Disability Nation

[Night Strike]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

[BigBallinStalin]

Were the requirements to receive disability pay changed over the past 4 years?

[Symmetry]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

[saxitoxin]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

According to Player, more people are insured this year than any time in the history of the United States. You guys should organize a weekly Meet-Up on meetup.com to coordinate your points so people can rebut just one line of thought, instead of having to simultaneously rebut (a) health access has increased, (b) health access has also decreased. This is a message board, not an Escher painting.

[Symmetry]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

According to Player, more people are insured this year than any time in the history of the United States. You guys should organize a weekly Meet-Up on meetup.com to coordinate your points so people can rebut just one line of thought, instead of having to simultaneously rebut (a) health access has increased, (b) health access has also decreased. This is a message board, not an Escher painting.

That 5 million people no longer contribute? It's not a line of thought, it's BS that completely misunderstands disability and on so many levels that it constitutes a kind of willful stupidity.

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

[Phatscotty]

that's how unemployment "seems" to be 8.whatever%. People's unemployment benefits run out, and many go straight to disability. Nothing change with the jobless, but they are no longer counted as unemployed.

The unemployment is only the % of people who are receiving unemployment benefits. There are at least twice as many who are "unemployed". We may actually be going into a depression. During the 30's, people did not talk about the depression and even denied there was one. It is not different this time.

Remember the "recovery summer"? in 2010? Yeah....that didn't actually happen. Our economy is an illusion, but for how much longer can the emperor continue to have no clothes?

2010......

[Night Strike]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

Nope, it's not enough to call BS because, as usual, our resident British commenter on US policies has it wrong. To even qualify for SSDI, a person cannot be making over $1010 per month. And once disability is granted, it is virtually impossible to remove someone from those lists unlike welfare or unemployment. Only 1% of people receiving SSDI ever stop receiving payments and return to the workforce. Do you really think 4.85 million new people are completely unable to return to the workforce due to an actual illness or disability? Or are the majority of them just getting approved because they're out of unemployment options and don't want to return to work? Furthermore, you should look into some of the hidden video investigations that have been done showing people who are receiving disability checks who are caught doing things that would cause issues for the body part that they claim is disabled and keeping them from working.

[saxitoxin]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

According to Player, more people are insured this year than any time in the history of the United States. You guys should organize a weekly Meet-Up on meetup.com to coordinate your points so people can rebut just one line of thought, instead of having to simultaneously rebut (a) health access has increased, (b) health access has also decreased. This is a message board, not an Escher painting.

oh okay

[Symmetry]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

Nope, it's not enough to call BS because, as usual, our resident British commenter on US policies has it wrong. To even qualify for SSDI, a person cannot be making over $1010 per month. And once disability is granted, it is virtually impossible to remove someone from those lists unlike welfare or unemployment. Only 1% of people receiving SSDI ever stop receiving payments and return to the workforce. Do you really think 4.85 million new people are completely unable to return to the workforce due to an actual illness or disability? Or are the majority of them just getting approved because they're out of unemployment options and don't want to return to work? Furthermore, you should look into some of the hidden video investigations that have been done showing people who are receiving disability checks who are caught doing things that would cause issues for the body part that they claim is disabled and keeping them from working.

Rather difficult as you don't source any of your wild statements, which maybe a British thing to ask, but you do post a lot of nonsense that you hide behind simply being American.

So, if you don't mind I'll source my understanding:

Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 3-in-10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.

US Social Security Administration

So another example of your weird logic.

[Night Strike]

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

You can still make a great living being in a wheelchair, so being in a wheelchair in and of itself does NOT qualify you for SSDI.

[cowboyz]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

Not at all. I have ran into quite a few people that are on disability. One lady is grossly obese. So she somehow can't find her way to go flip burgers for minimum wage. She would rather get a monthly paycheck of ~$700/month to sit on her fat ass and not work.
Another woman I met can't read. She gets a paycheck for that. Our government pays this woman monthly to encourage her at the age of 50 to not learn to read.
I met another woman who lives in a Cat shit infested trailer because she can rent it for $100 a month, which is basically a hell of a deal when you only get paid $700 from our government to not work.

These aren't war hero's. These people were leaches before the recession and they are leaches after. They contribute NOTHING.
They would actually make more if they worked a minimum wage job, not hard to make more than $700/month. But the government feeds their laziness and gives them incentives to NOT WORK.

