[extropy-chat] Real estate as an extropian investment

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Robert Lindauer <robgobblin at aol.com> wrote:

> I guess I think that social security along with other forms of
> top-down social engineering are doomed to failure -effectively
> implementing them is nearly impossible even with the assumed
> goodwill and competence of the administrators.  When you intimately
> involve government in the decision process of how long someone is
> going to live, you're asking for trouble.  Next thing you know,
> there's a life-tax on top of the retirement tax and school tax and
> tea tax, all controlled by people who, as americans, we -should-
> fundamentally mistrust following the "absolute power corrupts
> absolutely" maxim.  If -someone else- then decides how we are to
> invest in our own futures, yes, that's socialism at least.  
> "Communism" was just a propaganda word, sorry for using it.

You have some excellent points here. Problem is, the govt is already
'intimately involved', and its position is reinforced by an entrenched
and powerful constituency, the AARP. Getting them to accept any reform
is neigh on impossible. Arguing against a system that is already
entrenched does nothing to further discussion or solve future problems.
So the question is, what can we do in incremental steps to reform the
system, what can we do to give people an option out of the system, and
what can we do to either delay people's entry into the system, or get
them out early, if they intend on living longer than the system is
structured to deal with.

Paraphrasing a bit from "Methuselah's Children", the 'people' could
accept that some enjoyed more years of retirement than others because
for the most part, life expectancy was a crapshoot, random, so in a way
it is as fair as a draft lottery, or the odds of being born into wealth
or poverty: you take your chances and you deal with the hand you are
dealt by life.

Now however, those who can afford it, or who can accept the lifestyle
changes, etc. can cheat or game that system. It isn't considered
sporting. It's not 'fair'. If it is available to everybody, those who
accept the treatment when near retirement age will pillage the social
security system before the younger generation, who will be contributing
even more of their income than their elders to the system, will never
see a dime of their contributions.

Now, as the government says, SS benefits are really not 'entitlements'.
The gov't can revise the benefits at any time or end it entirely. You
didn't invest anything into SS, you gifted money to it, and you will be
gifted money back when you retire, if you do so early enough. That you
volunteered (or your parents volunteered you) without giving you an
option to disenroll, is an injustice, but not germaine to the
discussion. "Government is force", remember?

If you chose to get more life than 'random chance' allows, you are
cheating their system, and like the pit bosses at any casino, they can
choose to stop doing business with you if they catch you counting
cards.
You either play the game like everybody else or its take your winnings
and down the road Charlie.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

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