WHY NO THANKS

As I have rolled around thankfulness in my noggin, it became apparent I should first address why we are not thankful--or at a minimum only give a cursory nod to being thankful---what keeps us from acknowledging our thanks?  Today begins the first post on 


"Why No Thanks"

Our society has slowly evolved into the "Sense of Entitlement" generation.  Perhaps in all fairness, there has always been a sense of entitlement in man--dating back to the Garden of Eden.  Why if everything was created for man---then we are entitled to reap the benefits whenever and where ever the desire pops into our head.  




Social Security is a prime example of entitlement.  How many times did I hear a client say "It's about time they paid me back all that money I paid in!"  The truth is in most cases we draw FAR more than we EVER paid in.  Doubt me? 

 For instance if you made a $100,000 per year (that's stretching it-BIGTIME) for 40 years (another stretch) and paid the social security tax of 6.2% on ALL of it (another stretch), you will pay in $248,000  If you draw at 66, you will receive $31,956 per year, but if you wait until 70, you will draw $42,012.  I believe it becomes crystal clear within less than eight years--you will have received everything you paid in.  BUT in fairness, I will add you employers matching portion of $248,000, you will then draw all this amount in less than sixteen years.  BUT we have this sense of entitlement--that we are due a monthly check for twenty years or more-- until we die and then our widow draws on our account the same amount until they die, because we paid in our fair share.  Keep in mind how liberal I have been with your earnings---if you earned less-this means you draw what you paid in FAR quicker.

For all you who glazed over the first fact in, suffice it to say--unless you and your spouse are willing to kick the bucket within sixteen years of beginning to draw (fewer years if you earned less than $100,000 over your work life)--we are now on the welfare program named Social Security.  FLIES IN OUR FACE--RIGHT--when we hear welfare.  What is welfare?  

statutory procedure or social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need.

I promise you there is a need once you discontinue drawing a paycheck.


To avoid a rebelion among the masses, we will leave government programs and address today's youth.  Somehow along the path of capitalistic consummerism, every 16 year old new driver believes they are entitled to a new car with the issue of that first license. And we are guaranteed a college education leading to the initial job liberally paying high five figure incomes.  It is the entitlement of every American to own a home, drive a car, vacation for two weeks per year, raise and educate 2.3 children, and be happy during the entire process. 

We live in a great nation of the free and entitled.  With no thought of thankfulness, we take all this for granted and only give a brief acknowledgement of thanks.  Why should we be thankful when we have worked hard to get where we are today?  None of this came easy---I earned it all.

I daresay those in third world countries work hard--to feed their families at best.  They may sit idle--in the heartbreak of no ability to earn a living.  And welfare programs--get serious---there is no such thing in most of them.  It is a dog eat dog world with no thought of how to get ahead---only worry of how to feed the family today.

Because of the circumstance of birth in our great nation, we are entitled to so much more than those born in third world countries.  And since we are entitled---no thanks is necessary--for after all it is our birth right.

NOW---I am preaching to myself--trying to discover why I do not loudly proclaim my thanks to God, so don't be offended.  Why if you have this humble sense of thanks, I have not stepped on your toes---so just shake your head and tsk-tsk at me.  

And, Lord, forgive my lack of thankfulness and sense of entitlement--when YOU are the creator and giver of all blessings!


I will praise the name of God with song, And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30


  

8 comments

  1. Great post Lulu.

    We have a social security system in the UK where we pay National Insurance (based on earnings) to the Government. It takes care of us getting a pension from the Government and also takes care of all/or most health costs - e.g. free doctor visits, free medicine (for some) and free operations and stays in hospital.

    Is that how your social security works? Do you pay the Government or a private Insurance firm?

    We can, if we want, also pay an insurance firm monthly to build up a pot to take care of an additional pension to the one we receive from the Government. In fact the Government encourages us to do so and the employer also adds a % of what we pay in.

    God bless.

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    1. Very similar, Victor. It is mandatory that you pay into the government pension plan & the health insurance plan which is called medicare. The only exemptions are those working for the government who have their own much better pension plan. In addition you can have privately held pension plans through your work. These plans are tax deferred & help bridge the gap since social security is poverty level existence . With all its problems-still blessed to know when you turn in your retirement papers you will have some income . Our health care is quasi socialized medicine - but heading closer & closer every day to socialized medicine . we will wake up one day & wonder what happened & realize how good we had it !

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  2. Thanx Lulu. Yes, very similar. Coincidentally, I was just giving pension advice to someone right now.

    It is compulsory to pay National Insurance to the Government which takes care of a small pension payout as well as all health care throughout life. However, the Government has also made it compulsory for every employer of a certain size to set up a company pension for its employees; and to contribute a % each month of what the employee contributes.

    However, it is not compulsory for the employee to join his company's pension scheme. They can, if they want to, set up their own personal scheme with an insurance provider. But in this case, the employer is not obliged to contribute anything to that scheme.

    If throughout your life you have moved from one emplyer to another you'll end up at pension age with a number of pension pots with each emplyer. Or maybe you'd have your own pot with your insurance provider. At pension age you can decide either to take small pensions from all your employers over the years; or add all the pots up and go to your own insurance provider to give you a pension. Or even choose a totally new pension provider if their terms are better. Or you can take ALL the pots in cash and buy a Lamborghini or Ferrari and crash it because you can't drive.

