Why didnt social security turn america into a socialist nightmare?

Question

It is a social program.

fortunately the old folks who depended on their social security needs to have a job at 87 or eat cat food.
But the rich see it as being only the problem of the old.Screw them if they have to work.

Answer 1

Because that's not how social programs work--contrary to the hysteria of the right-wing nuts.

ALL societies have social programs in one form or another. And ALL developed--industrialized nations have social programs that are nominally socialist. They have to. For exampele--in the US a major part of our production sector--roads--are owned and operated as a state enterprise. We do it for one simple reason--there's no way anyone has ever found to make it work as a private sector operation.

And--in an industrial society, most people work for wages; they are not self-employed or farmers. If they are unemployed--they have no alternative to fall back on.

The same pattern holds with social security. 100 years ago--the average lifespan was 47. Those who did live past 65 were few in number and most were taken care of by family (again, only abut half worked for wages-they lived on farms, etc.--so this was workable). That's hardly the case today.

But--the right-wing says--they should have proided for their own retirement!. Yeah--right. That's why millions of workers, in good faith--worked for years for corporations that allegedly provided pension plans as part fo the pay package. And are now out of luck because thos e companies reneged on their promises (with the help of the right-wing to avoid having to meet therir legal obligations).

The point is not to defend "socialism"--I'm not a socialist and don't support such a system in any way. But the reality is that a complex modern society requires a safety net--and all the crackpot ideology of the neoconservatives doesn't changethat. That's not socialism--its part of the infrastructure that makes capitalism work.

Which any intelligent thinker--right back to Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations) is well aware of. But then, none of these kooks ever actually bother to read.

Answer 2

It isn't done yet, give it a few more years. If you are an American and the young lady in the photo, don't expect to get much in benefits and expect to pay huge taxes.
When Social Security started, the average life expectancy of a man was 62, you had to be 65 to get any benefits and there were 36 workers paying for each recipient. Now there are 7 workers for each recipient and soon that will dwindle to 5. This is a trainwreck in progress. President Bush tried to do something to fix it but was blocked by the Democrats.
Another New Deal disaster was the NLRB. Labor unions are ruining this country. Wake-up and smell the coffee, the Democrats are a disaster!

Answer 3

The government invented Social Security as a way to raise more taxes without calling it that. If they hadn't squandered it to pay other things, by now it'd be growing faster through investments than it's being spent through payments to retirees. Businesses and their employees wouldn't even be obligated to pay into it anymore.

That's why it IS a nightmare: 1) because businesses and employees are still obligated to pay the tax and 2) we still don't have sufficient "social security" for current or future retirees.

It is a fact that SS was started by FDR as a safety net for older Americans, but it is also true that he and the Dem party first began looting it's funds to pay for general expenses. The practice has continued up until the present day by both parties. Now it's out of control like the broomsticks in the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Plenty of blame to go around here and nobody has the guts to put a stop to it.

Answer 4

Your lack of expertise on the topic of political philosophy is rather annoying. Why no longer pass get an education, take some route artwork in political idea and forestall listening to conservative communicate radio on your concepts and components. you should have requested the question of "how do you sense now that Bush has became united states right into a fascist usa". that would were more suitable ideal. Obama isn't the in basic terms individual contained in the rustic who believes the authorities would want to be more suitable than only a police officer and a fighter jet to implement the presidents will at living house and in a overseas usa. I too trust in such issues as social safe practices, medicare, medicate, relatives classes to help the underprivileged, a more suitable humane health care gadget, college educations for our voters regardless of their monetary status. a majority of this stuff are granted to voters of eu international locations in basic terms for being born; they're some distance ahead individuals in words of relatives coverage. stop equating liberal democracy with socialism. united states turned right into a liberal democracy, Europe, for the most section, is constituted of social democracies, Venezuela is a democratic socialist usa, and Cuba is an finished blown communist dictatorship. Socialism has a large decision of doctrinal beliefs and a number of them are even adversarial to at least one yet another.

Answer 5

I have paid into this program for all of my working years and have been collecting from it for over 12 years now. I consider it an investment, not a social program and the returns from it, though not sufficient to secure my retirement, have gone a long way to making it more comfortable. I echo the above poster that said "God bless FDR and the Democratic party" for their foresight.

Answer 6

The US aside from Social Security has many programs like Medicare that are in fact SOCIALISTIC ones .

Given these FACTS, I guess I can rightly accuse all AMERICANS of being filthy stinking communists EXACTLY like most ignorant idiotic Americans call all others that have socialistic programs .

The monumental hypocricy of Americans is always so repulsive and sickening.

Answer 7

There are a lot of social programs out there, none of which have turned America into Socialist nightmare. Responsiblity for that falls on the current administration.

Answer 8

Because Social Security doesn't pay enough to live off of. People still need to find a job to get by.

Answer 9

Because America started turning socialistic long before FDR introduced Social Security.

Answer 10

democrats already had that well in hand, there was no need for social security to do the same thing.