8/10ths Away from the tipping point....

[downtownv]

At The Tipping Point

October 25, 2013 by Bob Livingston

America is about eight-tenths of a percentage point from reaching a tipping point from which recovery of the republic from socialistic forces will be impossible without violent revolution or catastrophic economic collapse.
According to data released by the Census Bureau, 49.2 percent of Americans are on the public dole, having received benefits from one or more government sources during the last three months of 2011.
A total of 151,014,000 Americans out of a population of 306,804,000 benefited from government redistribution schemes during the period. Of course, Obamacare, which will provide “subsidies” to everyone earning up to 400 percent of the poverty level, will tip the scales to well more than 50 percent.
Almost one-third of those receiving government benefits — 49.9 million — collected Social Security. That is the government’s huge Ponzi scheme that steals from the workers to give to retires. For those who retired prior to 2000, it was a great deal. Workers who retired in 1960 paid on average $36,000 in Social Security taxes and received lifetime benefits of $259,000. Those who retired in 1980 paid an average of $192,000 in Social Security taxes and received $452,000 in benefits.
The average 2010 retiree had paid $558,000 in Social Security taxes but the expected lifetime outlay will be only $555,000. Projections for the 2030 retiree are for lifetime benefits of $699,000 on Social Security taxes of $796,000.
Keep in mind that retirees are not the only people dipping into the Social Security pool. It includes disabled workers and the spouses, children, widows and widowers of those who had a portion of their wages confiscated by the government.
Like all Ponzi schemes, Social Security will inevitably collapse.
And then there are the other redistributive government programs to consider. Among the 151 million receiving government largess at the end of 2011, 49 million got food stamps; 46.4 million were on Medicare, 23.2 million were on the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program; 20.2 million got Supplemental Security Income; 13.1 million who got veteran’s benefits and 364,000 who received railroad retirement benefits.:typing:

[JohnR]

The only peaceful method of change prior to that tipping point is not likely to occur. We need massive voter turnout, and they need to vote for candidates that the above mentioned "socialistic forces" attempt to destroy. Otherwise the socialists will pick the nominees for both parties. Forget about your social issues, forget about who slept with who. If it appears a candidate is being railroaded and smeared by the machine, that's our man. Vote for him, he's obviously got 'em scared.

Voting because of someone's stance on abortion or gay marriage is, at this point, like being mad at your parents while they're on their death bed. You only have yourself to blame when you find out they've cut you out of their will. And the "socialistic forces" will indeed cut us out of their will.

All effort needs to be on informing the low-information voters, educating the victims of government schools, a new Enlightenment. There probably isn't time to do it, but that's no excuse not to try.

[Bawanna]

Well said John, it would be a good start for the government to get out of stuff they don't belong in. What the hell do they have to do with abortion anyhow.

But its right up there with what size soda your allowed to buy and stuff like that. We're in a sad state.

[Bawanna]

I think we need to teach our good candidates to lie also. Plant some vicious rumors about them like say Cruz for example, plant a rumor that he was a test tube baby created in Trinidad but his dogs grandparents were American so there for he's a citizen.

Then have him promise Smart Phones and not the cheap knock off Ovomit phone to every man woman and child that made less than 950,000 dollars the previous year. A chicken in every pot, and a smart phone in every pocket.

Welfare checks, food stamps, all pathetic loser hand outs doubled immediately, and hand delivered to your door for your convenience.

Promise Pelosi a new jet to commute back and forth, limos for all congress and house members, if you can think of it promise it.

Then when your sworn in, uncross your fingers and yell surprise I lied.

Hey you laugh but it worked for ovomit.

[JohnR]

By George I think you've got it. Out-lie the liars. See who can best Santa Claus by the widest margin, and you'll have plenty of votes. Then no one will care that you break your promise, they'll just love you for giving them hope.

Then each Friday at 5pm you sign off on ending one government program a week, the news drones will be busy partying and won't realize it.

[getsome]

SPLENDID!!!....

Now when you get elected you use this formula to balance the budget,

If you remember Ralph Kramden and his pal Ed Norton from the Honeymooners late 50's TV show this is how they solved the problem...

Seems Ralph was the treasurer of "The Racoons Club" and there was a $400.00 deficit in the funds because nobody had been paying their $2.00 a week dues and the Grand Poo Ba wanted ideas on how to fix it....

Norton stands up and says. It's simple, all you have to do is get rid of the $2.00 a week dues and then nobody owes anything so the deficit goes to zero and problem solved......Worked for them and will work for the 49% of uniformed voters.....:biggrin1:

[JohnR]

Lol!

[Armybrat]

lol @ Honeymooner joke. Those are classics.

Unfortunately, the USA is already past the tipping point. What is coming is unavoidable now, no matter who is in charge.

Whether it's in 5-10-15-20 years, the country is still screwed . I just hope that the pain won't last too long, but do have faith that the American people will do what is necessary to set this country back on the right track.

Most likely I'll be dead and miss out on the fun.

In the meantime, the 3 G's - Gold, Guns, Ground. ;)

[Salty]

Social Security could have been a sound concept if the money had been invested with interest rather than spent by Congress for general fund type items. State and local governments do the same thing with the pension funds for their gov't workers in many areas. Ask those in Detroit how decades of liberal leadership worked out for them.

[ltxi]

Social Security could have been a sound concept if the money had been invested with interest rather than spent by Congress for general fund type items. State and local governments do the same thing with the pension funds for their gov't workers in many areas. Ask those in Detroit how decades of liberal leadership worked out for them.

