>There is no better motivator than the fear of failure and the exhilaration of success through risk taking. This is my biggest problem with US tax code and other economic throttling regulations. We penalize success with higher marginal tax rates and reward failure and laziness and irresponsibility with corrupted welfare, social security and Federal health care systems. At least now our welfare system has been reformed as is functioning much better.

Mark;

Seems like the more we earn as individuals the more we pay in taxes, expressed as a percentage and total of our income. We have to pay the salaries of politicians and other petty bureaucrats to oversee what we are doing and be sure they have their share of the pie.

I am for social security for those who have worked and are of retirement age and those that worked and are disabled. However, social security is used for many more purposes than originally intended. Should retires or disabled workers that have paid into the social security system have no support from the federal system? As workers we pay into a system and have some expectations about receiving some benefits later in life. Many retired people that had Medicare last year do not have it now as their HMO’s dropped them as of January 1st, 2001, leaving them without medical care. Perhaps that is how we should treat everyone – if you do not pay your own way go to hell. Who cares about a bunch of old farts that are not contributing to society? Just do not get old or sick unless you are rich. If you are not rich just kid yourself that everything is alright.

Tom