Social Security's Progressive Paradox

Social Security's Progressive Paradox
Retirement "insurance" as a Rube Goldberg machine

Julian Sanchez

from Reason:

"Casual observers of contemporary politics could be forgiven for wondering: Where are the goatees? First we had a "conservative" Congress and president pushing through expansions in Medicare and federal control of education that would make Lyndon Johnson blush. Now we have liberal pundits horrified at the notion that President Bush, by proposing progressive indexing of Social Security benefits, would contemplate transforming a universal social insurance program into a de facto welfare program. Progressives decrying welfare? Have we slipped into some strange mirror universe? How long before Al Franken is conjuring man-on-dog scare scenarios to oppose gay marriage?"