It also makes the unemployment numbers look better. Because these people are not actually looking for work.

Have you ever even been to the States? You sound clueless

[Phatscotty]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

Not at all. I have ran into quite a few people that are on disability. One lady is grossly obese. So she somehow can't find her way to go flip burgers for minimum wage. She would rather get a monthly paycheck of ~$700/month to sit on her fat ass and not work.
Another woman I met can't read. She gets a paycheck for that. Our government pays this woman monthly to encourage her at the age of 50 to not learn to read.
I met another woman who lives in a Cat shit infested trailer because she can rent it for $100 a month, which is basically a hell of a deal when you only get paid $700 from our government to not work.

These aren't war hero's. These people were leaches before the recession and they are leaches after. They contribute NOTHING.
They would actually make more if they worked a minimum wage job, not hard to make more than $700/month. But the government feeds their laziness and gives them incentives to NOT WORK.

It also makes the unemployment numbers look better. Because these people are not actually looking for work.

Have you ever even been to the States? You sound clueless

Yeah, I know an obese person on disability too. It's tough to bring up "work" around them, but it does come up from time to time. and every time I bring up the point "yeah, i know your back is bad because of your fat gut, but you could work on the telephone....or on the internet....." and the answer is always the same.. "Why would I go through all that when I would only make a couple dollar more than my disability check?" Also I think he is afraid because once you start working you lose disability, and then it isn't so easy to get back, plus I think he's scared that the job he eventually would take "might not be to his liking". Once a person becomes dependent on the government, it's very hard to get independent again, and certainly most people string it out as long as they can, because they deserve a break ya know. That's why Obama is flooding the airwaves with food stamp commercials, and reversing the welfare reform that Clinton signed on a state level, to make it easier for people to get welfare. It's a tragedy what is going on

Don't get me wrong I know it's a tough economy, but the statistics do show that once people's benefits run out, a majority miraculously find a job within the first 14 days.

[patches70]

That 5 million people no longer contribute? It's not a line of thought, it's BS that completely misunderstands disability and on so many levels that it constitutes a kind of willful stupidity.

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

Can't have a job. That's one of the stipulations of the SSI program, which in the US is the disability insurance. One must be unable to engage in any "Substantial Gainful Activity" (SGA).

Unearned income is deducted on a dollar for dollar basis from SSI. Earned income is allowed, up to something like $750 or so a month. If one is making more than $750 a month, they ain't getting SSI. There are strict regulations in place for people who are working to get SSI. It's possible, but if one can't work then SSI is a near sure thing and not nearly as much regulation.

Just sayin' is all. Those on disability in the US ain't working, and if they are then it is below poverty levels.

[Phatscotty]

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Democrat-Md.) told reporters on Tuesday that the two most “stimulative” things the government can do is provide food stamps and unemployment insurance, CNSNews.com reports.

Well if that’s the case, the economy should be thoroughly “stimulated.” A report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last month states that there are now roughly 45 million Americans receiving food stamps. That’s one in every seven people.

Further, government spending on food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), increased by 65 percent between 2007 and 2011. It’s frustrating — we should be more stimulated by now. Instead, the U.S. remains in one of the slowest so-called economic recoveries arguably in American history.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/hoyer-f ... gs-economy

THESE PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO FUCKING GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Symmetry]

That 5 million people no longer contribute? It's not a line of thought, it's BS that completely misunderstands disability and on so many levels that it constitutes a kind of willful stupidity.

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

Can't have a job. That's one of the stipulations of the SSI program, which in the US is the disability insurance. One must be unable to engage in any "Substantial Gainful Activity" (SGA).

Unearned income is deducted on a dollar for dollar basis from SSI. Earned income is allowed, up to something like $750 or so a month. If one is making more than $750 a month, they ain't getting SSI. There are strict regulations in place for people who are working to get SSI. It's possible, but if one can't work then SSI is a near sure thing and not nearly as much regulation.

Just sayin' is all. Those on disability in the US ain't working, and if they are then it is below poverty levels.

Wait, you're buying into this? So now people with disabilities are totally off limits as people who don't contribute.

You are at least, at a broad level, understanding that that's BS.

Sorry NS.

