The way it stands now, no matter what happens with Social Security, our generation will bear the brunt of the burden.
Right now there are major problems with Social Security that can't be ignored, so it's good that President Bush is on top of it - even if his plan might leave something to be desired.
It stands to reason that a system the government devised to take care of a changing demographic doesn't seem to cut it, but having something in place to debate and work from will instigate the first crucial step to reform.
Bush's new plan splits the taxes, funneling some into regular Social Security and the rest into a personal account for people to invest or save. We hope, this will give people a nice nest egg to play with once they retire.
There are a few problems with this, though. People might spend every dollar of their government-forced savings program and be left with nothing. Even if people use the money appropriately, it could go fast in a declining economy. And once it's gone, that money would never return.
At worst, some might see Bush's plan as weakening an already weak system, using a back door of personal responsibility to weasel the federal government out of a tricky hole. At best, it allows some people to feel more in control of a certain tax they might not totally agree with paying.
While it's true that people will likely rush out and invest in the American economy, not every investor will come home from the virtual Las Vegas the stock market has been since its inception. Investment takes time, patience and a certain degree of skill many people might not have - there's a definite reason only a select few become stock brokers.
Half of the problem with youth apathy over Social Security hinges on the lack of involvement or visibility the issue has for younger generations. It's a problem that seems too far away from the gritty reality of life to warrant serious thought.
Part of the problem might be that people just don't fully understand the current system or any proposed changes. These things can be learned.
Wake up and care about this.
If you are a truly generous person, footing the excessive bill for Social Security might not faze you. For the rest of us, spending that much for taxes - especially when with no guarantee of any future reward - requires some mulling over.
At the very least, our generation will have to know what the government is looking to make us pay for. Is this something we want? Maybe, but extensive financial planning will have to come first.
If black-clad government officials dropped zip lines from helicopters, landed in your living room and demanded a specific percentage of the cash in your wallet, you'd care about it. Right now Social Security remains safely in the future, but that's not going to last.
Fixing Social Security can't wait, nor will it wait for our generation to give the go ahead on any forthcoming changes. A Social Security system without input from the people who sacrifice the most to make it work cannot represent the needs of those people.
