Milt37: there's a flaw in your reasoning here-the same flaw many use to justify the failure of SS. Basing any argument on the 63-year lifespan from the actuarial tables in 1936 throws the whole argument off. There weren't masses of people who died between age 55-65 in 1936 that lowered overall lifespans. Huge numbers of childhood deaths brought the average down. Those people never lived to pay into SS, much less draw from it.Research a few old family genealogies and you'll be amazed at the numbers of people living well into their 80s and 90s. So the actuarial tables are misleading.Since fewer die as infants and in childhood, more survive to that ripe old age. And new workers lost to abortion thus DO reduce the numbers of paying taxpayers.

Charles Murray in "Coming Apart", carefully avoided offending his peer group by not properly and rightly assigning them much of the blame for the phenomenon of his so-called lower-classes failure to thrive -and parent. Goodman has gone even further afield with this piece, missing the point altogether. To gain a more honest perspective of why this intentionally-created division between 'them' and 'us' and the damage it has caused, he needs to read David Gelernter's "America-Lite". But then, he'd hardly find any reason to feel so smug.

Charles has made some errors in his logic because he didnt double-check the facts. First, no single person in Michigan, for example only gets $130 a month in food stamps-SNAP benefits unless they are working. It's $200/mo . . And a great many people do NOT get WIC-in most states, there must be health reasons such as an under-or over-weight child and low family income. Second, SNAP benefits are NOT spent on lottery tickets unless there's overt fraud involved: SNAP benefits are strictly food dollars, although some form of welfare grant dollars MAY also be added to that same EBT card. If we ever hope to solve our welfare problems, we have to learn to check our facts and not resort to sensationalism, Charles!

Offensive as UN meddling is, recognize where it originates (the Left) and turn it against them! I suggest we beat the Left over the head with the 'observer's comments regarding voter ID and increased security in determining who votes. Place them between the rock and the hard place and force them to vocally go against their own observers' recommendations. And next election the Right should invite the UN Observers to observe a few specific polling places-in Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Atlanta, etc. Wonder what they'd thing of the New Black Panthers and intimidation then??

I have a problem with the scenario described in this article's first paragraph: SS disability does NOT pay double what SS would be. If you are of full retirement age, you dont get disability but instead get regular Social Security. This description would be (somewhat) valid if the man were applying for EARLY Social Security, in which case SSDI pays out the amount one would receive if they were full retirement age. Further, no one at SS just hands out SSDI without the standard medical reports and records..I know this because I AM disabled (no, not mental, but physical). Next year I will be full retirement age and nothing will change in terms of what I receive . . my regular Social Security amount, Medicare, etc. Please check facts!

(Cont) -and by limiting the opportunities for lesser beings.. Their need to remain aloof, and therefore 'better than' the masses has created a completely separate society which has overtly worked to become the ruling, centralized planning class. Steeped in the usual brand of unequal socialism, they encourage a planned economy based solely on their interests and their values, leaving the less-powerful and less-connected masses unemployed and disenfranchised. To ausuage their collective guilt, they advocate for more welfare and encourage more self-defeating behavior-just not for them. I would suggest following up the reading of 'Coming Apart' with David Gelernter's 'America-Lite'. It isnt pretty!

Charles Murray skirts the real issues in his book, "Coming Apart", likely because he just cant bring himself to overtly state the real problems emanating from his elite 'Belmont' residents. The 'intellectual elitists' realize that their utopian societal enclaves can be perpetuated only for the few just like them and their offspring, and that it requires a limited amount of people be allowed to inhabit that niche. About 80% of the population therefore has no place in their society. So, as they continually export their ideas of social justice and diversity to the masses, they work diligently to assure the future well-being of themselves and their offspring-through flooding into government jobs in both policy-making and social services-(cont)

Blair31: you're referring to hybridization-genetic modification cannot happen in nature even with human 'help' . Learn the difference-because it makes all the difference in the world. As for testing, what has NOT been tested (and all testing has been paid for-and selectively edited-by the GMO producers) is the long-term effect on both human health and nutrition and carry-over into the environment. Some testing has shown actual DNA changes in the human gut due to GMO consumption. Unexpected consequences in the environment are also showing up regularly. Until actual, impartial testing has been done, I dont trust the corporate giants and their trained monkeys in the govt bureaucracy to protect us from their efforts to go God one better.

I agree. What people are overlooking is the fact that many older less-skilled workers lost their jobs during this recession. They could do the job they had, despite disabilities but cannot find another job that they can do satisfactorily-and no employer is going to take a chance on an older disabled worker when there are so many younger able-bodied workers waiting in line. The older worker then applies to SSDI and is found validly disabled. This is no scam-and they ARE disabled . . but they were working until the recession-related job loss.So lets stop trying to blame them-they'd much rather be working! SSDI BTW s based on that working having a social security account-if they hadnt worked regularly, they wont get SSDI!

I have to take exception to DeHaven's constant clamor to close small rural Post Offices. NEVER does he make the point that these are areas without home delivery (think what they could save if they cut off home delivery in the cities) and that over 90% of the post offices on the closure list are RURAL-just the additional costs of those people driving to another location would use millions in additional fuel.The periodical industry is the group lobbying to keep Saturday delivery-although a five-day schedule with a day cut during the week would likely be better for all users. DeHaven is NOT giving anyone the true facts here-USPS is not and should not be strictly a business because it serves govt's need for reliable contact with all citizens.