Unpatriotic ?

My wife called me unpatriotic. Can you believe that ? No, she’s not a Republican -- she was just reading this article:

 Is retiring early unpatriotic?

Want to do something truly patriotic to help preserve the American way of life? Don't retire. At least not yet.

I can run with this article is several different directions. The first thought is that this is what happens when you let your ISP choose your reading material.

”"The argument for working longer is not just about people working to pay more taxes; it's about people working to have more income and wealth themselves, to save for their own lives and their children and grandchildren," says Yarrow, who is also a professor of U.S. history at American University in Washington, D.C. “

My children (no grandchildren yet) will do just fine (thank you very much) and I have plenty of “wealth.” Not all my “wealth” is monetary. Part of that “wealth” is having the time to do some things at 50 that I won’t be able to do at 70.

Yarrow notes that when people work longer, they not only continue to pay taxes and produce additional goods and services to spur the economy, but also slow the growth of the national debt.

The debt currently stands at $9.3 trillion and is largely driven by rising Medicare and Social Security costs.” “

Nice try but I don’t get Social Security. Air traffic controllers hired before 1985 (?) didn’t pay it and don’t get it.

Mr. Yarrow evidently didn’t have enough firepower for the writer (Jay MacDonald) so he called up reinforcements -- Ben Stein.

”As for the 63-year-old Stein, he has no plans to retire.

"I don't ever expect to stop working," he says. "I love my work. I don't believe there is a meaningful life without work. You're not a whole person without work." “

That’s sad Ben. I agree work is important. I agree it can be meaningful and it can be defining. I still think of myself as an air traffic controller. But the reality is, I’m not. And if I have to go back to making money to be a “whole person”, well, I can live with you thinking I’m not.

More firepower -- Ms. Holmes a VP from Manpower Inc.

”"When we get to the height of the baby boomers retiring, I think companies are going to be seeing a lot of knowledge and productivity walk out the door. That's when they're going to start feeling the pain. Those are the people they need to retain by offering flexible work arrangements and changing the way some of the jobs are done to compensate for the decline in our physical abilities. Companies are going to have to work hard to get people to stay." “

Dear Ms. Holmes,

Do I have the client for you !

Please write or call:

Mr. Robert Sturgell -- Acting Administrator
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322)

Explain it to him.

There. Now I feel patriotic. And if Ms. Holmes will send me a $10,000 consulting fee, maybe Ben Stein will think I’m “whole”. I promise I’ll pay my taxes -- even the part for Social Security.

Don Brown
July 5, 2008