torsdag 7 februari 2013

Every Golden Promise Broken

Since I haven't written anything about politics for quite some time there is some issues that have surfaced that I will now share with you. Today we gonna discuss the pension system. Yes, the story is that for a couple of years now the system have diminished its returns to the seniors since, well, more are taking out there pension than people are putting in to the system, forcing the break that are put in place to balance it out by cutting the costs (aka lowering the pension). As a theorist I completely get it, better a small pension that keep the budget balanced than something that threatens to bankrupt the whole society (which is actually happening in the municipalities if I was informed correctly). I also get why the seniors are a bit upset. Unfortunately, the solutions they give pisses me of more or less. The senior organizations demands that the break is terminated (creating a financial crisis for the future, good work there) and putting it this way that "if the break hits to many times the future seniors will also take damage" therefore the current system shall be abolished and be given to the AP-funds instead (therefore pushing up the pensions of todays senior). That's nice and dandy isn't? Except that calculations show that future seniors (like me, that is in 40, oh excuse I mean 50 years since we are expected to work 10 more years than the current seniors) will have toward 16 % pensions with the proposed changes. Thanks.

Do you know why this pisses me of? Because the current system was put into place due to the older system failing in the long run with to high costs. Guess who got a free ticket to ride on both system? That's right, the current seniors. Oh, it does get better. The system is also a warning sign for politicians that if you don't  get the job market to work with people paying taxes, the seniors will have your head on a platter. Although if we take away the break, guess what will happen? One generation will probably suck it dry since no politician dare to cut the pensions when it goes up or down. This system has taken the cowardice and populistic option out of the hand of them and displays it for all to see, but if they so want to wreck it for the future go a head, make my day.  Then we have the messengers, one of them being PRO. An organization closely tied to the Social Democrats (even though they call themselves politically independent), the same party that created the system that failed, yeah much confidence there (to be fair, S also was responsible for the current system together with the centre-right parties, so kudos for realizing the mistake of pushing a system that was voted on in a referendum and didn't gain 50 % of the voters). Although that's probably a low shot and don't shot the messenger and all that stuff.

To summarize, not only do I have to work 10 or more years than the current seniors, they want me to get less in pension... I'm not OK with this. Really, it feels like they backstabs me. I can FEEL the anger growing inside of me. If they go through with this make no mistake, there will be BLOOD (well, probably not since I abhor violence if its real, but hyperbole is supposed to do wonders for agitation). This proposal is breaking one of the foundations on which the welfare state is standing on. "From the Cradle to the Grave", apparently when the seniors that got it all (child benefits, higher education without high student loans, apartments, subsidized loans and an inflation that reduced the debts as well as living through period of unseen wealth and job creating in the history of mankind) are ready to give it up they SCREW the following generations over. How nice of them.

And then we have the discussion of the the tax gap between seniors and workers. So, these seniors have during most of their life voted for a party (or parties) that wanted higher taxes, they got it, 102 % enough for you? So they got it and now they finally begins to leave the workforce and the political centrum and a new era begins when we diminish taxes on hard working people so that they will spend more, creating a stable internal market since the export market is pretty much stale due to all financial crisis in the world. And they DARE complain? Did we heighten the taxes? No, we LOWERED them, 4 times now? Are they happy with that? NO, now they want MORE. They created this society and laid the foundation of the woes that I faces together with 20 % other youths today with the unemployment, the lowered school. results that are hitting us year after year... and they DARE ask for lowered taxes now and lowered pensions for the rest of us? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? This greed... it's INSATIABLE!

ALL OF THIS, is a direct ATTACK upon the social contract between citizens and government or society. They are ready to make us pay for THEIR mistakes as if they didn't have anything to do with this. The government paid for their apartments in the 60's and 70's, their jobs in the 70's and 80's and their loans in the 80's and 90's. And they put it on the tab for ME and EVERYONE ELSE to pay for all OUR lives. HOW F***ING GENEROUS. This is a generation war, and I say, bring it on and the government will burn (in a figurative way since it more deals with a reshaping of the social contract to a more liberal view where the taxes are cut and the people get to care for their own savings in the pensions and the like so that we don't have to have these sort of discussions again)!

*Waring: This text above shall not be taken to seriously. I quite understand that many are having a hard time, the problem being that too few pays into the system and many seniors having financial difficulties. Is the system to blame for all this? No, it works as it was supposed to, it's failing being politicians that created the financial meltdown together with the financial institutes. Looking at it that way, we don't solve anything, we hide the problems until the next crisis which will be as I mentioned when the politicians once again don't dare to diminish the pensions after an all time high, they never do if it not happens in a state of crisis mentality in the populace... and then it's often to late to avoid it and people will feel the consequences. A better solution is to continue scaling back the taxes with the workers first since they, at the moment, are the wheels of the economy (the other positive side effect that it might keep people staying in the workforce a bit longer balancing the pensions in the end). The most important though is making it easier to create more jobs and lowering the cost to hiring new personal. Here we are still lacking, unfortunately my economic studies don't give me the answer to that question, but it at least shows a more healthy and long-term solution or awareness if you like. So excuse the more harsh and hyperbolic wording, I just wanted to get it out of my system and it feels good sometimes to act like a more left-leaning emotional type. Have fun everyone. And yes, the title is referring to Breaking the Law. It suits very well my feelings toward the social democrats in general.*

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