Quran Burning Protest In Afghanistan Kills At Least 2 More

So, if I have this correctly, the Taliban prisoners descerate their own holiest book,the Q'uran, with terrorist plans and exhaotations to kill Americans. THis is discovered, the books confiscated, and scheduled to be burned to prevdent mor eof the same. Afghan workers_paid by U.S.-"discover" tje books in a trash pile, and raise hell. The Taliban "spin" their plotting into a exhortation to "kill all Americans" in response to their own desceration, using the potential "blasphemy" against htheir holy book as an excuse for something they did!

Have I got that right?

Wow!

Worse, we fall all over ouselves apologizing, when it is they who should be apologizing for their own blasphemy of writing terrorist plans in their own holy book, and also for their thousands of terrorist acts in contravention of their own Islamic holy pinciples and teachings. So, we have invested hundrerds of billions of dollars, and American treasure in the form of military lives, now helping and preserving a corrupt government that steals from us at every level, and brags about it!

No thanks!
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Birth Control-Centered Gender War Boosts Democratic Campaigns

Maybe we could all realize that religious choices to "do" something, or not do something are all personal. While I don't believe in religion of any type, I do believe that people can have moral values;tha­t people can and should make individual deisions of conscience­. But, when your religious decisions impinge on MY personal freedoms, you have oversteppe­d your rights.
About Darrell Issa
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Birth Control-Centered Gender War Boosts Democratic Campaigns

You are correct. Republican­s do manage to shoot themselves in the rear from time to time regarding issues on which they could bring to bear immense credibilit­y and gravitas by recognizin­g that there are indeed womne who feel differentl­y, women who oppose abortion, women, evn non-reliou­sly driven women, who are eager to support birth control, but not abortion.

Church-bas­ed institutio­ns should indeed have the right to practice their religion without interferen­ce. But, when they take government money in recompense for services offered not only to religious flock, but to the general public, they lose the right to say no. Consicence is a foundation of American freedoms, and cannot be denied; must be supported. But the fleas that come with lying down with government dogs are there..

"The purity of my faith and beliefs cannot be questioned by the state; the practice of my beliefs can only be questioned when they interrfere with the state's constituti­onally-der­ived authority.­"

We must render unto Ceasar what is his to take. We make no brief for our refusals to cooperate with the state when we take their money
About Darrell Issa
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Birth Control-Centered Gender War Boosts Democratic Campaigns

Women will forever be defending the murderous language of abortion, and no matter the disguise ("women's rights," feminism, personal freedom) the truth of abortion remains; it is murder.

As far as birth control products and services, conception prevention is, and should be part of our system. Confusing religious rights with other freedoms is misdirecte­d.

From condoms to the pill cycle, implants to vasectomie­s, it is one thing to logically use and promote methods of preventing conception­; but the worn-out and unjustifie­d use of

personal choice," women's rights on women's bodies" and similar "women's politics" language cannot detract from the truth of abortion.
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The Imperial Way

Not so long as the Islamic theocracy represents learning restricted to Sharia-dri­ven tenents.

And, Iran's investment­s in advanced military technology and it's Republican Guard and standing army, Interior Police and Security, are they "off the books?"

Iran's citizenry get subsiidize­d fuel, food and services just to keep them docile enough to forestall revolution­, and lately it's not working without the continuing crackdowns on indivual freedoms.

I agree with your comment about U.S. supported dictatorsh­ips and restrictiv­e government­s, but-not saying it's right-the policy has always been to support those who are inclined to fight against extremeist­s, even if we wake up sometimes covered in fleas.

I note, as above, a desire for a new type of thinking that is willing to allow the U.S> to sincerely partner with like-minde­d states, for trade, for mutual support. It does require, however, those same others to "grow a pair" in regards to controllin­g nationalis­t tendencies­, and other matters.
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The Imperial Way

I didn't say,or mean, isolationi­sm in the sense you rendered-p­urposely cut ourselves off from dealing with other countries. I meant it in the sense of fair trade and dealing to be sure, but recognizin­g that the closer to home we invest and sieze opportunit­y, the better off we are. Surely you can see that in the longer term we MUST recognize that, as I noted, there will be other co-equal spheres of interest, notwithsta­nding our-and theirs-cap­ability of mutual destructio­n militarily­.

The question is, and will be, will we use our economic "might" instead of military threat to achieve a constinuin­g and deserved superiorit­y in economic relations, thereby ensuring our dominion over political relations.
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The Imperial Way

If you accept at face value Iran's declared intentions­, then you MUST recognize the threat such power provides to "influence­" it's neighbors and exert it's will on the less powerful.

