what is social security?

[Brandon H]

Social Security is the government saying we don't think you are smart enough to manage your own money to save for retirement, so we're going to take it from you and give it back to you when we think you are old enough.

Democrats want to keep SS the way it is.
Bush wants to privatize it which would give you more control over your own money, but will help out the large corporations or else he would not favor privatization in the first place.

My plan (and most economic conservatives / libertarians): end social security but make sure that everyone gets back what they put into it. Not sure how sudden or gradual this would have to be.

[A18]

Thanks for backing up your paranoid accusation with evidence.

[Blue Rectangle]

I think I have a way around this - a supplemental program.  Keep SS as it is, but add another highly redistributive program as well.  We need more government programs anyway, so even though I'd rather just have a redistributive one, there's no harm in keeping the current one as well.

Your arguments in favor of keeping Social Security are getting weaker.  First you argued that it was better than nothing.  Now you favor it because the more government programs, the better.

[opebo]

Social Security is the government saying we don't think you are smart enough to manage your own money to save for retirement, so we're going to take it from you and give it back to you when we think you are old enough.

This has nothing to do with being 'smart' or not.  The lower classes can be super-intelligent and still end up very poor in old age - such is the nature of the trap they find themselves in.

[Shira]

And don’t forget: “Social Security is one of the ways by which money is taken from hard-working Americans and then given to lazy parasites”

[??????????]

And don’t forget: “Social Security is one of the ways by which money is taken from hard-working Americans and then given to lazy parasites”

No, that's welfare.

[A18]

And don’t forget: “Social Security is one of the ways by which money is taken from hard-working Americans and then given to lazy parasites”

No, that's congressional salaries.

[nini2287]

And don’t forget: “Social Security is one of the ways by which money is taken from hard-working Americans and then given to lazy parasites”

No, that's congressional salaries.

Haha, well-said.

[J. J.]

And don’t forget: “Social Security is one of the ways by which money is taken from hard-working Americans and then given to lazy parasites”

Shira, very few Americans would claim that a 75 year old retiree is a "lazy parasite."  Very few would also claim that someone who "contributes" money into a system for a 35-40 year career shouldn't get income from it.