Estimates for the sharp economic minds here...

[hmkpoker]

Can anyone estimate how much the average American would benefit if we...

A) Scrapped the Medicare and Medicaid systems

B) Dropped social security

C) Legalized marijuana

[tomdemaine]

Define "the average american".

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone estimate how much the average American would benefit if we...

A) Scrapped the Medicare and Medicaid systems

B) Dropped social security

C) Legalized marijuana

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you mean financially?

If so, in the short run, zero (by definition). In the long run, immeasurably.

[hmkpoker]

Good point, there's a great disparity of benefit; especially for old social security collecting potheads [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[haarley]

Just eliminating Social Security and Medicare would benefit the average American by giving them an instant 15.3% raise(assuming they also got to keep the "employer contributions")

Now whether average Joe benefited from the raise would be a matter of personal choice and perspective.
And we all know personal choice will never be tolerated in a free place like America, the government must protect us from our own evil ways!

[canis582]

The average joe would not benefit, however his corporate masters would greatly benefit.

[ElliotR]

Tomdemaine is right, Borodog is answering a differenct question and everyone else is wrong. This depends on who we're talking about.

[stephan]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone estimate how much the average American would benefit if we...

A) Scrapped the Medicare and Medicaid systems

B) Dropped social security

C) Legalized marijuana

[/ QUOTE ]

15% increase in standard of living.

[SheetWise]

Should the estimate assume that the government will return to all workers and retirees those Trust Funds that they've left idling in their lock box?
[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Richard Tanner]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone estimate how much the average American would benefit if we...

A) Scrapped the Medicare and Medicaid systems

B) Dropped social security

C) Legalized marijuana

[/ QUOTE ]

Well with A and B gone, taxes go way down (obviously the rich get a bigger break, the poor get less of a break, but everyone gets a big break)

And with C, we'll see a sharp increase in deaths of teenagers that, while being left alone, find dad's loaded, unlocked gun and shoot each other, but after Darwinism takes its course, we'll be a happier nation (and more tax cuts if the Gov't sells it).

Cody