onyangomakagutu

Social Security is the kind of thing a caring society that fends for its frail individuals will do. Perhaps you are happy to have people using walkers working in stockrooms. How ’bout trying just a little bit not to be a nation full of greedy assholes?

For that matter all profit businesses are Ponzi schemes as their present value depends on…[Read more]

Robert,

Progressive God FDR and his Brains Trust were the ones who designed Social Security as a Ponzi scheme, where those who benfited depended upon a stream of new workers entering the workforce and taxed to pay into the system. They never reckoned on many people aging beyond 65 or on people having fewer children in response to increased wages…[Read more]

High earners only pay Social Security on earnings up to a capped value and the rest of the income is not taxed for SS. Raising that cap alone could fix the coming shortfall. Instead, they will likely raise the retirement age and maybe even slash everyone’s check. When dear old grandmama has to move in with the family; smelling like Vick’s Vapor…[Read more]

Unseen,

You didn’t even read what I just wrote. Sorry, I’m not providing fuel and raw materials for a Strawman factory.

TheEncogitationer wrote:
Unseen, Also, you could nationalize the wealth of every Billionaire and Millionaire in the nation to pay the National Debt, and as long as Washington keeps spending, it would be all for naught… not to mention the last time anyone would do it, because no one would ever want to accumulate any wealth.

Not much given to h…[Read more]

TheEncogitationer wrote:
Unseen, The biggest parts of the National Debt come from the enticements of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, plus interest on the National Debt. DOGE never even wanted to touch these, but to get rid of the National Debt, there is no avoiding these multiple “Third Rails.”

Getting the cost of health care under con…[Read more]

Unseen,

Also, you could nationalize the wealth of every Billionaire and Millionaire in the nation to pay the National Debt, and as long as Washington keeps spending, it would be all for naught… not to mention the last time anyone would do it, because no one would ever want to accumulate any wealth.

Unseen,

The biggest parts of the National Debt come from the enticements of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, plus interest on the National Debt. DOGE never even wanted to touch these, but to get rid of the National Debt, there is no avoiding these multiple “Third Rails.”

There is no way out of the fixing the national debt that doesn’t involve raising taxes. But PLEASE not on the overburdened folks at the bottom.

TheEncogitationer wrote:
So Argumentum Ad Bacculum (Appeal to Force) eh? Just like all the Antifa and Left Coast Secessionists? Why is this always proposed by the very people with the fewest guns to carry out their demented wishes?

I was stating a fact, not making a reasoned argument. But at least you got an opportunity to trot out some of your…[Read more]

Fellow Unbelievers,

A new interview with Richard Dawkins on his new book, along with his thoughts on Postmiodernism, Transgenderism and the sexual binary, and questions from the audience.

I thought it went too soft on G.K. Chesterton’s alleged false binary of Theism vs. believing in everything. And…[Read more]

Unseen,

If the people want something bad enough, they will get it by using the tools of the constitutional republic or by rising up against the government.

So Argumentum Ad Bacculum (Appeal to Force) eh? Just like all the Antifa and Left Coast Secessionists? Why is this always proposed by the very people with the fewest guns to carry out their…[Read more]

TheEncogitationer wrote:
Unseen,

And yet, in a democracy what the people want the people should get. Otherwise the demos (people) goes away leaving just the kratos (rule).

What if the People wanted to punish Atheism with death? Or, more to the point, what if the People demanded that no one earn more wealth than anyone else? Again, why the United…

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Robert,

At least those things help to equalize wealth imbalances. The government acts like a heat-sink absorbing each knee-jerk crisis as investors panic.

So you think government bailing out AIG and American auto manufacturers and Raytheon help the poor? Please tell that to the old Occupy crowd before they cannabalize you.

Why do you even…[Read more]

TheEncogitationer wrote:
Unseen,

I’m well aware of all of the arguments about disincentives and creating dependencies when it comes to taxation. I haven’t been living under a rock. I’m also aware of the “rising tide floats all boats” which can also be used in favor of taxing the rich, who would benefit from a society made more stable by reducing…

[Read more]

Unseen,

And yet, in a democracy what the people want the people should get. Otherwise the demos (people) goes away leaving just the kratos (rule).

What if the People wanted to punish Atheism with death?
Or, more to the point, what if the People demanded that no one earn more wealth than anyone else?

Again, why the United States is not a…[Read more]

TheEncogitationer wrote:
And wanting does not mean good (or getting, as Mick observed) no matter how many people want. Start again.

And yet, in a democracy what the people want the people should get. Otherwise the demos (people) goes away leaving just the kratos (rule).

Somehow, this never includes stopping bail-outs to Detroit, Investment…

[Read more]

Unseen,

I’m well aware of all of the arguments about disincentives and creating dependencies when it comes to taxation. I haven’t been living under a rock. I’m also aware of the “rising tide floats all boats” which can also be used in favor of taxing the rich, who would benefit from a society made more stable by reducing poverty with all of th…

[Read more]

Unseen,

We embed this fallacy in our national, state, and local government’s various constitutions. I have taught logic. Verbal fallacies, unlike formal fallacies, do not imply false conclusions with necessity. They are inconclusive.

The very definition of any Fallacy, verbal or formal, is that the conclusion does not necessarily follow from t…[Read more]

“And what you know as a historian is that there is no such thing as a ship that can’t sink.” (read the comments too).