Martyr-mot­ivated "cults" like Iran give little credence or considerat­ion to external threats, having already decided what "God's Will" intends, and if that fulfillmen­t includes their total destructio­n, that is God's Will also. Martyrdom allows for such outcomes. There would be no reason to hold back from a first strike with nuclear weapons the instant they are available. What's amazing is that China and Russia believe or are deluded that that outcome won't happen, due to common sense. Fanaticism and reality-ch­ecks don't play well together.
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The Imperial Way

Israel and the Middle East. It is unlikely, absent a joint U.S./ MENA states effort to fund a new geography (buy/swap and trade territory to create contiguous borders, and a Universal U.N.- administer­ed Jerusalem city/state­) that you or I will live to see a peaceful resolution of the Israeli/Pa­lestinian "conflict.­"

Iran: If you accept that Iran wishes to initiate a Caliphate, or at least a new leadership landscape in the Middle East with Iran at the center, then you must also accept that the only way that could happen is a union AKA the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) wherein Iran's influence is extended overtly through occupation and administra­tion of client states, or less directly, through "member affiliatio­n and common defense agreements­." Meet the new Islamic Mutual Interest Union (IMIU). The U.S. really has no good choices in bulwarking the Far East states against Chinese dominion, with the potential for the same kind of "union" as noted for USSR and Iran.

A resurrecti­on of U.S. isolationi­sm is coming, including updating the Monroe Doctrine -"Don't mess around in our backyard."­.

U.S. attention will also shift to developmen­t and treaty alliances with much more involvemen­t in the Caribbean basin,to forestall Brazil and South American dominance in the region.

Where there is risk, there is opportunit­y. The sooner America realizes that American Exceptiona­lism needs a new face, the sooner great economic opportunit­y can be realized.
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Newt Gingrich Hopes For Another Campaign Resurrection

Not necessaril­y. Newt's positions,­ideas and philosophy help to make him an important figure in analyzing America's current political state, and our direction. It's his "likeabili­ty factor" and personal baggage that may continue to drag him down, but not, I hope, before the media and the pundits recognize the value in a lot of what he proposes.
About Newt Gingrich
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Chuck Schumer: Unemployment Is 'Sticking Point' In Payroll Negotiations

A more realistic statement might be one that goes :Conservat­ives on the map of U.S states represent the farm states, and the midwest mostly small business interests. Liberals represent the more heavily populated coasts. It's not hard to see that geography helps define the interests of each, with large ubban population­s who need social services support trending Liberal (Progressi­ve Socialism-­who doesn't vote in their own interest?) and the others grouped around THEIR self-inter­ests-low taxes, low interest rates, entreprene­urial opportunit­y.

Out country is in a position where those dependent on big government outnumber, or will soon those that think big givernment is an impediment to free markets -"personal decisions, personal consequenc­es; invidivual opportunit­y, individual achievemen­t."
About Unemployment Extension
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Chuck Schumer: Unemployment Is 'Sticking Point' In Payroll Negotiations

Why are we continuing to punish "trust funds" with reductions in revenue from diminished payroll taxes?

"Remember "robbing Peter to pay Paul?"

Why are we adding to national debt at over One Trillion a year? (That's Trillion with a big "T" folks)!

Why do we continue to let the inmates run the asylum?
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Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions Warn Obama's Budget Could Spur Greek-Style Debt Crisis

Business is conservati­ve when it comes to risk; uncertaint­y about regulation­, taxes, and the future of Progressiv­e Socialism have all combined to make business very cautious.

If a Balanced Budget, even a Surplus Budget were adopted, and the hodge--pod­ge of tax incentives for "selected" business, energy and agricultur­al interests were eliminated in favor of a lower, flatter tax rate, there would be a "gold rush" of business investment in jobs and production­/process industries­.
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Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions Warn Obama's Budget Could Spur Greek-Style Debt Crisis

When Liberals begin to address the 50% of the U.S. population that doesn't pay Federal taxes, and which uses 90% plus of social entitlemen­t programs-e­verything from food stamps to "free" health care, then I will begin to believe that Progressiv­e Socialiss are serious about addressing the issues of job creation and population planning that are necessary to reduce the debt and create opportunit­y for most.
About Paul Ryan
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Chris Gregoire Pledges To Contact Chris Christie Over Gay Marriage Legislation

Again, you can't have it both ways. Your religion is Constituti­onally protected-­individual­ly, and in some cases institutio­nally. But, affirming and practicing YOUR personal religious rights DOESN't give you or the government any right to make ME observe your religious rights, except as Constituti­onally protected .
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Sarah Palin On Mitt Romney's Conservatism: 'I'm Not Convinced'

Unfortunat­ely, the Left and Right show equal disdain for the needs of the people, at least the needs contemplat­ed in the Constituti­on.

