Quote:
Originally Posted by Texpat  You are an angry little Panda, aren't you? 
See, where I come from ... you go to school, discipline yourself, work hard, follow the rules, save your clams and then retire when you're comfortable.
Don't be angry that I retired at 42. Don't be angst-riddled that my tax rate is relatively low. Don't have a tantrum because you were born into a system that paralyzes the common worker with outrageous taxes to pay for intricate social networks that seemingly have little value to most.
Just deal with it.
Meanwhile, let's watch this sub-prime fallout. See how far it really goes. I'm interested. Think I'll take some of my social benefits and go buy a few cold beers for lunch. Ahhh, life is good! |
While you enjoy those cold beers you earned through paying low taxes, think about some of the people you grew up with who wernt so lucky to get some of the breaks in life you did. Think about those people who cant pay for the medical care they need to make life bearable, or the medications they need to stay healthy.
So you had a good run and managed to retire in comfort at 42. Good luck to you.
You think its all attributable to your own hard work rather than a degree of luck in life? Plenty of poor people work very hard too, and for a lot more years than you did. They may not have had the breaks in life you did but they at least deserve proper health care and to live with dignity in their old age.
I find it sad and callous that you could turn your back on your own countrymen and gloat over how good you have it through such an inequitable system.
But for a trick of nature you could have ended up as one of the poor needing a helping hand up by the social welfare system. I am sure you would have been bleating loud and long if the shoe was on the other foot.
So enjoy your early retirement and comfortable lifestyle, but never forget its being financed by the hard work of many people less fortunate than yourself.