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Nineteen Neglected Consequences of Income Redistribution
LibertyHaven.com ^ | December, 1994 | Robert Higgs

Posted on 08/21/2004 8:34:37 PM PDT by Remember_Salamis

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To: Gigantor

I'm in favor of reforming social security through the following process:

1. Shift to a national retail sales tax.

2. Gradually reduce sS benifits to the point where the government merely provides income to the poverty line for EVERY senior, no matter if they're a millionare or a pauper.

3. Seniors are on they're own after that.


21 posted on 08/22/2004 1:24:55 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: mrustow

written in 1994.


22 posted on 08/22/2004 1:26:04 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: BooBoo1000

"If the money paid into S/S had been invested at even a low rate of interest, say 4% for all of the years that people paid it in, it would have been worth a million dollars per retiree. But the Washington Gangsters saw that big pile of money and could not keep their hands off of it.

The biggest offender was LBJ when he wanted to fight in Viet Nam, and underwrite the Great Society at one time. That started the raid of S/S funds."

-- There's a country in Texas that opted out of the SS system back in the 1980s before congress closed the loophole (States, counties, and municipalities had tyhe option to opt out of SS until that time). I hear their benefits packages are 4 or 5 times what SS offers.

Has anybody thought about re-opening that loophole? We'll simply let Americans trickle out of the SS system by choice. Sounds simple.


23 posted on 08/22/2004 1:28:36 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: Ciexyz

"Interesting, but I'm not going to give up my federal pension to make the writer of the article feel better."

-- In paragraph 2 the author states that veterans pansions can be seen as "deferred payments", which they are. I'm active-duty right now myself, and we get paid less while we're in, but we get a sweet early retirement. It's compensation for low pay. But you can retire after onyl 20 years.


24 posted on 08/22/2004 1:30:39 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: RockinRight

"Why don't we band together, and nominate one FReeper from every state to run for either the House or Senate, and do it every election year until we can infiltrate...

I'd run for the US House, but I'd have to move 10 miles south so I'd be in a district that has at least a reasonable chance to elect a conservative. Any district that elects Tim Ryan (D-Parts of Akron and Youngstown, OH) is a futile attempt..."

-- I've asked myself many times before: Why the hell isn't FreeRepublic a PAC??? After all, there's nothing preventing FreeRepublic from morphing into the conservative version of MoveOn.org. FreeRepublic.com is by far the largest online conservative community.


25 posted on 08/22/2004 1:33:28 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: Remember_Salamis
Take the steel industry for example:

Yes, take the steel industry. I've never voted for, nor supported Buchanan, BUT the steel industry is vital (as are oil & food) to our remaining a sovereign Nation. Steel is a vital component of our military/industrial complex. The price spike recently is largely the result of China using the world supplies; while we have closed mill after mill. Same with oil; and I read yesterday...cement.

You who built up China, our greatest potential enemy (THEY even say that) will be hoisted on your own petard of greed. Unfortunately, you are taking the country down with you.

26 posted on 08/22/2004 2:54:50 AM PDT by garandgal (Lord; please let our country survive the "worthless generation.")
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To: garandgal

Growing Chinese Demand was only part of the price spike. The inability of Russian and Eastern European companies to sell (or "dump" if you're a protectionist) steel in the US caused a large part of the price increase.

As a professional China Watcher, I can tell you that a lot of these Chinese purchases are related to large public works programs designed to keep unemployed factory workers from protesting in the streets. China's financial bubble is about to pop, and so are some of their underlying political "problems". My fear is that China may grow nationalist in order to deflect their populace's attention from the souring economy.


27 posted on 08/22/2004 3:25:49 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: BipolarBob

Uh, no. It failed in USSR, is failing in Cuba, china, etc.

What about FAILURE, do these ignorant fools not get???


28 posted on 08/22/2004 3:30:39 AM PDT by television is just wrong
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To: ETERNAL WARMING
Income distribution isn't only welfare, it's FREE TRADE as well. They're taking our incomes and moving them overseas.

Quite a convoluted argument -- Income distribution deals with welfare and other silly stuff. Free trade is the ability to trade with people in different nations/states.
29 posted on 08/22/2004 3:37:06 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: Remember_Salamis

bump to read later


30 posted on 08/22/2004 5:21:05 AM PDT by John Galt's cousin
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To: Remember_Salamis

>> We'll simply let Americans trickle out of the SS system by choice. Sounds simple.

Works for me.

For more on that topic, see the Cato Institute's Social Security project:

http://www.socialsecurity.org/


31 posted on 08/22/2004 5:58:03 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (hoplophobia is a mental aberration rather than a mere attitude)
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To: Remember_Salamis

Any idea how many active FReepers there actually are?


32 posted on 08/22/2004 6:38:38 AM PDT by RockinRight (Liberalism IS the status quo)
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To: Remember_Salamis
Has anybody thought about re-opening that loophole? We'll simply let Americans trickle out of the SS system by choice. Sounds simple.
State and local governments still have the option not to participate in Social Security as long as they provide an equitable program. My father's retirement is the Texas Teacher Retirement System. He doesn't pay into Social Security.

Look up Section 218 agreements.
33 posted on 08/22/2004 11:35:35 AM PDT by Your Nightmare
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To: Your Nightmare

Right, but a sate or county can't pull out lock, stock, and barrel anymore right?


34 posted on 08/22/2004 12:19:02 PM PDT by Remember_Salamis (Freedom is Not Free)
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To: Remember_Salamis

Tell it to the Philadelphia Inquirer editors.


35 posted on 08/22/2004 12:25:29 PM PDT by Fintan (I don't need to know what it looks like to know what it looks like.)
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