this stuff. I feel like information is being withheld.

How do you guys find out about stuff like this? Is it just from searching on your own? Or did they actually teach about some of this in high school at one point in time? Maybe this dumbing down is more serious than I previously thought...

[Jubilee21]

Well..I graduated from HS in 1974...I can say I was taught to learn quite differently and that yes we were drilled with being aware of a lot of things that are no longer taught.

Constitutional history, American History..the real one..how things work and why were taught and we were also taught critical thinking..perhaps the most lost art in many areas..how to take information and analyze it, apply it.

We had to take a subject and be prepared to respond to both sides of the arguements to recognize all aspects of the issues..

We had to go to the library and search out, and read the books, form our own thesis and support it..

There were few computers and fewer calculaters so I had to do all the formulas these machines did by hand and by learning the equations as well as memorizing a great deal of info.

There was not a lot of distraction in the media, much analysis and discussion regarding specific issues and folks were very sensitive to them..perhaps because of my age, I still had a foot in the door of the way the world worked for a very long to me before the changes came on board we see today.

We had every major newspaper available in our home and I was taught to read voraciously as a child so I was tackling stuff in 8th grade some folks have never seen or read as adults..

I had parents and older folks who shared and instilled traditions, insights and held many lively discussions at a pretty sophisticated level about global events, national issues, any topic was up for grabs..

This carried over into college..and this generation was very hands on with demanding information, challanging it, researching it..as a Christian I approach everything that goes on through the world from a scriptural perspective because of this. Biblical perspective is also historical perspective.

The educational system in the US has really turned into a very dumbed down one and is sorely lacking in so many areas..so it does not equip or instil much that you have shared is absent.

Now I was married at 20 yrs. old which was not "young" back then..and had four children by the time I was 27 yrs. old so I had to do a lot of growing up and was very concerned about what was going on in the world for their sakes I guess. It mattered about money and how I ran my home, knowing what was happening in the world to the extent it impacted my household so for me that was just natural.

[Lorren]

I didn't really learn about this in school.

I read books! I read web sites. I listen to wise counsellors like Dave Ramsey.

[Issachar]

Rinji, there are many good sources of info available, but generally not in the school system.

I graduated high school in 1970. Back then we were taught a lot more than now in regards to thinking skills and especially research skills. We were not taught, for example, exactly what the federal reserve is or how it works. A really thorough book on that is "Creature from Jekyll Island" by Edward Griffin. Some don't care for his views but no one can argue against the data. I wish more folks would read it. It is a very in depth look at how the federal reserve came to be, why, how it works, etc. It gives an understanding that let's us see more clearly what is going on and why.

Issachar

[Legacy]

Rinji-- Sadly, I think if you want to learn about the economy and what's REALLY going on, you are on your own. :ohno Read books, listen to talk radio, watch TV and use your common sense to put it all together.

I graduated HS in '92. I went to a 2 year business college in '98 and '99. One of our professors there was a loan shark. Literally, he'd loan money at 100% interest. They did not teach much about economics or things we really needed to know. I call it dumbifying. They are gradually making kids dumb. I saw it when I was in HS. Now, with my teen daughter, I call it stupifying. They are to the point they are making them stupid. I think it's all a part of a bigger plan to make today's younger generation so ignorant of things they become completely dependant on the government to tell them what to do. **by the way, not sure if dumbifying and stupifying are words or not--just terms I use for it**

Makes me happy you are bright enough to see through all this. :hug And yes, I think it's a deficit tax we are paying into. Well, I'm not (paying in). I have been a stay at home mom for 13 years. I have people tell me all the time I have to get a job and start paying into SS so I have something to retire on. For one, I was told in HS SS wouldn't be there when I retired (one of the few things they DID teach us although not the "why"). Two, it won't be near enough to retire on. Three, I haven't had a job for 13 years and in todays economy, no one will hire me. Wal-Mart won't even hire me. I tried getting a job earlier this year. :ohno Thankfully, the good Lord blessed my husband with a better paying job so I can continue to be home for our children.

Two pretty good sources to keep up on what's going on: Glenn Beck on HNN (CNN's counterpart) on TV in the evenings, and Dave Ramsey (has a radio show...you can listen online.). Haven't listened to Dave lately, but he's a highly intelligent man with incredible advice for so many people. And of course, always excellent info on Rapture Ready.

May God bless you greatly in your search for the truth about what's really going on, how we got there, and how to better yourself in spite of it! :hug

[lyngraphics]

Makes me happy you are bright enough to see through all this. :hug And yes, I think it's a deficit tax we are paying into. Well, I'm not (paying in). I have been a stay at home mom for 13 years. I have people tell me all the time I have to get a job and start paying into SS so I have something to retire on. For one, I was told in HS SS wouldn't be there when I retired (one of the few things they DID teach us although not the "why"). Two, it won't be near enough to retire on. Three, I haven't had a job for 13 years and in todays economy, no one will hire me. Wal-Mart won't even hire me. I tried getting a job earlier this year. :ohno Thankfully, the good Lord blessed my husband with a better paying job so I can continue to be home for our children.


I can't believe that people have actually told you that you needed to get a job to pay into Social Security! That they actually think it will still be around by the time you are retirement age! :rolleyes It just goes to show you that so many people don't know how to do their own research and just follow along like sheep. I graduated HS in '96 and I had already figured that out! I don't pay into SS either, as I am self-employed and my husband is actually disabled, so he gets disability benefits.

[Legacy]

lyngraphics-- Yep! Had several people tell me that. Hubby is also self employed. He has been told by a CPA we need to incorporate our business so he pays into SS. :twitch These "sheep" are going to be very hungry, very lost sheep here before long...especially if they think SS is going to be there for them. The government will have them exactly where they want them.

Oh well. I do our books and we do our own taxes. We don't have one of these brilliant CPA's trying to force us into incorporating like that one did. :)