[BigBallinStalin]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

According to Player, more people are insured this year than any time in the history of the United States. You guys should organize a weekly Meet-Up on meetup.com to coordinate your points so people can rebut just one line of thought, instead of having to simultaneously rebut (a) health access has increased, (b) health access has also decreased. This is a message board, not an Escher painting.

That 5 million people no longer contribute? It's not a line of thought, it's BS that completely misunderstands disability and on so many levels that it constitutes a kind of willful stupidity.

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

In the Great U S of A, in order to receive disability pay, one must not be employed, or working. Perhaps, there are exceptions for a few...

For example,

"Oh, you're mentally deficient? Well, you're qualified for disability pay, and it's okay if you work minimum wage for 20 hours a week for dissembling used lightbulbs.

[Symmetry]

In the Great U S of A, in order to receive disability pay, one must not be employed, or working. Perhaps, there are exceptions for a few...

For example,

"Oh, you're mentally deficient? Well, you're qualified for disability pay, and it's okay if you work minimum wage for 20 hours a week for dissembling used lightbulbs.

Did that make sense when you wrote it?

[BigBallinStalin]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

It's almost as if you think that disabled people can't have jobs and thus be in the category of being registered disabled, and receive some benefits while having a job, and it's almost as if you think that the people who have been newly registered as disabled cannot possibly be part of the people who found work.

But then there's the really nasty bit- that you consider people with a registered disability not to be contributing, let alone working.

Is that enough to call BS on this?

Not at all. I have ran into quite a few people that are on disability. One lady is grossly obese. So she somehow can't find her way to go flip burgers for minimum wage. She would rather get a monthly paycheck of ~$700/month to sit on her fat ass and not work.
Another woman I met can't read. She gets a paycheck for that. Our government pays this woman monthly to encourage her at the age of 50 to not learn to read.
I met another woman who lives in a Cat shit infested trailer because she can rent it for $100 a month, which is basically a hell of a deal when you only get paid $700 from our government to not work.

These aren't war hero's. These people were leaches before the recession and they are leaches after. They contribute NOTHING.
They would actually make more if they worked a minimum wage job, not hard to make more than $700/month. But the government feeds their laziness and gives them incentives to NOT WORK.

It also makes the unemployment numbers look better. Because these people are not actually looking for work.

Have you ever even been to the States? You sound clueless

Yeah, I know an obese person on disability too. It's tough to bring up "work" around them, but it does come up from time to time. and every time I bring up the point "yeah, i know your back is bad because of your fat gut, but you could work on the telephone....or on the internet....." and the answer is always the same.. "Why would I go through all that when I would only make a couple dollar more than my disability check?" Also I think he is afraid because once you start working you lose disability, and then it isn't so easy to get back, plus I think he's scared that the job he eventually would take "might not be to his liking". Once a person becomes dependent on the government, it's very hard to get independent again, and certainly most people string it out as long as they can, because they deserve a break ya know. That's why Obama is flooding the airwaves with food stamp commercials, and reversing the welfare reform that Clinton signed on a state level, to make it easier for people to get welfare. It's a tragedy what is going on

Don't get me wrong I know it's a tough economy, but the statistics do show that once people's benefits run out, a majority miraculously find a job within the first 14 days.

Assuming that this anecdotal evidence is statistically significant (which I think it likely is), then it's apparent that there's an unintended consequence with the well-intended supporters of disability pay.

What's interesting about central planning and the adherents of such policies, is that they mean well. They want to help people because the story of some guy with a bad back deserves help (derived from involuntary means, e.g. taxation). However, when unintended consequences come to play, these adherents tend to ignore this, or assume that reforms would actually be implemented. The hope of reform may be cute, but it doesn't pan out because many politicians gain from essentially paying off their voting market through such means as disability pay. You ever tried running on a platform which would reduce disability pay? It's suicidal!

[BigBallinStalin]

In the Great U S of A, in order to receive disability pay, one must not be employed, or working. Perhaps, there are exceptions for a few...

For example,

"Oh, you're mentally deficient? Well, you're qualified for disability pay, and it's okay if you work minimum wage for 20 hours a week for dissembling used lightbulbs.

Did that make sense when you wrote it?

I'll try to type slower.

