Bill Maher: New Rules - Socialism - YouTube
Americans say they hate socialism, but they certainly run head first towards these programs:
1. Social Security
2. Medicare
3. Umemployment
4. Corporate bailouts
5. Farm Subsidies
etc.
Frank
Socialism implies transfer of wealth.
But Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment are NOT transfers of wealth. Or were never structured that way.
They each are
PRE-PAID "insurance" programs. The individual pays into SS and MC for an entire lifetime, often $325,000-$425,000. It's almost like an annuity: pay into it for a loooooong tme, then receive distribution based on what you paid in. That is HARDLY "socialism." The fact that gubmint did a crap job in predicting demographics, expanded the programs well beyond initial intent-usually for vote-buying reasons-and chose crap investments (T-Bills instead of traditional investment vehicles) does not change the facts. They just point out typical bureaucratic/political mishandling of funds. Nothing to see here. Move along. Bidniz as usual.
Unemployment is also an insurance program but underwritten on an individual bidniz, not on the individual. Premiums are determined by the bidniz profile from claims being filed.
All 3 programs are similar: they require historic payments into a "Trust Fund" to pay for future claims. NOT socialism.
Contrary to political spin, not all gubmint programs are "socialism." Non sequitor unless you ignore facts.
What we generally think of "Welfare" is more of a "socialistic" program because they rely on current general taxation...NOT specific taxation like FICA or UTC-6...to fund them. Same as bailouts, subsidies, etc. Those are classic wealth redistributions that are more indicative of "socialism."
Don't mix the two, they are NOT the same.
But the bigger issue is the increasing addiction Free Cheese someone else paid for. There is a certain irony in how we see "Do Not Feed the Animals" signs in parks and zoos...lest they become dependent of easy food access, lose their hunting skills and become aggressive toward the easy food source...yet society is A-OK with humans becoming dependent on Free Cheese from gubmint.
But I suppose that irony would also change if animals were given the "right" to vote...:cheeky: