G ame shows are making a comeback. Lotteries are also a national obsession, as nine-digit jackpots entice players from nearby states. It seems inconceivable that the little bit of money you could invest would ever turn into the millions a lottery jackpot offers.
Many people seem to think so.
Other game shows don't offer the big prize that Millionaire does, but we often feel that the winners on those shows are rich and enviable because of the amounts they win. But when you look at how modest their winnings truly are, it makes you wonder why we should be impressed. Perhaps most people don't save because the government taxes away most of the gains to be had by saving. Also consider the Social Security payroll tax, which takes 12.4 percent of every worker's earnings to support a government pension system that is careening toward insolvency in 2034. He obviously would not face poverty after retirement.