    The latter option of taking it all in cash is a new option brought in by the current Government. Perhaps intending that people would buy a house and live off its rental income; or invest it themselves. (Hopefully not on a car or world cruise).

    Regarding health - yes we get most of our health care and medicine from the Government. Some feel a little uneasy that the State has all your medical history from birth on computer. The plus side to this is that if you are ill in a different part of the UK from where you live the doctor/hospital there can quickly access your medical records and treat you; knowing about your allergies, medication records and state of health. Useful if you are unconscious and can't tell them.

    Years ago, the Government considered the proposition that when you die your body belongs to the State for organ donations UNLESS you signed this should not be so beforehand. This created a debate as people felt that at death it would be difficult/impossible to find the piece of paper you signed saying don't use me for organ donations or for science. So the Government did not go ahead with its proposals. The system now is that you sign a paper saying YOU WANT to be used for organ donations.

    Although National Insurance payments are compulsory; you can if you want have additional private health insurance with an insurance company if you want. In practice, this helps you jump the queue and be seen by a consultant or operated on by a hospital before those people waiting to be seen at the State's expense. Also, you can stay in a private hospital with a nicer room, with TV, telephone, and all other goodies like a good view out of the window. (I guess the nurses are better to look at too - raising a male's blood pressure. Ooops that's sexist. Strike out the last comment).

    As you say, Lulu, we have much to be thankful for compared to other people in other counties.

    God bless you. Thanx for a good discussion.

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  3. It's so comforting to hear someone else speak the truth. Socialist Securiy is a Ponzi Scheme. Corporate Cronyism is also socialism, etc. We haven't practiced free enterprise in this country since President Woodrow Wilson. But rather than cut all us old codgers off, the new ones coming up need to have this privatized or some other way of encouraging savings. One big thing would be to STOP TAKING SAVINGS! [not yelling at you but our Congress should be acting on this] Also, Flat or Consumption Tax, rather than the skewed way our taxes are being worked now. None of these things encourage grow and productivity.
    They only way to truly fight the system is do not comply whenever possible (peaceful resistance), vote for decent Public officials, and pray 90 to nothing every day for our Nation. I know it will never be perfect until Christ returns and sets up His kingdom but we can sure try to be the best we can be until then.
    Excellent post dear Lulu.
    Hope your day is blessed. ~:)

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    1. I KNEW when I wrote this, I would push your buttons, Sparky. Sadly--it seems Godly men - women of good moral character are not interested in running for office--or if they are--"The Establishment" quickly dashes their hopes. Yes--the only answer is prayer!
      Blessings, Friend!

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  4. OH OH...My husband is on Social Security...he had a massive stroke 10 yrs ago while on the job and was forced into retirement and is unable to hold a job of any kind--no job or private insurance will cover him--now, I am not going to go off the deep end--as I agree this country is in a mess-but I really wouldn't call it a "entitlement"--as some people say it as a bad word. You (in general) try living on what we live on and worrying if your last days and how your family will survive if you died, am I going to make rent, food, etc...not a good thing and that is why I am back in school---looking towards the future...call it naïve or whatever---but Social Sec. is not all that is cracked up to be. AND lets not mention the Medicare insurance---and the death panels...the neurologist dropped my husband due to the government not covering anymore--and not paying etc. OH WAIT, I did say I wasn't going over the deep end, rightttttttttt.......grins

    Prayer is what is needed in this country and other countries ---these elected officials are something else...never mind...going off the deep end again. this is a scary time we all live in...and now the government wants to cut peoples benefits...shaking my head...we live in poverty and when one tries to get out, you just get deeper...just saying...oh, going off the deep end, aren't I?

    ANYWAYS---WHAT WAS I SAYING???? WHO KNOWS. I will have to think on this more, lol. My suggestion---is quit giving to other countries and take care of US first--quit billions to fight whatever wherever. AND quit using the money for other things and put it back in the pot where it belongs, so scary that people are thinking of voting for a socialist--who doesn't believe in Captialism...never mind....deep end again. lol

    Great post...sorry for making it so long, Lulu.

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    1. KNEW I was going to stir up the hornets nest with this one. Keep this in mind, my dad died when I was 14 and my brothers were 9 and 16---SO I totally understand what you are saying. I DO NOT by any means disagree with SS AND it was the check that kept our boat floating all those years. What I was trying to point out is we sometimes think we are "Entitled" and not aware of the fact that we didn't pay in what we are receiving. A good analogy would be grace---by God's mercy we are granted grace---NOT because of anything we have done. Hope you don't think I am saying you should not receive SS & as I pointed out to Victor--it is poverty level at best.

      YES--Prayer---what is it going to take before we turn back to Jesus? I am fearful to even think about it!
      Blessings, Friend!

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    2. OHHHHHHHHHH I knew what you were saying...this is indeed a hornets nest===and we hear it a lot here at home--as both sides of the family say awful things....anyways---no harm done etc...I was just voicing my op-i-on. lol---love ya dear friend...and I am so glad we can have conservations etc. Blessings to you.

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Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!