5 ms·
Am I just grumpy or is it fair that if you're lucky enough to be healthy and skilled you should still be spending your time working to contribute to the world a
by rb808 9y ago
Am I just grumpy or is it fair that if you're lucky enough to be healthy and skilled you should still be spending your time working to contribute to the world and/or paying taxes, rather than just travelling around and having fun. Now maybe they plan to travel to work elsewhere to help people poorer than themselves but I doubt it.
I'm presuming if they aren't American so if they get cancer or something they can return to Australia or wherever and sponge of the working taxpayers to pay for them.
- LUmBULtERA 9y agoYes, you're just grumpy.
- kriffo 9y agoYeah, you're definitely grumpy.
- RestlessMind 9y agoDon't worry, you are not grumpy. But you are worrying a little too much since this is just a very small (and hence negligible) problem. If too many young / healthy / smart / educated people were to start doing this, society will adjust and pass new laws and regulations, which will force such folks to work or at least ensure that they don't mooch off the system (esp. free healthcare).
- kpennell 9y agoI agree they should be contributing.
- DennisP 9y agoIn most countries you pay taxes on your dividends and capital gains. Post-retirement plans mentioned by other people in the article: musician, angel investor, homeschool the kids, start a philanthropic enterprise.
- smokes 9y agoHmm, no. Why are you putting this "forced charity work" condition on it? Someone who retires early has saved enough to live on their investments. That's no different from someone with a trust fund, but the difference is that they earned it. Think of it this way; if you won the lottery tomorrow, would it be a better contribution to your community to keep working in order to pay taxes, or retire so that someone who needs your job to live and support their family can do it instead?
- rb808 9y agoIf someone wins the lottery tomorrow they should keep working. There is no shortage of jobs. If this is in an area where there is unemployment, ideally the lottery winner/trust fund baby/early retiree would start a company and employ people. If the lottery winner/early retiree doesn't work & pay tax, or do charity work, or contribute to society in any way they're leeches, just as bad as a trust fund baby. They live off investments based on other people working for them, and expect people to grow their food, teach their children, tend to their illness and build their roads for them. If you've worked 45 years you've done your time, but ideally then you'd continue to teach or manage so that others can learn from your experience. Retiring at 40 is offensive.
- seattle_spring 9y agoI can't imagine living such a shallow life that the only way I could see people contributing to society is through a fucking desk job. Do you think retirement just means watching reruns of Gilmore Girls all day?