X2.....and something I've been ranting about since the mid-70s.

I take serious offense with Bob Livingston's and, by extension, the OP's attack on my SS benefits. I've been paying SS taxes since I was 16, beginning in 1959, at least 40 of those years at max, and I'm still paying them. I started drawing benefits a couple years back at about age 68 'cause I'd intended to retire in a couple of months That didn't work out, so through this year I'm still paying max taxes. And then the income taxes.....85% of my benefits are being state and federally taxed at my marginal rate, And no mention of inflation in their rant, either. When I started paying into the system my Dad was earning $7k, distinctly above average at the time. Multiply that times 10 and we're roughly into today's dollars. I will never, ever get out of SS what I put into it, especially considering opportunity loss. So to those who begrudge me my lifetime negative rate of return....stick it.

Now....want to come after me for "being on the dole" over my pitiful, involuntary tax paid for MediCare benefit and my military pension as well? Bring it on!

I also again note that avoiding my opinion on stuff like this is easy....just post in Politics, where this crap belongs.

[downtownv]

I also again note that avoiding my opinion on stuff like this is easy....just post in Politics, where this crap belongs.

This is financial matter as in treasury. we weren't discussing dems/repubs(Politics):rolleyes:

[ltxi]

This is financial matter as in treasury. we weren't discussing dems/repubs(Politics):rolleyes:

Now that there's just sadly funny rationale. :40:

Did you even read Livingston's lead sentence before you post quoted him?

[downtownv]

No Mas :)

[ltxi]

Peace....:hippie: You just hit a singular, seething, decades old, fokking government, hot button of mine. After 50 some years of being ripped off by SS and then Medicare, being told I'm "on the dole" when I actually, unexpectedly get something back kinda made my head explode.

[jocko]

whenu have 49% doin nuttin but living off the backs of the 51% ur gonna get a fokking democrat asPOTUS every time. I had a buddy who told me once his wife started feeding two hummingbirds in the back yard cause they were cute, then the next day 4 showed and the next day 8 showed up and when she stopped feeding them they sh!t on her deck . Once some of these worthless POS people get on government handouts, they never5 look back and then their kids grow up in that inviroment and they never get out nor want to. Its sad but o pplitician is gonna go against the grain of the 49% if they wantto get elected. I just wish that Merkel who looks like a WWA wrestler would grab the POTUS by the nuts and tell him, one more tap on my phone and I will pull ur nuts off and shove them up ur ass. Nowon der they want SNOWDEN back so they can silence some of this crap that they hve been doing to our own allies. I wonder if Hillary is tapp;ing Smokin Joe Bidens phone???

Just sayin

This Jay Carney guy has the morals of a squid sh!t on the bottom of the sea. ow anyne with any kind of morals can come ouyt and lie to the reporters that our POTUS never knew about the phone tapping of our ally leaders and buy into that sh!t and think he is snowing these reporters has to be a true idiot...

Term limit sis the only way this will ever get straightened out for especailal the house members who ar ein for 2 years, Those fokkers are campainging the day they are reelected. they really don't care about you and me. If u knew in two or 4 years at best you would be gone, some might just want to dothe right thing. Just sayin

[CJB]

Crap.... we gotta get that last 2/10 of the way there, so the fun can start. I'm up for it.

First thing to remember: Nobody ever won a war dieing for their country. You win wars by making the other poor bastard die for his country.

Pardon me as I prepare my magazines for immiediate use......

[CJB]

The country is not screwed. Its like the movie The Matrix.... we just are ready to reset ourselves. Won't be pretty or easy, but it'll get done. Get done faster with my help. Even faster with y'alls help.

[knkali]

Social Security could have been a sound concept if the money had been invested with interest rather than spent by Congress for general fund type items. State and local governments do the same thing with the pension funds for their gov't workers in many areas. Ask those in Detroit how decades of liberal leadership worked out for them.

F'n A yeah.... Bingo. Sound is a strong word...how about better off.

[knkali]

Peace....:hippie: You just hit a singular, seething, decades old, fokking government, hot button of mine. After 50 some years of being ripped off by SS and then Medicare, being told I'm "on the dole" when I actually, unexpectedly get something back kinda made my head explode.

I don't think anyone here would call you "on the dole" but I understand how you can get wrapped up in that generalization an POed

[chrish]

I don't consider folks getting a SS check 'on the dole'. But that doesn't make the program good. Folks getting a check are just getting back what has been stolen from them their entire life. But I for one would give all my donations up if they just shut it down tomorrow. I don't care. Its theft, plain and simple. It never has been and never will be what it was advertised to be and what was sold to the American people by politicians. It was a scam from the get-go.


There is a municipal gov't in TX, maybe Austin? Dunno. Anyway, they opted out of SS before it was mandatory sometime in the 70s. They invested a similar amount for their employees and many of them (if not all of them) have retired rich ever since. I'd Google it, but you guys can do the leg work if you like.

[garyb]

Social Security could have been a sound concept if the money had been invested with interest rather than spent by Congress for general fund type items. State and local governments do the same thing with the pension funds for their gov't workers in many areas. Ask those in Detroit how decades of liberal leadership worked out for them.

+1 on that! Once retirement became government controlled and the funds started to go into general government spending, the plan went down the drain. If I had all the money I put into Social Security and managed that money myself, I would do much better. Just give me back the money I put in and I'd call it even. The same will happen with Ovomitcare....it is government controlled and will fail. It is already off to a bad start.