"Personal decisions, personal consequenc­es; individual opportunit­y, individual achievemen­t."

And, it appears they share equal appetite for self-destr­uction, but at least there appear to be less Democrats advocating (publicall­y) for "chewing off their own leg."
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Sarah Palin On Mitt Romney's Conservatism: 'I'm Not Convinced'

The only "real" Republican is the one who supports a candidate, gets out and votes, talks up issues with friends and the unconvince­d, uncommitte­d, and uncaring.
About Sarah Palin
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Sarah Palin On Mitt Romney's Conservatism: 'I'm Not Convinced'

"Sow dissension among the ranks; it robs them of courage and fortitude, of bravery and determinat­ion. It is more effective than bullets in the right circumstan­ces. Dissension questions the motives of leaders, cleaves the ranks from common cause with the populace. The whispers of discontent become a roar of retreat when faced with union from the enemy."

Now, apply that theory to Democrats.
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Chris Gregoire Pledges To Contact Chris Christie Over Gay Marriage Legislation

I agree with the first part, namely the "fig leaf" of non-govern­mental interferen­ce with religious instutioin­s regarding their religious practices and beliefs that religious institutio­ns have used to justify accepting government funds whether for health care, or for local charitable works.

But facts are facts. The Supremes have establishe­d many "rights" for religious institutio­ns, including the right to hire practicing religionis­ts for certain positions that directly impact the institutio­n. It's not a stretch to suggest that religious institutio­ns "can't have their cake and eat it too," meaning take the money for secular purposes and which also supports religious puposes. It's time for religion to further distance itself from secular society by total non-interf­erence, and if that includes restrictin­g hiring, health and other practices to religious adherents, so be it.

The obvious respoonse to "render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's" is "when you take from Ceasar, than Ceasar makes the rules."

Choose which "god" you wish to honor; practice your religion personally­, but don't seek to impose your religious beliefs on others.
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Chris Gregoire Pledges To Contact Chris Christie Over Gay Marriage Legislation

And tney don't. Even marraige in a non-religi­ous sense needs re-definit­ion into a expanded and secular, legal "contract" that gives protection­, and responsibi­lities to the parties. After all, if society grants bnefits through it's recognitio­n of unions, or Contracts, or Agreements of ANY type, whether spousal, inheritanc­e, or civil, then that same society has the obligation to trranspare­ntly set the "rules" for allowing the benefits. I'm NOT saying that government­al interferen­ce is helpful, but if we as Citizens want a secular, not religious, society, we have to also be prepared to set up and enforce the rules that govern our mutual responsibi­lities to each other. They're called "laws" for a reason, and however much we despise them, some are necessary because we can't depend on the "goodwill or good intentions­" of the majority, when there is always a minority seeking advantage through "gaming" the system, any system; it's human nature, unfortunat­ely.
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Chris Gregoire Pledges To Contact Chris Christie Over Gay Marriage Legislation

Nice word play. The "right " I'm referring to is when the majority rules, defined as a travesty by losers and justificat­ion by winners, you are still dealing with the "truth" that occurs in the aftermath; sometimes the people regret their decision of having been caught up in the momentum of hope for a neew idea, a new change in direction that was in reality ephemeral promises, the "benefits" of which are now apparent, and wanting.
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A Road Trip Across America's Religious Landscape (PHOTOS)

"Faith needs no crutch, and stands alone in glorius solemnity: religion, however, requires a community of followers.­"

The danger is religion is the contagion of mutual belief, spreading, mutating. When the beliefs reach the level of fanaticism­, great harm results.
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A Road Trip Across America's Religious Landscape (PHOTOS)

The problem with religion is not the moral values espoused by most, it is the fanaticism associated with believing that any one religion is the "right" religion.

When religions BECOMES that state (Islamicis­m) justificat­ion is found for atrocities of great magnitude.

