Re: The N95 shortage America can't seem to fix

If you don't want to live in a socialist country, why don't you move?

A few of the major socialist programs:

The Interstate Highway system Social Security Disability Social Security Retirement and Survivors Benefits Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Medicaid Medicare Welfare (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or T.A.N.F.) G.I. Bill Veterans? benefits Pell Grants Unemployment Insurance Food Stamps Government Subsidized Housing Head Start Home Mortgage Interest Deduction Hope and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Plus FDA many parts of Dept. of Agriculture many parts of Dept. of Commerce streets sidewalks street lights traffic lights almost all roads almost all bridges, except really big ones almost all tunnels paving of roads and streets storm sewers subsidized sanitary sewers many subsidized water companies water reservoirs forest fire control public schools,K-12 public libraries many subsidized** city bus companies. subsidiezed subways subsidized light rail flood control subsidized construction inspection subsidized building inspection food service health inspection fire departmments police departments civil and criminal courts most commerical airports subsidzied** sports statiums subsiedized civic auditoriums, opera houses subsideized colleges for in-state residents college scholarships to public universities state college extension services for agriculture and homeowners US Post Offfice, I think was always subsidized and more

Socialism is not that bad, is it?. In fact it's pretty good.

Yep, my list wasn't anywhere near complete. I think our form of socialism is fantastic. I'm very happy to pay in on programs like those listed above. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Yeah you democrats never saw a government boondoggle you didn't want to spend tax money on.

Just to hit a few of the worst on that list.

Building stadiums for billionaire sports team builders that usually end up losing money for the government. Welfare for the rich.

Supporting rail lines that serve people who could ride a limo every day cheaper.

Fannie/Freddie who were instrumental in the 2009 crash.

You also point out a bunch of welfare programs but I would expect that. LBJ started the war on poverty a half century ago and the poverty rate is higher now than it was in 1965. It was just another expensive no win war. We created an under class of hard core unemployables and crime infested ghettoes in our cities. Way to go.

BTW your rising tide quote was JFK's original "trickle down" scheme.

I'm not a Democrat, but I think you're right. The Interstate Highway system has been awful for the country.

As opposed to Trump and the Republicans who have been spending the same way and cutting taxes at the same time? That doubled the deficits before Covid? The fool Trump even recently said that he want's a new Covid relief bill that's BIGGER than the 2.2 tril Pelosi wants. That was another example of how unfit and stupid Trump is. McConnell can't get the Senate GOP up from $1.8 tril, Trump says it should be larger than Pelosi's 2.2 tril! Great leadership, organization and messaging.

It was the same as when Obama was presented with the deal after H1N1. The guy wanted a long term contract, not just a surge contract and the government was not willing to commit to buying masks for 3x what China was selling them for, long term. He had no interest in tooling up to make million of masks a month and then have to shut down again as soon as China was shipping again. If they had, it wouldn't be long before some "watch dog" committee would question that contract and break it anyway. We are addicted to cheap chinese goods, even when the safety of the nation is at stake.

You had to reach back 65 years to Eisenhower for that one. I will say he may have been the last republican president tho. BTW the government did not build the interstate highway system. Private contractors did. Same with most places that have decent roads.

That non-response tells me that I confused you. Thanks for trying.

Let's see what happens next week when the election politics are over and they don't need to promise a cookie for everyone. Have you actually looked at all the pork in the House bill? I am not saying Trump's bill is any better. They are all running for office now.

We were talking about federal government workers, what part confused YOU? In the litany of things you brought up you cherry picked the one that is hard to argue with but roads are one of the things mandated for the government to do in the constitution, along with the military, the courts and the post office.

You also throw in stuff like Social Security but that has become social insecurity since the program is going upside down. If we had followed Goldwater's idea in 1964, when it was early enough to make opting out a viable thing to do, my FICA money over the last 55 years would be worth millions in a private account that I could spend or pass on to my family when I die (unlike SS that dies with you). At the lousy $1600 a month, before taxes that they pay me, I wouldn't even be touching the principle of a $4 million index fund. That is about what my FICA works out to if it was invested in the Dow since

Who is "they"? The original contract was with the Obama administration and they are the ones who stopped it as soon as they didn't need him anymore. They didn't even take that opportunity to rebuild the stockpile while he was tooled up to do it. Like the government usually does, they kicked that can down the road. Trump's people were no better but at that point Prestige was not capable of doing anything for them without rebuilding that capacity and he had no incentive to do it for a short term contract.

Opting out would be OK if it was still withheld or somehow made mandatory to invest the money. Joe Sixpack just had a car repair or the kids needed new shoes so this month he is not investing it but spending on every day items as he scrapes by. Fact is, many Americans live paycheck to paycheck and at retirement would have nothing.

I take $2500 out of my 401k every month and the balance has not changed in the three years I've been retired so yes, investing helps. Growth is modest but it should outlast me. That, plus SS, I'm saving more every month now than my prime years of working and raising a family.

He is living without FICA so the cost to Joe is a wash and nothing says investing in an approved retirement portfolio couldn't be mandatory. You are already limited in how your 401k is invested. PBGC does it with conventional pension plans. I don't know why the concept of "paying yourself first" is so foreign to people. I know that without it I would never have been able to retire at 49.

Really? I hadn't noticed. ISTR the manager of our 401k says, "You can invest in individual stocks if you want, but we're not going to make that easy for you. Here's a bunch of nice mutual funds with low fees."

I suppose you're right. I haven't looked at it very closely because I'm satisfied with what's offered by my plan.

Cindy Hamilton

If you want more exotic investments they usually steer you toward an IRA. 401ks are usually administered by an agent of the employer. That generally means a mutual fund. I was ready to move my money out of my 401k but on investigation, the fees I am paying were not that oppressive and I am OK with the performance. I have a brokerage account I use for my more speculative investments.

Teach your children well - and grandchildren .. The present-day investment models will really suck when they are retiring ! They will be facing global overpopulation ; massive global migrations ; rapid acceleration of the climate crisis - on and on .. and on. The guys looking after your life savings are NOW sitting in nice offices ... laughing and high-fiving and taking their pound of flesh ... for doing nothing. They will not be looking-out-for your life savings when the planet is burning. they will be looking out for Number One .. dammit we're all doomed anyway - Let's Party ! John T.

The "overpopulation" card was played a long time ago and turned out to be a nothingburger. (Take a look at where the "population bomb is ticking" guys said what life would be like in the year 2000. See the movie "Soylent Green" for an example.)

There are no "massive global migrations" (also predicted decades ago to have already happened), and there is no "climate crisis" ("climate change" is an ongoing natural phenomenon). The planet will not be "burning", at least not until the sun exhausts its nuclear fuel and takes it out billions of years from now.

You sound like a 1960s doomsayer - that is, Wrong with a capital "W".

It is a fact that global CO2 levels track population as closely as any other metric ... Just sayin.

It is a situation of whether you want a bigger population, with all the problems that causes or financial decline.