Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages
March 9th, 2011

Via: CNBC:

Government payouts—including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance—make up more than a third of total wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn’t taken before the majority of Baby Boomers enter retirement.

Even as the economy has recovered, social welfare benefits make up 35 percent of wages and salaries this year, up from 21 percent in 2000 and 10 percent in 1960, according to TrimTabs Investment Research using Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

“The U.S. economy has become alarmingly dependent on government stimulus,” said Madeline Schnapp, director of Macroeconomic Research at TrimTabs, in a note to clients. “Consumption supported by wages and salaries is a much stronger foundation for economic growth than consumption based on social welfare benefits.”

The economist gives the country two stark choices. In order to get welfare back to its pre-recession ratio of 26 percent of pay, “either wages and salaries would have to increase $2.3 trillion, or 35 percent, to $8.8 trillion, or social welfare benefits would have to decline $500 billion, or 23 percent, to $1.7 trillion,” she said.

I do.  We're getting handouts.  It's either that or starvation.  Believe me, poverty stinks.

It's the choice between the lesser of two evils.

If my mother stopped receiving social security and medicare, she would have to be totally dependent on us.  The cost of her meds alone would force us to not eat.  We already struggle daily just to stay afloat.  A whole lot of people in this country would be devastated if the Government pulled the plug on these programs.  In all honesty, I believe that is what they want--a nation of people dependent on them for survival.

Big Pharma is a big part of that dependence. Agribusiness is the other big one -- nobody can produce even 1% of their own food, so they're stuck.
No one knows anything about health or natural medicine, so they're dependent on Big Pharma to sell them expensive drugs.

Quote from: Matthew

Quote from: CathMomof7

If my mother stopped receiving social security and medicare, she would have to be totally dependent on us.  The cost of her meds alone would force us to not eat.  We already struggle daily just to stay afloat.  A whole lot of people in this country would be devastated if the Government pulled the plug on these programs.  In all honesty, I believe that is what they want--a nation of people dependent on them for survival.

Big Pharma is a big part of that dependence. Agribusiness is the other big one -- nobody can produce even 1% of their own food, so they're stuck.
No one knows anything about health or natural medicine, so they're dependent on Big Pharma to sell them expensive drugs.

It's the "Me-too" drugs.  I told my doctor, from the beginning, generic only.  President George Bush, on the other hand, forbid Medicare, in at least one of its programs, from buying any generic prescription drugs, a slick government subsidy/handout to Big Pharma.

My mother takes only 1 medication that I suspect is actually necessary and that is for high blood pressure.  All the 8 or 10 others are for pain or mental health issues.  Every time she complains, the Dr. writes another prescription.  She's asleep most of the day.  It's really, really sad.  At one time she was taking 21 different meds.  

I would get a second opinion for her.  I have a few "horror stories" about local doctors prescribing medications which the University of Iowa medical professors and doctors found unnecessary and for which they "un-prescribed."

"Follow the money, Mr. Simon..." (from Kappa Mikey)

My mother is a drug addict.  She manufactures pains and illnesses to get medication.  Dr's prescribe them because they don't want to tell people they don't really  have any medical issues or their medical issues are related to old age, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc.  It's easier just to give them a pill for what ails them.