Questions for Thursday

[National Dialogue Moderator <moderator>]

We're getting near the end, so let's lay on several questions; Take
your pick:

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A values question: To secure my role as provocateur, let me ask if
any of you believe that unmarried, long term partners, either of
different or same sex, should be eligible for spousal benefits in
the Social Security System of the 21st Century?

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A national policy question: When the U.S. goes to war --a big war--
we don't mind running up the national debt. When the government
spends more than it has, the result can be inflationary. But
sometimes that is the lesser evil.  The recent debate in Congress
has been about how much of our current federal income should be
dedicated to saving the Social Security System.  Nobody seems to
be suggesting that we run up the national debt to pay for existing
and near-future retirees, while younger workers are allowed to sock
their money away in mandatory retirement investment accounts.
Should we consider the possibility of going into the red to get
ourselves over this hump?  Is it ok to saddle the future generation
with a little more national debt and a little more inflation in
exchange for the fact that they have fat savings accounts and secure
retirements?

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And a  technical question: The dual nature of Social Security can
perhaps be compared to a whole life policy with a disability rider,
where the policy holder has no will.  If you die, the money goes
to your spouse. If no spouse (or heirs), it goes to the state.  If
you live long, you can use the whole life benefit to live on
modestly.  If you're injured, you can collect immediately on the
disability portion.  The insurance company invests the premiums
conservatively over the years. For the actuaries in our crowd, does
this comparison help us understand how to design a better Social
Security System? And once we design the better system, how do we
get there from here, with so many people to care for now?

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--Maureen West