Italy's government is fucked up, always had been, probably always will be.

The article says people agreed to do this. That is the same way the proposals would work in the U.S. Its not as if they were forced.

So these numbskulls pull their money out of a low-risk program and invest it in higher risk stocks. And lose their retirement benefits in the process. And now the government, which was trying to save a buck, has to come in and provide their retirement anyway.

That's what would have happened if Bush and Republicans had actually gotten their way with SS. And guess who would have to come in the bail out the retirees.

This kind of stupidity is exactly what SS is designed to project people against. That's why it's a bad plan. Getting rid of the safety net defeats the whole point of having a safety net.