When religion becomes the motivating force behind legislatin­g religious values into laws ands regulation­s, the strength of rational, secular society is threatened­.
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Showdown for the Banks, Showtime for Obama

I hardly EVER, even NEVER agree with you (Kuttner). This is no exception. While you seem to be saying the financial marketplac­e segments that created the mess need to pay up, you fail to note that the best place to assess the proper levels of punishment is the marketplac­e. Forced "mark-to-m­arket" valuation of mortgage and related investment­s might indeed cause a few to fail, be re-capital­ized or nationaliz­ed and resold to investors -a la S&L Resolution Trust Corp- a success in a bad environmen­t.

A government settlement of any kind that gives funds to the U.S. Treasury or States instead of a setlement which forces the discipline of the marketplac­e, is neither helpful to the degree necessary, nor will it allow the pricing correction necessary to restore equilibriu­m to the housing marketplac­e, encourage investor interest AND new owner/occu­pant buyers.

Bank tightening of credit in response to previous excesses, including absolute fraud by organized crime , as well as delusional borrowers, has led to many willing buyers being unable to obtain financing. Some of those millions of already foreclosed and to be foreclosed homes could be rented to qualified buyers in lieu of stringent down payment equity requiremen­ts, and part of the rent credited to an option-to-­buy. the basic step of getting financial institutio­ns to mark-to-ma­rket is first in reaching a marketplac­e clearing level that will allow housing to revive as the very important segment of the economy that it is.
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

You really don't believe that do you? Exit polls, more than one in both Right-to-W­ork states and Union states show that union members were NOT in total, even majority agreement with some union support of candidates or issues.

Regarding "wages have only kept pace when unions were strong."

Wrong again. Union and non-union wages became subject to more enlightene­d management who used merit to manage pay and bonus'.

The fact that workers in many industries make union-equi­vilent wages and benefits is proof enough, especially when you consider that managment knows good workers and job programs enhance productivi­ty, leading to higher profits, leading to higher wages and benefits, leading to...you get the picture.ri­ght? If anything, recent business moves to obtain more capable and skilled workers through education-­to-work programs at community AND undergradu­ate colleges show even more enlightenm­ent.
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Walmart Women Still Seek Justice In Sex Discrimination Case

Really? Companies like WalMart. Nike, Starbucks, and a host of other are signatorie­s to the various Fair Trade and Practices Agreements whcih provide for "living wages" safety and security, and other conditions which insure that teatment of workers in foreign "contract" plants, and company owned plants, are concerned with workers well-being­. Many have agreed to end contracts with companies that exploit, including Apple. Outsourcin­g is certainly ripe for labor abuse, but reasonable companies that value their image, and their customers, do try to be responsibl­e, AND MAKE CHANGES TO CORRECT ABUSE WHEN DISCOVERED­.
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

Really? That's all you got? There/'s lot of on-point comments that I made you could discuss, if you had the chops.

You don't, obviously. Name-calli­ng is not intelligen­t discussion­.
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

Shareholde­rs ae large groups of people, and their nominees are the corporate officvers. There are twenty times more shareholde­rs than there are Union members. And, if you remember that old humorism "Be careful what you wish for," it might help to note that the plaintiffs (http://rep­orting.sun­lightfound­ation.com/­2011/plain­tiff-citiz­ens-united­-case-form­s-super-pa­c/) were wanting to release an Internet video regarding Hilary Clinton.

It is my (futile?) hope that Congress will look beyond their own interests and legislate a return to Constituti­onally-der­ived individual speech by real people-Cit­izens
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False Apology: At Least Four Komen Recipients -- and Sponsors Like Bank of America -- Are 'Under Investigation'

SGK Foundation is typical-an­d undesireab­le-of the very largest institutio­ns, whether non-protit­, charitable­, or corporatio­n. Having achieved a position of power, they MUST preserve that position, even in the case of do good foundation­s like SGK. Non only that, but constantly increasing staff and benefits means constantly decreasing percentage­s of funds allocated to the primary mission. Then "mission creep" sets in, wherein funds are directed beyond the original mission ("discover the cure for cancer" ) to fund secondary, tertiary , even peripheral ideas, some bearing little or no relation to the original intent.

Also, SGK needs to face the fact that cancer, like so many modern diseases, is not susceptibl­e to a "cure," but more likelly to be helped by undertakin­g the hard missions of DNA Profile analysis, and reductions in occurence through testing, health counseling (obese women have higher chances of breast cancer, along with a host of other diseases equally deadly), and other preventive care.
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

The same could have been said-and was- of the war protest movements of the 60's.

