Underfunded Pensions

Underfunded pensions.  Underfunded social security (yawn).  How did we get to this mess?  Because this is the biggest ponzi scheme ever, that's why.  Sure.  There was the harsh reality of the 1930's that brought forth social security and the establishment of Taft-Hartley funds that were supposed to protect us plebeians from poverty in old age after we have slaved away for 'the company' all of our lives.

Just as everything else, the programs put in place to help us eventually screw us.  Why?  Those managing large pools of money can't help but give the decision makers of such policies only the facts and investment options that in reality just line their own pockets.  Politicians tell the people what they want to hear.  Money managers of public funds are only too happy to oblige the politicians on the scam.  Both politicians and money managers bail when their term is up and have no skin in the game after they leave their post.  There's no long-term accountability.  It's the old cut and run.  What do they care now that they have served a term or two in public office and now secured a government pension for themselves and need to keep the scam going for another generation. 

Sure.  We had the ERISA act of 1974 that was supposed to protect pensions and what not.  Again, it's just a bunch of toothless jargon written by some lawyers who also helped themselves to the money trough at taxpayer expense.

Does anybody see a pattern?  Greed, exploitation, actions trying to correct greed and exploitation that only end up with repackaged greed and exploitation....all the while people in suits and ties telling us that they are the esteemed "experts" in their field and will steer us all out of this mess and collecting wads of money along the way essentially doing nothing except rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic wanting us to believe that they are saving us.

It's time we hold the politicians' feet to the fire along with the financial advisors and institutions who fueled this mess....and continue to fuel this mess...  Here's what we can do on our part.  Don't believe that politicians and the government is there to 'take care of you.'  They are not and they won't.