Laissez-Faire

I just watched Enron the Smartest Guys in The Room. I confess I snoozed through part of the documentary, nonetheless, it was really a great watch and horrific at the same time. At times as I was watching it, I thought if this was a fictional movie who would believe it? I wouldn't. I would think that certainly with the eyes of the SEC, investors, analysts, employees, accountants, shareholders, auditors, etc that SOMEONE would figure it out and or report the crimes being committed. It is astounding what they did and the number of people involved in committing the crimes and/or covering up their deeds. For me what I find so completely unforgivable is the employees AND retirees who lost everything. Not the traders or most of the executives - not so worried about those guys - but the people who really didn't have a clue what was going on or were completely dependent on their salaries and their retirement funds from Enron. The middle class folks I worry about. I wonder how they will handle their retirements - particularly those who were in their retirements at the time it all happened.

Since about the age of 24 or maybe 25, I have been slightly obsessed about retirement funds. I don't know where this need to be fiscally solvent in my seventies emerged from but it just is in me and I accept it. I don't anticipate any expenses in my retirement actually coming from social security so in my head I don't plan on those funds being there for me. If there are funds from SS for me, then I will get a boob job or a butt lift or something crazy while I am tooling around with my blue hair in some hot convertible.

The movie reminded how strongly I feel about adults being responsible for their own selves in all things. I am all for everyone having the right to manage their own retirement funds. This includes the funds used to put into 'our' social security. I would rather be responsible for myself. But I know that our funds are really paying for folks who are in retirement now because they were told there would be SS for them.

Laissez Faire has always seemed like a really great idea to me on most things - from a state level to a personal one. Let me keep my money and save it my way. If I screw it all up, my fault. At the very least, I would like an option. An option to do it my way.