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| Economy |
| The Death of the American Welfare State |
| 2015-10-31 |
| In 1935, the year that FDR signed the Social Security Act into law, the birth rate was 18.7 per 1,000. In 1940, when the first monthly check was issued, it had gone up to 19.4. By 1954, when Disability had been added, the birth rate at the heart of the Baby Boom stood at 25.3. In a nation of 163 million people, 4 million babies were being born each year. By 1965, when Medicare was plugged in, the birth rate had fallen back to 19.4. For the first time in ten years fewer than 4 million babies had been born in a country of 195 million. Medicare had been added in the same year that saw the single biggest drop in birth rates since the Great Depression. There could not have been a worse time for Medicare than the end of the Baby Boom. Today in a nation of 319 million, 4.1 million babies are being born each year for a birth rate of 13.0 per 1,000. 40.7% of those births are to unmarried mothers meaning that it will be a long time, if ever, before those single families put back into the system, and most will never put back in as much as they are taking out. Those children will cost more to educate, be more likely to be involved in crime and less likely to succeed economically. But even if they weren't, the system would still be unsustainable. Because it is, basically, a pyramid scheme ...The crisis is born of demographics. It can't be fixed by targeting the elderly because they haven't been the problem in some time. It's the same crisis being faced by countries as diverse as Russia and Japan. The difference is that Russia is autocratic and has little concern for its people while Japan shuns immigration and has a political system dominated by the elderly. Bernie Sanders admires Europe. But Europe's welfare state is imploding because of low birth rates. And so it adopted the American solution of expecting immigrants to make up the difference. But the immigrants have high rates of unemployment and low rates of productivity. Instead of funding the welfare state, they're bankrupting it even faster. ...In this post-work and post-poverty economy, those most likely to have children are also least likely to work or to be able to afford to have those children. Birth rates for women on welfare are three times higher than for those who are not on welfare. Within a single year, the census survey found that unmarried women had twice as high a birth rate as married women. These demographics help perpetuate poverty and feed a welfare death spiral in which more money has to be spent on social services for a less productive tax base. Children raised on welfare are far more likely to end up on welfare than the children of working families. Academia & NGOs are a form of welfare, nowadays After a century of misery, the left still hasn't learned that there is no substitute for the middle class. It's not just running out of money, it's running out of people. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #6 Newest welfare program disguised as 'affordable healthcare' will certainly accelerate the pace of collapse. FORWARD to the Detroitifcation of America! |
| Posted by: Airandee 2015-10-31 19:59 |
| #5 You get less children from workers and more from the feckless. Idiocracy |
| Posted by: Sven the pelter 2015-10-31 13:40 |
| #4 The City of Brass" In a land that the sand overlays – the ways to her gates are untrod – A multitude ended their days whose gates were made splendid by God, Till they grew drunk and were smitten with madness and went to their fall, And of these is a story written: but Allah Alone knoweth all! When the wine stirred in their heart their bosoms dilated. They rose to suppose themselves kings over all things created – To decree a new earth at a birth without labour or sorrow – To declare: “We prepare it to-day and inherit to-morrow.” They chose themselves prophets and priests of minute understanding, Men swift to see done, and outrun, their extremest commanding – Of the tribe which describe with a jibe the perversions of Justice – Panders avowed to the crowd whatsoever its lust is. Swiftly these pulled down the walls that their fathers had made them – The impregnable ramparts of old, they razed and relaid them As playgrounds of pleasure and leisure, with limitless entries, And havens of rest for the wastrels where once walked the sentries; And because there was need of more pay for the shouters and marchers, They disbanded in face of their foemen their yeomen and archers. They replied to their well-wishers’ fears – to their enemies laughter, Saying: “Peace! We have fashioned a God Which shall save us hereafter. We ascribe all dominion to man in his factions conferring, And have given to numbers the Name of the Wisdom unerring.” They said: “Who has hate in his soul? Who has envied his neighbour? Let him arise and control both that man and his labour.” They said: “Who is eaten by sloth? Whose unthrift has destroyed him? He shall levy a tribute from all because none have employed him.” They said: “Who hath toiled, who hath striven, and gathered possession? Let him be spoiled. He hath given full proof of transgression.” They said: “Who is irked by the Law? Though we may not remove it. If he lend us his aid in this raid, we will set him above it! So the robber did judgment again upon such as displeased him, The slayer, too, boasted his slain, and the judges released him. As for their kinsmen far off, on the skirts of the nation, They harried all earth to make sure none escaped reprobation. They awakened unrest for a jest in their newly-won borders, And jeered at the blood of their brethren betrayed by their orders. They instructed the ruled to rebel, their rulers to aid them; And, since such as obeyed them not fell, their Viceroys obeyed them. When the riotous set them at naught they said: “Praise the upheaval! For the show and the world and the thought of Dominion is evil!” They unwound and flung from them with rage, as a rag that defied them, The imperial gains of the age which their forefathers piled them. They ran panting in haste to lay waste and embitter for ever The wellsprings of Wisdom and Strengths which are Faith and Endeavour. They nosed out and digged up and dragged forth and exposed to derision All doctrine of purpose and worth and restraint and prevision: And it ceased, and God granted them all things for which they had striven, And the heart of a beast in the place of a man’s heart was given. . . . . . . . . . . . When they were fullest of wine and most flagrant in error, Out of the sea rose a sign – out of Heaven a terror. Then they saw, then they heard, then they knew – for none troubled to hide it, A host had prepared their destruction, but still they denied it. They denied what they dared not abide if it came to the trail; But the Sward that was forged while they lied did not heed their denial. It drove home, and no time was allowed to the crowd that was driven. The preposterous-minded were cowed – they thought time would be given. There was no need of a steed nor a lance to pursue them; It was decreed their own deed, and not a chance, should undo them. The tares they had laughingly sown were ripe to the reaping. The trust they had leagued to disown was removed from their keeping. The eaters of other men’s bread, the exempted from hardship, The excusers of impotence fled, abdicating their wardship, For the hate they had taught through the State brought the State no defender, And it passed from the roll of the Nations in headlong surrender! |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-10-31 13:32 |
| #3 Gosh it's like if you fine people for being productive to reward people for being feckless You get less children from workers and more from the feckless. It's like it's a form of fertility redistribution! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2015-10-31 13:26 |
| #2 Anything that needs an expanding population is ANOTHER ponzi scheme. /facepalm |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2015-10-31 13:23 |
| #1 After a century of misery, the left still hasn't learned that there is no substitute for the middle class. It's not just running out of money, it's running out of people. It's about power. Autocracies don't need any stinking middle class. [Most of the world and its history shows you that] |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-10-31 09:13 |