Rick Kelo – Fighting the System Through Education and Information

Ask any average American how the economy works, and you will more than likely be met with a blank stare and a shrug. This is why Rick Kelo, a prolific online figure in the world of economic thought, has been using his online blog as a platform for education where he discusses the political and economic systems that have been over-complicated by world leaders and governments in today’s society. By doing this, governments have attempted to disengage the public from important discussions that have a huge impact on individuals’ lives, forcing the public to slowly relinquish its control over these issues. Intellectuals like Kelo, however, are using the internet as a weapon to combat the dangers of ignorant compliance. 

One topic that is particularly important to Kelo is the issue of Social Security. Known for his stimulating rhetoric that implores readers to critically consider many of the economic services that the government wants people to accept without question, Kelo wants people to understand that Social Security is actually a negative institution where only 0.04 percent of Americans are better off under Social Security than they are funding their own private retirement. 

Exposing the fault lines of our economies is Rick Kelo’s primary goal when it comes to his online blog, so why exactly is Social Security such a controversial subject? In a nutshell, the answer is a long-term shortfall. Social Security plans for solvency over 75 years, but because of demographic pressures and the weak economy, it is currently solvent only until 2033. After that, if reforms are not made, then it will only pay about three-quarters of its promised benefits. 

Another added strain on the Social Security system is the fact that the United States is in the middle of a retirement crisis. Many people have not saved up enough money to make up for the loss of traditional pensions, and the 2008 recession only made things worse. This means that most retirees will be heavily reliant on Social Security, which currently only pays only a little more than $1,000 a month. These are only a few of the reasons that Social Security is gradually becoming more and more obsolete in the modern economy. 

Of course there will always be problems with the economic system, but through education and speaking up, Rick Kelo believes that every citizen has the power to use their voice as a way to initiate much needed reform.