by Smitty
Wait, the oldest, least functional entitlement is now the arbiter for what counts as work?
Flog me senseless and call me Jethro, that’s stupid!
If Social Security is the measure of ‘work’. . .
- the Chevy Volt is the measure of vehicles!
- Wisconsin’s civil servants are the measure of civility and service!
- French military victories are the measure of success!
- Paul Krugman is the measure of economists!
- #OccupyResoluteDesk is the measure of Presidents!
In short, we’re all tubed. Social Security is a sacred cow we need to butcher and serve as a round of hamburgers. The sooner, the better.
Another angle on this story, of course, is Hilary Rosen.
I’ve never had it put to me quite that way, but very close. When sniffing around for a contract in the programming biz, you often need to demonstrate that you have “four years programming multi-tiered Java applications” or what-not. Work on free software projects doesn’t count, volunteer work for a not-for-profit doesn’t count, and freelance doesn’t count even though you got paid. In effect, unless you were on W-2 salary, it doesn’t count.
So a stock broker isn’t working?
Neither are illegal aliens who are getting paid under the table. They aren’t working at all.
There are many Americans working under the table. If a construction worker doing a ”side job” or a self employed contractor report all their income they have to pay both halves of the SS tax.
Considering the fact that SS isn’t collected after you make over a certain amount of money, that means very few people actually work. Like OZero, for instance.