“Young People Be Damned!”(Reactionary AARP)

NATIONAL REVIEWONLINE.COM ^ | DECEMBER 7, 2004 | RICH LOWRY

[CHARLITE]

The greedy AARP.

If any more confirmation were needed, we've just received it: The AARP's most fundamental principle is "Get all you can, while you can — young people be damned."

The nation's largest seniors organization has just sent its 36 million members a scorching message opposing private Social Security accounts, raising the prospect of benefit cuts, Wall Street profiteering and mayhem just short of the apocalypse. The blast is prompted by Bush's endorsement of Social Security reform and proposals to allow younger workers to voluntarily divert some of their payroll taxes into a private retirement account.

[GOP_1900AD]

Well at some point, a combination of declining head count, lack of ongoing high income, excess debt, and the like, will move the boomers from being the in control group to a large, but (properly) disenfranchised group. At that point, those of us who have money and vigor can tell lobbyists and Congressmen, "what will it be, the votes of a declining pool of whiners, or, our money?" Sorry to put it so harshly. I fight fire with fire.

[Sunshine Sister]

AARP has been the problem for a long time!

[Boundless]

Boortz is on a tear about this today also:

THE AARP DECLARES WAR ON YOUNGER AMERICANS
http://boortz.com/nuze/200412/12072004.html#aarp

[L98Fiero]

The AARP's most fundamental principle is "Get all you can, while you can — young people be damned."

Well, DUH! ;)

[timtoews5292004]

Somehow, someway, I've never been sure how, I was made a member of AARP over four years ago. I'm only 25.

[L98Fiero]

LOL!!

[RicocheT]

Boortz outlines the ugly choices:

1. "Extend the retirement age in hopes that many more Americans will actually do the government the favor of dying before they can collect any or all of their benefits.
2. Deny Social Security benefits to those who worked hard and made good financial decisions in their lives, thereby insuring themselves a sufficient retirement income outside of Social Security. No ... their "contributions" will not be refunded.
3. Extend the wage base for taxes so that achievement-oriented Americans can poor even more money into this financial sewer; more money that they will never, ever get back."

I expect number two (Democrat class warfare) will soon be implemented and the others are on the way too.

[Migraine]

I am of AARP age and status; but despite being courted by them for the last 10 years or more, I have never joined and never will. AARP, above all else, in cahoots with the Democracks, has been heavily responsible for our as yet failure to fix Social Security. The '94 Congress seemed a good bet to get the job done, until AARP and the Dems demagogued it to high heaven. Since then, every time I get something from AARP asking me to join up, I have written back, at their expense (business reply mail) what I think of their selfish interests and activities.

I hate those bastards.

[borkrules]

I hate anyone who stands for a system that siphons off 12-14% of MY money under the phony "its for your own good" pretense of "investing" it for me.

The gall! I mean, really, seriously. Think about it: the government actually thinks YOU are too stupid to provide for yourself and then they take it on themselves to do it FOR YOU!

And, of course, being the government, they screw it up. A 2% rate of return? IF I'm lucky? If they don't decide to take it all away from me with a vote someday (raising the retirement age, or "means testing" benefits)??!

I'm with Boortz. If younger people woke the eff up and realized what was happening to them, they would RIOT.

[1066AD]

I'm a member but I think I'll let it drop. I remember several years ago there was some sort of catastrophic health insurance plan in Congress (Kennedy's I think) that would have helped the elderly of limited means. AARP was instrumental in torpedoing it. Since then they've become very political and, as far as I'm concerned, on the "wrong" side !

[Eric in the Ozarks]

AARP is just an insurance company. Nothing more.

[fire_eye]

AARP is anti-gun and has campaigned aggressively for gun control. Their spokesmen have been very vocal and insulting in that regard.

The only thing they'll ever get from me is a full magazine.

[exile]

I believe Grandpa Simpson put it best when he said, "I'm old! Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

[Beckwith]

AARP sucks.

All they ever try to do is sell their members, insurance and all kinds of other stuff. They are a full-time, money-making organization. I don't care what their charter says.

[beelzepug]

"AARP is just an insurance company"

It is. I belong for two reasons: I save on my auto insurance and I get a good discount on hotel/motel rooms. I guess maybe that does fall under getting all I can, while I can (isn't that human nature?) but I ignore their political advice and don't endorse their candidates. As far as Social Security is concerned, I'm all in favor of a planned phase-out of this ill-conceived ponzy scheme. The sooner this last remnant of FDR socialism is gone, the better.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I do send them back their little prepaid subscription envelopes. Empty, of course.

[timtoews5292004]

he also said "I don't need it, I don't deserve it, I didn't earn it, but if they miss one payment I'll raise hell!!!!"

[Mase]

I read an editorial from the local AARP chapter president in my paper today and thought the very same thing as NRO. I live in SW Florida, the capitol of AARP, and the "as long as I get mine to hell with everyone else" attitude is prevalent and unnerving. Why they would be against younger people putting 4% of their FICA payments into a personal account is beyond me. They offer no alternative other than raising taxes or means testing - which means that those who pay the most into the system will never see a penny - or raising eligibility to receiving your first check when you are on your death bed.

No one looks objectively at what happened in Argentina when they made the change to private accounts. There was also a city in Texas that offered private accounts before the loophole was closed. In both cases the programs are working and put social security back on solid financially ground. The administration better have a good selling plan and begin soon if they don't want the fear-mongers and liars to take the issue from them.

[headsonpikes]

When push comes to shove at the end of socialist 'experiments', always put your money on the Party of Young Men.