Monday, January 09, 2012

Things Are Really Screwed Up

So last night, my wife, son and I went out with another couple and their son. As our two year olds climbed all over each other in the booth, our discussion switched to paying for their educations. While we both have that issue well in hand, it is alarming to consider the cost of education these days and whats its going to cost in another 15-20 years as universities continue to add administrative bloat. Then we moved onto the topic of retirement and that's when I really got into the discussion.

My wife and I make a good living and so does the other couple we dined with, but it occurred to me that most people around out age (35-40) are not taking care these sorts of issues as perhaps they should. And truthfully, how can they pay off their student loans, buy a house, raise a couple children, pay to educate those children and retire some day? The answer is, they can't. There is no way in H-E double L the average family of earners could ever manage all those expenses along with $4 gas, car payments, new TVs every 7 years (that's the stated average), an occasional vacation, new clothes once in a while, because we know people buy these things far more often than can afford. The numbers just don't add up.

And you know that when the math is broken, the truth is revealed.

Gen X isn't going to be able to afford retirement after years of having the current crop of politicians punishing us for saving. Millenials will not be able to afford their student loans, homes or children. Its that simple. Something has to change and neither the party of the stupid (the Democrats) nor the party of the ignorant (the Republicans) are paying any attention to the real problems. They are too busy trying to get elected or reelected. An entire generation of US politicians need to be renamed Nero who fiddle, rap or sample while our country burns.

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