"That 5 million people no longer contribute? " No, they don't, in regard to the statistics produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. They may contribute on some insignificant margins which might favor your argument; however, the fact remains that they don't contribute to the added wealth of the economy.


As I explained, there is an exception for a few which might not really disturb the data: some can receive disability and have a job.

[Symmetry]

In the Great U S of A, in order to receive disability pay, one must not be employed, or working. Perhaps, there are exceptions for a few...

For example,

"Oh, you're mentally deficient? Well, you're qualified for disability pay, and it's okay if you work minimum wage for 20 hours a week for dissembling used lightbulbs.

Did that make sense when you wrote it?

I'll try to type slower.

"That 5 million people no longer contribute? " No, they don't, in regard to the statistics produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. They may contribute on some insignificant margins which might favor your argument; however, the fact remains that they don't contribute to the added wealth of the economy.


As I explained, there is an exception for a few which might not really disturb the data: some can receive disability and have a job.

So you're bullshitting, but want to explain the rationale behind your BS. Fine, now post your data.

[BigBallinStalin]

In the Great U S of A, in order to receive disability pay, one must not be employed, or working. Perhaps, there are exceptions for a few...

For example,

"Oh, you're mentally deficient? Well, you're qualified for disability pay, and it's okay if you work minimum wage for 20 hours a week for dissembling used lightbulbs.

Did that make sense when you wrote it?

I'll try to type slower.

"That 5 million people no longer contribute? " No, they don't, in regard to the statistics produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. They may contribute on some insignificant margins which might favor your argument; however, the fact remains that they don't contribute to the added wealth of the economy.


As I explained, there is an exception for a few which might not really disturb the data: some can receive disability and have a job.

So you're bullshitting, but want to explain the rationale behind your BS. Fine, now post your data.

lolwut

You're not making sense. I'll try to not answer any of your questions in this thread.

[PLAYER57832]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Dear lord, it's almost as if there's been a recession that affected how many jobs were available, and some wars and declining healthcare adding to the number of disabled people.

According to Player, more people are insured this year than any time in the history of the United States. You guys should organize a weekly Meet-Up on meetup.com to coordinate your points so people can rebut just one line of thought, instead of having to simultaneously rebut (a) health access has increased, (b) health access has also decreased. This is a message board, not an Escher painting.

Yeah, you could say that if you were intentionally NOT paying attention to how our system works or that data I or Symmetry have given. Among other points, getting disability means you have insurance.-- taxpayer paid insurance.

[GBU56]

You'd literally have to think that being registered as disabled, say being in a wheelchair, was equivalent to not being able to have a job, and indeed, as NS puts it, not being able to contribute at all.

You can still make a great living being in a wheelchair, so being in a wheelchair in and of itself does NOT qualify you for SSDI.

YEA! RIGHT ON!

You lazy wheel chair people need to find some real jobs, instead of sitting around all day doing NOTHING! Heck, besides sitting....you lay down and sleep when you ain't sitting.

How disgusting! All these disabled and unemployed lazy people is why America went into this deep recession!



Lazy bastards!

[notyou2]

Over the past 3 months, the federal government has added more people to disability than the number of net jobs that have been created.

Over the past 3.5 years, the economy has lost a net of 1.3 million jobs while 3.6 million people were added to disability. That alone is a total of nearly 5 million people that are no longer working and contributing.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americans-joining-disability-outpaces-americans-finding-jobs_648660.html

Tax the rich and it will fix this.

[Lootifer]

Assuming that this anecdotal evidence is statistically significant (which I think it likely is), then it's apparent that there's an unintended consequence with the well-intended supporters of disability pay.

What's interesting about central planning and the adherents of such policies, is that they mean well. They want to help people because the story of some guy with a bad back deserves help (derived from involuntary means, e.g. taxation). However, when unintended consequences come to play, these adherents tend to ignore this, or assume that reforms would actually be implemented. The hope of reform may be cute, but it doesn't pan out because many politicians gain from essentially paying off their voting market through such means as disability pay. You ever tried running on a platform which would reduce disability pay? It's suicidal!

What makes you think [all of] us commie basterds some how all miss the unintended consequences?

I see the inefficiencies, I see the distorted and broken incentives, I understand all that; but I have made a evaluation based on my social consciousness that the unintended consequences of the policy is preferable the intended consequence of the counterfactual.