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The Spectacle Blog
Robert Samuelson has a good column up explaining why Social Security is welfare. The failure to recognize this is one reason why the program has remained politically untouchable.
View all comments (16) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/03/07/why-social-security-is-welfare
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jharp| 3.7.11 @ 1:50PM
Social security is insurance you fool. Some gain and some lose.
My sons friend just hit the jackpot according to you dumbasses. A quad at age 18. He's gonna be on your "welfare" for the rest of his life.
And you want to take it away and denigrate him for being on "welfare"? You should be so proud of yourselves.
Patriot| 3.7.11 @ 2:08PM
Your daughter's deaf, your son's "friend" is a quad and you're braindead--you're the new Three Stooges.
jharp| 3.7.11 @ 2:28PM
Yes. My daughter is deaf. And my son's friend is a quad.
So ultra classy for you to call them "Stooges" because of their condition.
God you people are stupid.
Junior Junior Harp| 3.7.11 @ 2:46PM
You're Stupid Daddy.
Mommy Said So
Patriot| 3.7.11 @ 5:40PM
You conveniently omitted the fact that you're braindead.
Patriot| 3.7.11 @ 5:40PM
You conveniently omitted the fact that you're braindead.
2Anglico| 3.7.11 @ 2:39PM
You better look up the definition of insurance. You did not read the Samuelson piece did you? As for your son's friend, does he not have family? Where in our founding documents is the authority to take by force the property of one American and give it to another to whom IT DOES NOT BELONG?
jharp| 3.7.11 @ 2:52PM
No need to look up insurance. It is simply the pooling of risks.
And the 16 th amendment gives Congress the power to tax incomes.
And the commerce clause gives them the power to collect Social Security and Medicare insurance.
Yes, my son's friend has family. And without Social Security and Medicare they'd be f*cked.
God you people are stupid.
Bruce Berger| 3.7.11 @ 3:15PM
Jharp,
Calling people who have a different point of view than you do stupid doesn't really entail a very intelligent argument. I will refrain from calling you stupid, though your arguments may be.
The fact, in both law and in economic reality, is that Social Security is a transfer payment scheme, not insurance. I repeat, it is not insurance.
Before a discussion can happen about the merits of our Social Security system and the best way to reform it, one must start with a clear understanding of the facts.
Clint| 3.7.11 @ 3:17PM
Social Security Is Not "Insurance"
By Ron Paul
"When it comes to Social Security, we must understand that the system does not represent an old age pension, an "insurance" program, or even a forced savings program. It simply represents an enormous transfer payment, with younger workers paying taxes to fund benefits. There is no Social Security trust fund, and you don’t have an "account." Whether you win or lose the Social Security lottery is a function of when you happened to be born and how long you live to collect benefits. Of course young people today have every reason to believe they will never collect those benefits."
Curtis Rasmussen| 3.7.11 @ 3:40PM
Have you heard of insurance (JHarp's alternate definition of pooling of risk) which pays people even if they don't need it? NO, because they would have bankrupted themselves long ago. Social Security, by definition cannot be insurance because it pays all, not those that really need it.
The speeding locomotive is about to hit the curve. Then, no one will be covered or benefits will be severely curtailed. What about our disabled then? Who has the balls to stop this train-wreck?
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 3.7.11 @ 3:32PM
It is not insurance, you dumb dick. It was built as a retirement plan, and turned out to be a ponzi scheme. Madoff got a long prison vacation for the same thing politicians get reelected for. You are completely lost in this world.
simon templar| 3.7.11 @ 4:52PM
Jharp: let's knock off the stupid bullshit, try to shut up for a minute, and listen..you may learn something. First, yes, social security was sold to the public as an "insurance" program. Yes, many are dependent on it and thought of it as an insurance program. They paid into it for years and expect to get something back quite naturally. The problem is it was never managed like insurance, nor did the monies ever get invested like insurance, nor was there any pooling of risk. It was essentially stolen by politicians and IOU's thrown in to replace the funds taken. You will find that most of us do not object to people getting what the government has ripped off of them. Our beef here is the corruption, incompetence, and dishonesy of government regarding this program. We happen to believe that the government is incapable of managing this and can not be trusted. We would rather people in the future have an option to invest for their own retirement. Perhaps, we can phase this program out slowly, meet the obligations to your friends, and institute something else without corrupt big daddy government. Can you get this?
sandor muller| 3.8.11 @ 10:58PM
the company and i paid in the socialsecurity fund for 38 years of my emloyment,and someidiot says that it is welfare and entitlement,but i beleive it wwas an investment,since the gov. even taxed the ammaunt as earning,and sis not invest but spent it aniway they pleased.But "GOD Bless America",even people dont like it,/we realy need His blessing.
NoLib| 3.9.11 @ 12:11AM
I think it's a big ponzi scheme and we got cheated by the government.
Little Harp| 3.7.11 @ 2:20PM
Huh ? What Did The Old Man Say ?
Sign Me Daddio !