Quote Originally Posted by El Kabong View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing View Post
We're not arguing over whether America should be socialist or not, we're arguing over whether Americans or Finns get better value for the money they pay to the government/private sector for services. And you don't want to continue that argument for some reason.

But how can you argue that America "is and always should be a nation of rugged individualism. ?

America has a socialist retirement/social insurance programme and more than half the healthcare system is socialist. Both these programmes redistribute wealth from the wealthy to the not so wealthy. And both programmes are very popular with American people. So clearly Americans love them a bit of socialism, no?
Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid are going to hit a bubble as the Baby Boomers continue to age. We'll have more people taking out than we'll have putting in to those socialist programs and what will happen then?

I've been planning to not have to depend on social security because I'm not naive enough to think it will still be there when I'm ready to retire.
It'll be there when you're ready to retire. The fact you don't think it will be is a victory for the Wall Street people who are trying to create the impression it won't be so they can get their hands on the nation's retirement funds. Whether you manage to make enough money to not need it, the fact is that it's the main or only source of retirement income for well over three quarters of Americans. Half of all Americans don't even have five hundred dollars in savings.

And again, you're changing the subject. America loves its socialist programmes and if they were organised better they'd be affordable for the long term and much better quality than the current system.