it's not an either or proposititon. Nanny state or make believe world.
Yes people should be responsible, grow up, yada yada yada. How's that working?
We can scream all we want about what people wouldna, shoulda, coulda and all that will get you is a sore throat (as my dad use to say).
The fact is people ARE NOT responsible and when they get old they do not magically disappear and cost us nothing.
The fact is also that senior citizens are a powerful group and like it or not so far they've done a pretty good job of keeping their social security and medicaid benefits. Now whether you like it or not, whether you think that makes us entitled or nanny state really doesn't matter cause it's not going to really change in the near future. Believe me, I am fully funded for my retirement and I plan on collecting every single dime from social security. with health care insurance the minute I turn 65 I am applying for medicaid and I vote along those issues. I worked for them
Now throw in the fact that we are living longer, many are outliving what meager savings they have managed to save, and the population is growing older. We don't have much of a choice. we will be taking care of these folks whether we like it or not.
look over the last two years people did not all of a sudden have some great big epiphany due to getting the extra 2%. as of 2011, the last time they had various surveys only about 25% of working americans have gotten around to saving for their retirement and if the majority of people here are an indication, they spent the 2% knowing it would not last long (doesn't sound so responsible to me)
Now they are a myrid of reasons for that, things that definitely make it difficult to save but it took a total break down in the economy to makes folks stop charging.
And you're trying to sell the the line that if they didn't have to pay this extra 2% they all of a sudden would start spending/saving within their means.
I know I sound harsh but I think the "everyone should be responsible" is just code speak for "it's not my problem" when it very much is everyone's problem.