Maybe We Should Lower SS Retirement Age To 55... Read This...

'I Played By The Rules' -- 'The Rules Have Changed'
Arthur Delaney - HuffPo
First Posted: 05/23/11 08:56 AM ET Updated: 05/23/11 06:01 PM ET

<snip>

She's right: It is getting harder.

President Obama, in his 2011 State of the Union address, talked about how most people could remember the good old days, when getting a job meant showing up at a factory after finishing high school. "If you worked hard, chances are you’d have a job for life, with a decent paycheck and good benefits and the occasional promotion," the president said, adding that he understood "the frustrations of Americans who’ve seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear -- proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game."

"They’re right," Obama continued. "The rules have changed."

Indeed they have. And for many who have been out of work for a long time and are willing to share their thoughts with a reporter, the new rules are merciless.

"Good, decent people who worked hard, did everything right, believed in the American Dream have been destroyed," writes a Californian who said her brother killed himself after job loss collapsed his financial situation.

"On the eve of my 60th birthday and without marketable skills I have no chance of ever finding a job again in the traditional economy," writes a North Carolinian who's been out of work nearly two years. "I am determined to survive this horror show. But my survival will not be determined by our broken economy. It’s 'think outside the box' time. Traditional methods obviously won’t work for people like me."

“I did everything right, I played by the rules, I got skills, I excelled in my job, all to no avail," writes a New Jerseyan who said he lost his job in 2010. "I don’t know what I’m going to do. All the years of both parties talking about free trade agreements and how we will retrain America was just a bunch of BS; it was easy to say all that when times were good."

And so on. By the way: Just what the hell are the new rules? What follows is a brief handbook...

<snip>

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/23/long-term-unemployment_n_864873.html

:kick:

or women (unless they are rich).

:shrug:

I would think most of the US would want that as well, you know, pursuit of happiness and all that?

:shrug:

And Startups would flourish

Did you know that most IT Startups were started up by a retired Engineer?

as our corporate society's throw aways.

imagine that. here in the real world though, i just completed a training course in a new line of work and am hoping to be working in that capacity before this year is over. at the age of 51 i lucked into a really good job. in a couple months i'll be 56. i still expect to be working until i die but at least i may not be living at the poor house.

what's really sucky about it at this age is i have almost no energy whatsoever after a typical 9 to 10 hour day at the office. i just collapse when i get home.

and not seriously looking into immigrating to another country your future in America will be no different then that of 3rd world country..If things don't change soon America will look like Somalia or Haiti in 30 years.

America has the least social mobility of ALL western countries in the world.

In other words if you ain't born uber rich your going to be poor for your entire life.

No one can predict this, but I would watch the news

and our politicians are trying to cut away the small social safety net that exists here.

I agree - if you're young, you would be better off to leave this country. sad to say, but it seems that the politicians don't care about anyone but the Koch heads and their own enrichment from the same.

Europe is becoming a more important power in the world than the U.S., in terms of economic might - because they haven't shat upon their working and middle classes.

One woman I knew was in her 50's when she moved from DC to France. Worked her ass off and successfully relocated, earning her living there. So it can happen - it's just you have to be prepared to work very hard.

the easiest way to relocate is to go to school in another country - that way you make contacts while you're acquiring skills.

Canada isn't that far away and teaches classes in English - but you can also acquire another language.

You can go to a site for Canadian immigration that lists jobs that are in demand there.

the sad thing is that I know people in the state where I live who can work just about anywhere and, because of recent laws passed by the republicans, these people are looking for work elsewhere b/c they don't want to live in the state anymore. They look at the way in which this nation is attacking the modern social safety net and, even tho they don't need it and are people who contribute to this safety net - decide they don't even want to stay in the country if they can find work outside of it.

this is how a brain drain happens - those in political power act in such a way that people who have skills and resumes that make it the easiest for them to relocate, start to leave.

This is the consequence of allowing corporations and the religious right to shit on the American people.

it shall be IGNORED.

until 2010 when I was laid off. Well, I was already 70 years old and wanted continue working to build up more into my 401K. I enjoyed my job and would have worked there until I was 80 or until I died. But fortunately, I have enough savings to stave off having to eat cat food for the next few years. Plus, I am collecting social security. I am also collecting unemployment and will continue to milk that as long as I can. There is no way any company would hire me now.

And I hope you find something interesting to do with your forced retirement. But people are ready for retirement at different ages for many different reasons. They should have the liberty of deciding for themselves when they are ready to retire instead of working to some arbitrary retirement age.

from the stand point of most folks.

We need to turn the wage destruction around, decades ago.

Would allow the lowering of the retirement age to 62 and DOUBLE everyone's benefit and keep SS solvent for the next 75 years.

:toast::bounce::toast:

Glad ta have ya aboard !!!

:hi:

:shrug:

You will die on the streets biting the pavement.

Meanwhile, the CEOs have cashed in the pension and used it for their pay and executive bonuses.

Thank you for a great OP and article, WillyT.

...when we see ourselves as already dead !

Charge of the Ghost Children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


A good part of that book series. Lead by the last of the Mother Confessors Kahlan, and future wife of the Seeker Richard. Pretty good story.

Interestingly, the writer of that story, Terry Goodkind, thanked Richard and Kahlan in the credits, indicating he believes them to be real.

(Side note there is some bias in the books, happens often, economic and social biases)


Each person should decide what is and isn't inspired, but there are parts of that story that are parts of a good story in my view.

in my 30's it is because i have "gap years" when i was unemployed so i get passed over

my dad is in his 60's and if he gets fired or laid off he will find nothing

when the hell can we find work?

we could probably use that money to not only pay down the debt, but also to lower the existing SS retirement age some.

And to have supported other union workers who did manage to accomplish that. Because if they didn't support those other union workers when they had the chance they ended up screwing themselves and the next generation too. Lot of unemployed people at home sitting on the couch wondering how they got there.

Don