Federal Budget Blog - Social Insecurity

I'm choosing to discuss "social insecurity," which is really another phrase for "social security" or the lack thereof. The Social Security system is a fund that people have been paying into since the end of the Great Depression. It is a fund that is supposed to help those Americans in need, but it has evolved to simply be a fund for retirees. An astonishing %35 of our revenue comes from Social Security payroll taxes. However, this fund is going to run out by 2039, according to some sources. It is spending more than it is earning, and is threatening the nation's economic health. Some people want the Social Security fund canceled, or at least major steps taken in order to make sure it doesn't hurt the economy. However, others are worried that drastic steps would harm people more. They'd prefer that less dramatic steps are taken, like raising the cap on earnings that can be taxed for social security. They still believe that this would still solve the problem.

I believe that the Social Security system should be overhauled, at least for a little while. We do not have the money to support everyone who is in need, unfortunately. People of my generation keep working hard to pay money into this fund, however, we're never going to see any of the money. I do believe the idea of social security is a decent one, but right now, it's corrupt. I don't think we can simply make little changes to the program, since it is so close to running completely out of money. I think the program should be cut for just a little while, and new rules should be set while the country's recovering some of the money it has lost in the last forty years. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin agrees with me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan_%28politician%29

Egypt's military rulers dissolve parliament

The military in Egypt has recently dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution, since protesters have been pressuring them to create a democracy after Mubarak stepped down. Military leaders and the caretaker government are also focusing on assuring security throughout the nation. The military tried to restore order in Cairo, but received some resistance to their efforts by the protesters. The protesters say they will stay there until their demands are met. Some people wonder why the protesters remain in Tahrir Square if all their demands have been meet. The protesters are saying "Revolution until victory." Policemen have been pulled off the streets when they lost control of anti-government protests last month. They are protesting their low wages and prosecution. Egypt's military rulers promised to abide by the peace treaty with Israel and give power to an elected government.

I agree with the protesters in this case. I understand how worried they are that the government won't actually improve. There have been numerous times when governments, especially those in the middle east, have promised reforms that haven't happened. For example, Israel and Palestine have made countless peace plan that were not executed. If the protesters step down and stop with their demands, the government could become lazy and not follow through with their promises. Reading articles like this really makes me feel blessed for living in a democratic country, where I don't feel pressured to go out on the streets everyday and protest so that my country will make sound decisions.