No Escape Beyond Political Borders

I want one, and only one, modification to the Social Security "system".

I want out. The rest of you can do whatever you want with it. ...

The system, as it is currently set up, doesn't care about my welfare, because if it did, I would already be estranged from it. In this world, here and now, I would prefer to support my Russian mother-in-law, somebody who will never receive a dime from SS, and a few other Russian relatives who live in far worse conditions than many on the SS dole.

You Americans don't care about my mother-in-law, but I do. Your laws tell me that through SS, I must support my own mother, who lives in a McMansion. I must also support my mother's boyfriend, who just bought a Lexus. To hell with you. My world, my preferences, my horizon extend beyond political borders.

How many others are there, immigrants and nonimmigrants alike, who struggle to send remittances to loved-ones outside the U.S., and are forced to support people in the U.S. who are much better off?

Opting out is all very fine to say, but it isn't just about you. They call it "social security" for a reason. People behave differently when they think they have a future. They take more risks, engage in more expansive behaviors and generally do more active things when they don't worry about dropping dead in a few hours, or starving to death the minute after they can't earn food money. All those individual behaviors add up. That matters when you want to have a robust, dynamic economy. Some folks were smart enough to look past their own selfish interests and see that.

On the other hand, if you like the idea of a bunch of mini-fiefdoms where only looking out for Number One matters, fine. But isn't it funny how people always just assume they will be the one who comes out in top? Sorta like how 90% of people think they are above average drivers.

Of course if we could opt out, maybe the next thing we should tackle would be the public health system. Why pay for all that dangerous chlorine for the water? In fact, why have a "water system" at all? I have a well, and you all can just die of thirst.