As I suggested a few weeks ago, the large and growing larger (baby boomer) numbers of those receiving Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid portends a long, drawn out discussion/debate on changes to the programs themselves or the benefits. My statement was that those receiving benefits or soon to receive them will resist any changes to those programs and their sheer numbers are going to make it tough to make any reforms.

A new Pew study on these topics generally confirm what I suspected. We already have far too many dependent on big government. We might already be too far down the governmental dependency rathole to reverse course now. We might already be screwed and unable to recover.

Quote:(From the Overview)

On the broad question of whether it is more important to reduce the budget deficit or to maintain current Medicare and Social Security benefits, the public decisively supports maintaining the status quo. Six-in-ten (60%) say it is more important to keep Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are; only about half as many (32%) say it is more important to take steps to reduce the budget deficit.

Interesting stuff in there but the people will behave in their own interests, which is understandable. Sad in this case because folks have to choose their own (and their family's) well being over the well being of the nation. That is no accident, it was done by design.

While we can't afford the programs we have right now, hey let's create another behemoth we can't afford!! That is why Obamacare needs to be killed before it gets implemented in full. Once it's in place, there will be no going back.

http://people-press.org/2011/07/07/publi...-benefits/

Advances in medicine will make Medicare and Social Security even bigger issues in the future.

90 is the new 70. 100 is the new 80. People are living longer lives nowadays.

I think Logan's Run had it right.

What exactly happened to the SS money that has been collected? It was supposed to be invested and allowed to grow? When you paid in, it was an IOU to future money to be paid after retirement? You are making the same commitment with 402k Ira's. Would you be willing to give up your nest egg to the gov't, for and IOU to future benefits? The SS money was stolen. Are you going to let the same people who stole the SS money have at your 401k money?

Unless we can expand the economy, expand capitalism, instill entrepreneurialism, grow the country's wealth, get gov't out of our lives, then no we are not too far gone. Can we? Not with the sissy whining liberals we have today.