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To: Snowshoe who wrote (21642)	7/25/2002 8:24:45 AM
From: smolejv@gmx.net	Respond to of 74559

Hi Snowshoe: we have more or less the same situation in Germany, with some differences and similarities: a) the population is aging - in both cases a fact, that can't be ignored. Japan, 10 years down the road, can serve as a guidance. b) the baby-boomer bulge in productive population is looking forward to the happy long days or retirement, forgetting at the same time (its too late anyhow) that productive does not necessarily mean reproductive. Because we were so busy living better, we forgot to reproduce, and just kept producing. c) the difference: in US there's no "us" and "them" - maybe it is changing now, with everybody having a beard and dark hair and eyes suspected to be one of "them". There's 6 Millions Turks of first and second generation living in Germany. Their families are big, so when the second generation kicks in, that should be fine, except they have not been accepted in their identity by the rest of the German population as for instance Italians in US. So they are still foreigners. By the time I'll retire there will be just a couple of active workers per retired person available to pay for their own living plus pay for the retirees. After the war there was no retirees and at the end of the century it will be closing on 1. So the answer (also in US case) is immigration - but I dont want to open up another Pandora box of awkward realities. the immigrants will come one way or another. Maybe to see the ruins of some old civilization. The idea of blaming the government is appealing, we're used to it - sock it to them baby... Question anyhow is, what any government is able to do, given four years of compromises and backstabbing, when the tenure starts. The hope are people, seeing a little further than their own pork-barrel. And there's some. At least in Germany. regards dj

To: Snowshoe who wrote (21642)	7/25/2002 9:15:18 AM
From: AC Flyer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

>>Yes, we can always rely on an ever-increasing cohort of youngsters to pay for retirement of the previous generation. This brilliant idea was invented by a guy named Ponzi. The USA has an infinite supply of resources so we can do this forever.<< This is a popular criticism of the social security system. I think that it is a good idea to guarantee the retired citizens of our country a minimum standard of living via social security payments. Perhaps you don't. And yes, the US can do this forever.