Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Social Security: Paying it forward
The most concise moral justification for Social Security I've ever seen comes from a letter in this morning's amNewYork (February 23, 2004, p. 10):
Of course, "paying it forward" is against everything the Republicans stand for (looting, lying, lawnbreaking). And that is why the Repubublicans want to phase out Social Security. "Social Security must go," as the College Republicans chanted yesterday, letting the cat out of the bag.
It is not accurate to refer to Social Security as a "massive entitlement" program as it was stated in the Associated Press article on Greenspan's remarks about this program. Framing the issue in this way is dishonest and manipulative.
Social Security is rather an insurance program—the gem of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal Programs. It is based on paying it forward [like the movie]. People who are presently working are paying the benefits of those who have retired.
When they retire, their benefits will be paid by those who are working. It is not an entitlement when we have paid into the system.
Of course, "paying it forward" is against everything the Republicans stand for (looting, lying, lawnbreaking). And that is why the Repubublicans want to phase out Social Security. "Social Security must go," as the College Republicans chanted yesterday, letting the cat out of the bag.
