An interesting topic retirement, because it will affect all working people. I met a very pleasant Government top civil servant on a train and we discussed the subject. He told me that the Government was fully aware that the accepted system being younger people need to work in order to pay social security and their taxes to keep the old, is a load of outdated rubbish. A fundamentally flawed system, as he put it.
The formula is simple as to why it does not work, to put in simply its a giant ponzi scheme and will be the down fall of civilisation. Sounds rather heavy but true. Want to know why? Lets assume it takes ten good workers to provide for the needs of a senior citizen. It could take one high earner, but please bear with me. So ten workers provide a portion of the pension, medical care, old peoples home, public transport ok.
Take Jersey population around 90,000 of which 46,000 work. So in time 46,000 retire and will need 10 workers each to achieve looking after them.
So there are now 460,000 workers on Jersey plus 46,000 retired people, not including children
A total of around 520,00 + on 48 square miles and growing. It will be the same the world over.
Its an interesting fact that 1870 was the year that 65 became the norm for retirement, and we are aware that we live much longer. The carbon issue, recycle issue, green issues so loved by politicians adopted by families is a good step forward. Also a smoke screen.
What scares me most is an article I read by the guru demographer (sorry name escapes me). He stated that all that matters in the future as the population continues to rise, will be the trade between countries of food, clean water.
Quote.
If the population problem is not addressed these will become the only items large populations of impoverished poor people will care about; Starving people will attack their Governments and destabilise civilisation as we know it.
Unquote.
Should the Governments who are leaving the retired people short of money, pay couples (or unmarried mothers) to have babies ? The fact is there are 75 MILLION new mouths to feed every year and rising.
Unless this very serious issue is addressed, what state will the earth be in the very near future ?
Is the problem based on Governments pandering to corporations, who need to sell more to expand ? The more customers the better, buying houses, cars, utilities, we must go for growth they tell us ?
Are we not supposed to be building a better future? unless we start looking at the population problem seriously the human race is heading in one direction and its the wrong direction.
Boatyboy
