Mark Skousen writes the DUMBEST article ever!

I really dislike having to point out and criticize the blatant stupidity on our side of the political fence. But, there are times than even I cannot ignore the stupidity.

Mark Skousen who is the producer of “Freedom Fest” writing over at Tucker Carlson’s Daily Caller writes, “Why I’m giving my Social Security checks away — and why you should too.” In it, Mr. Skousen yowls on about his gripes and complaints about social security and how it is a horrible scam and such. Now, to be fair; I do sort of agree with his assessment of Social Security and how it will be most likely be bankrupt, by the time I am old enough to collect it, if I am even able ever able to collect it. 

However, that is where Mr. Skousen goes off of the rails and really wanders off into whacky-land, at least in this writers opinion. First of all, Mr. Skousen publicly gloats about how well off he is financially:

I have always tried to live up to the words of Benjamin Franklin, who taught us the virtues of industry, thrift, and prudence in his booklet “The Way to Wealth.” By following Franklin’s trinity of virtues, I’ve been able to build up a sizable net worth and multiple sources of retirement income (company pension plan, IRAs), so that I don’t really need Social Security to live off of.

Which is fine, I have no problem the the fact that the man worked hard, and was able to save and invest through IRA’s and such. I am not someone who resents people who have done well. Good for him. However, this is where he goes off the rails:

It got me thinking: Can Social Security payments be used for a good cause?

I thought back to something my wise old uncle Cleon told me when he turned 65 in 1978. He said he could use the extra monthly income of $650. After all, he had earned it during his working years. It had been deducted from his paycheck and set aside for him (theoretically at least) in the Social Security trust fund. It was his. So he went down to the Social Security office in Salt Lake City and signed up.

But instead of spending the money on daily living expenses, he signed over the monthly check to his favorite cause, The National Center for Constitutional Studies. He loved teaching Americans about the Constitution and how to preserve it. Through NCCS, he traveled the country giving constitutional seminars to patriotic Americans, and used the Social Security checks to pay for some of his expenses.

Following in my uncle’s footsteps, I’ve decided to sign up for Social Security. Since I don’t need the money to live on, I’ve decided to invest my monthly government check in a variety of good causes. Based on my past earnings, I should receive a check of around $1,800 a month, automatically transferred into my bank account. From there, I’ve instructed the bank to send a check or wire every month to my various causes. It’s that simple.

Many of you may have heard about Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge, where billionaires have pledged to donate the majority of their fortunes to charity.

I’ve come up with a similar idea, except this one applies to more people and is something you can do when you are alive: the Social Security Pledge. If you are wealthy enough, you can invest part or all of your Social Security proceeds in a favorite charity, foundation, church, synagogue, or other good cause. You don’t have to limit yourself to giving to non-profit organizations that are tax deductible. You can give your Social Security check to any organization, public or private, or to individuals. You can donate it to your favorite political party. You can give the funds to a student scholarship — for your grandchildren, for example — or to somebody who has a medical need. Or you can invest your government check in free enterprise. Buy shares in individual stocks or mutual funds. Or, better yet, fund inventors who could use the money to advance their work.

There are lots of possibilities. Be creative and have some fun with it. Don’t let the money sit there. Put it to good use!

[…]

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, once gave a popular talk called “The Sermon on Wealth.” According to Wesley, if you take the following three steps in life, you will be eminently successful:

1. Work all you can.

2. Save all you can.

3. Give all you can.

Notice he didn’t say, “Spend all you can.” Too many Americans have gotten in financial trouble by overspending and getting in over their heads in debt, so that by retirement time at age 65, they need Social Security because they haven’t saved enough in their company pension plans or individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Or they have to keep working to survive.

As retirees, we can make a difference.

Okay, here is my gripe with this opinion column; for one it says that people should follow his example and give away their social security. Which, if you can afford to do so, is fine. However, there are many people, who worked hard for that money for all of their lives and paid into it for many years and that will the ONLY sort of income that they honestly will have; and to tell them to give it away, is absolutely asinine.

I am not saying that this would happen, but it could; what if some older person, who simply loves his Country, feels guilty for taking a social security check and starts giving away his check and then has to live in poverty? I know it sounds far fetched; but there are people that are quite impressionable out there and would do such a thing, because some idiot, who is very well off, told them to do it.

My friend, if you have come here from a search engine, after searching for “Mark Skousen,” and you were thinking of following his advice; please, don’t. You have worked your entire life for that money. You are entitled to it. Even if you do have an company pension and/or an IRA —- and especially if you do not —- keep your money and use it to live on, you worked for it, keep it!  If you want to make a reasonable donation to a charity, then fine, do so. But to squander all of your hard earned social security away, because someone said to do it, is foolish.

I am very highly concerned about the fact that Tucker Carlson, who is the very public figure that he is; and with a website of that caliber, would allow such tripe to be published on it. But, yet, someone like me; who tends to see himself as a common sense minded Americanist, cannot even get published on that site or anywhere else for that matter. I believe it speaks to the condition of the right in this Country. The article quote above was not Christian, Conservative or even libertarian opinion; it was crazy opinion! Anyone with a ounce of common sense would know this; but again, this is the so-called “right” anymore.

This is why I call myself a simple “Americanist” Because the crazy is out in full effect on the right anymore. Sorry, but telling people to give away their social security is craziness and I do not do crazy, some might scoff at that notion. But, common sense goes a long way; and it is sorely lacking on the right, and on a good part of the left.

A song that springs to mind:

How true that song is, when it comes to today’s politics.