Neither? if you gave me either and I had to take it either way, I'd simply take it and then liquidate it back into cash. Either spend it (free money) or flip into an index fund.
No, but I wasn't investing back then. That was then, this is now.
30 years isn't a long time. Yeah I'd love to retire at 55. But had that been the case... work a few more, suck it up buttercup. In 2013 my portfolio was higher than what it was in 2007, and had I been wanting to retire in 2010, shame on me if I hadn't diversified into a low risk portfolio starting in 2005.
You're right, this is a doom and gloom thread. With that I'm out. There's nothing here for me to learn, other than the sky is falling and it'll never be sunny again.