You say “Education is expensive, ignorance is costly.” My position is that one doesn’t need a costly education, just some training to think rationally and critically. And you say “If you are not saving for retirement, you have no brains.” Yes, one needs some wealth from some source for comfortable and enjoyable retirement.
I think we need a bare bones retirement and medical care for the stupid. Unless we’re willing to let stupid starve to death or die from a simple infection that an antibiotic would cure. Private charities don’t have the money and often have other agenda or priorities. Sometimes we forget the following: If we allow the stupid to die we’ll have a culture change that most of smart people will not like. Therefore, I support SS. We need to keep its account separate from other government functions and need to keep it a minimal safety net.
I think we are almost agreeing but coming from somewhat different positions. Amazing.
Medical care is a seperate issue....I am for "Obamacare", within reason. There needs to be some serious copays to keep the hypochondriacs at home, and other than mandating insurance from private sources, the govt should stay out of it. I know too many people who say they cannot afford health care insurance, and they are mostly liars. They have cable TV, cell phones, more cars than jobs in the family, go out to eat too often, etc. They are not poor, just selfish.
People can be stupid, and they should pay a price for that. Stupid, my definition, is refusing to learn. If they stubbornly cling to ignorance, refuse education, they get what they deserve. It might take a few generations, but people will learn.
You misunderstand my sig...education is expensive. but worth the price usually. Ignorance is past expensive, it can be very costly....slightly different terminology for a reason. People who choose to stay ignorant are bound to be victims of the educated who have no ethics.
I wouldn't want the ordinary stupid to die, but willful stupidity is different. They need to suffer the most basic subsistence as an example to others who might want to follow in their footsteps. Of my parents' 5 children, 2 of us rejected our parents lax attitude toward education and preparing for retirement and are living well. Another has enough retirement if he would lay off the beer, smokes, and casinos. The other 2 are financial drains on society. One sister had 8 children, most following her in poverty....the brother at least never married or reproduced, that we know of.
We can't continue to let government employees determine the future of the nation by making it too easy to do too little for ourselves. Had a co-worker, single mom, her husband bailed on the family. The state trained her for a good job, and she was grateful. Then the state told her she was eligible for child care at the expense of the state. She said, NO THANKS, that she appreciates the training and the job, but her widowed mom was going to come live with her and the kids and provide the child care. State says, you can still get the child care money, again she said NO.....damn govt employees were doing their best waste funds that could better be used elsewhere.