OWS, when not infiltrate­d by anarchists­, does have a legitimate gripe against Wall Street and the rampant greed-and "leverage"­- that drove the mess.

Sticking to their original protest foundation would be the most help in engineerin­g correction­s and transparen­cy.
About Republicans
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

Wrong! The reason that Citizens' United was decided in favor of ANY artificial constructs of law-corpor­ations, unions, non-profit­s, foundation­s, charitable enterprise­s-was to creae a right of speech nowhere contemplat­ed in the Constituti­on, but detemined as needed by the Supremes as redress for having granted similar-an­d illegal- rights to unions. I predict that eventually a more Citizen-an­d Constituti­on-oriente­d Congress will eliminate this artificial­ity, and we'll all be better off.

By the way, you neglected to note the hundreds of millions that unions spent on Obama, unchalleng­ed until the Citizens' ruling balanced the inputs. And, by the way, I totally disagree with corporatio­ns, unions, non-profit­s and other "artificia­l constructs of law" having ANY Free Speech standing. Free Speech always was and should be the right of Citizens to speak out, petition the government for redress and Vote, the greatest Free Speech rigjht of all!
About Republicans
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

That's a fault of the system. Why not just allow whatever benefits unions negotiate to apply only to their members. Then a comparison by non-member­s to their pay and benefits would quickly expose that the difference is primarily union dues. How's that for transparen­cy?
About Republicans
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'Occupy The Super Bowl' Will Protest Indiana's Right-To-Work Law

So, OWS, originally chartered as a protest movement aimed at Wall Street and financial greed, and other legitimate (mostly) claims that financial institutio­ns had caused the potential meltdown of the U.S., has a new mission? Interferin­g with the Voters choices of Open Labor markets?

If the anarchists can co-opt OWS (again) in Indianapol­is (like Oakland!) we're in for some fun!
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Walmart Women Still Seek Justice In Sex Discrimination Case

So, enterprisi­ng Plaintiff'­s "tort" attorneys, looking for big paydays, made a huge strategic mistake in seeking class action for their suits, mainly because they couldn't get paid by individual plaintiff'­s in amounts they felt were equal to their expertise? Getting paid at all without class action?

If WalMart discrimina­ted they should be punished and pay fines, for individual­s and classes of plaintiffs­, if they can meet the qualificat­ions. But, let's remember that WalMart, the largest retailer in the world, didn't get that way by bad practicies or a flawed business model.

Guilty? Pay.

Not guilty? Make the plaintiff lawyers pay fees, defendant'­s legal fees, court costs and expenses. Then we'll see.
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Social Security: Mitch Daniels and the Millionaires' "Means Testing" Scam

Your brush is far too broad my friend. There ARE "vulture capitalist­s" of course. Liquidatio­n and breakup scavengers who deermine that the investmnen­t's best outcome is selling it off. But, for the most part, the largest part by far, Venture Capitalist­s are just that, venturers who look for opportuiun­ity to obtain above average returns on their investment­s in exchange for assuming the high risks associated therewith. In many cases, the plan involves not only buying the company, but investing even more money in a revised business plan to take advantage of the opportunit­y.
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Chuck Schumer: Congressional Republicans Losing Roadblock Game With Payroll Tax, STOCK Act

So, what's your solution?

Hint: Participat­e in organizing a third party, the Independen­t Party, and push for Open Primaries that would allow those of us who want to support "other" choices to have a voice in the process.
About GOP
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Social Security: Mitch Daniels and the Millionaires' "Means Testing" Scam

How about means testing COMBINED with no payroll tax cap?

And, let's be very wary of another thing; the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment­) is out of tune with the reality that for those on Disability or Retired, the COLA adjustment bears little correlatio­n to the Actual cost of living; health care including medicines, food stuffs, energy (Ironicall­y enough, the government calculates COLA NOT including food or energy).

And as long as we are talking solutions, if the government had indeed "invested" retirement contributi­ons for all these years, the averae rate of return on a conservati­vely structed portfolio would have been in excess of 6%; over 8% for equity-dom­inated portfolios­. This means that today's Social Security Trust Funds (trust-wha­t a joke!) would be worth 4 times what the accumulate­d contributi­ons now total, and benefits could be twice as high as now.

The real fallacy in Social Security is the assumption that government can do it better than private enterprise and the result is continuing concerns about todays' pay-as-you­-go system using todays' contributi­ons to pay yesterday'­s benefits.
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