Washington, DC - Aging Americans within a few years of collecting Social Security are concerned. Will government leaders push the retirement age to 68 or even 70? Will the current promised benefits be slashed ten, twenty percent or even more? The government continues collecting Social Security but some politicians are saying it will be impossible to pay out what has been promised with fewer people paying into the system. Even more frightening is that the Social Security Administration is saying the same thing.

While we are told that we are living longer, how many millions of people will pay into Social Security but never live long enough to collect a penny? The government hopes if they can raise the age then a few more million people will never live to collect.  Or, possibly a few more million will not collect it very long.

Americans still have to fear disease. People still die from cancer, diabetes and neurological diseases every day. Heart disease still commonly adds to the ranks of death. When was the last time we heard an announcement that a cure for anything had been discovered?

We fear medical bills. Enormous medical bills are still the biggest reason Americans are filing bankruptcy.

We fear the cost of education. Most all parents want a better life for their kids but education only becomes a burden of debt to parents and students. Who is trying to help? We don't need bigger and longer loans. We need affordable education.

Millions of Americans have worked their lives for promised pensions that are in question. Many of these pension funds are broke and millions of dollars in debt. There is a growing horror that what was promised is not going to be there.

With all our financial, educational, medical and golden year fears we can throw in a few more fears. We have terrorism from the Middle East to our local movie theatre.  Public schools struggle with carrying out their mission due to funding, salaries, bullying and tensions from varying sources. Poverty is growing. So many people have given up and have committed themselves to a life of welfare, which essentially is a life of depression and living with almost nothing. All the while our communities are changing. People from all over the world are flooding into America and changing every corner of our country. They are working for every dollar they can make and seem to be happy.

As millions of Americans go to bed tonight fewer may be sweet dreaming and more wrestling with the same nightmares shared by too many Americans. 

Glenn Mollette is an American Syndicated Columnist and Author. He is the author of eleven books and read in all fifty states.

This column does not necessarily reflect the view of any organization, institution or this paper or media source.  

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