REDUX: Social Security

I'm tired of the Presidential campaign! It will be decided by the following: will the visceral hatred of W and the Republican dominance since 1980 outweigh a rational evaluation of the candidates and their positions? It seems to change day to day and I have no idea where it will end. So on to more interesting things!

W tried to push Social Security reform and was rebuffed by the "old guard" who use Social Security as the ultimate pander to all levels of society, particularly the elderly. But what is Social Security? It is easy to understand, but no one wants to. I have decided to make this a "litmus test" for my pursuit of truth with the political participants on this sight. You will have to agree with following explanation of Social Security before we can rationally discuss the political scene.

Social Security is:

• a FLAT TAX on the U.S. labor force, and
• a WELFARE PROGRAM for the elderly (primarily) with no MEANS TESTING

That is it! Don't kid yourself, that is what it is. Neither side of the program would be accepted by anyone in our country today, yet because of the pandering it appears it will go on forever - until the U.S. does not exist!

The FLAT TAX would never be accepted now by our liberal brethren who push constantly for more progressive tax systems. FLAT is not in their vocabularly!

A WELFARE PROGRAM with no MEANS TESTING would be accepted by no one! It is irrational. Why should I be getting Social Security next year? I shouldn't - and no I am not going to refuse it, thank you very much!

All the justifications in between: earnings per year over your career, lock boxes, etc, etc, etc are simply obfuscations of the greatest PONZI scheme ever devised!

Note: I do realize there are other payments made to people in need, though I have never experienced and do not fully understand all these aspects of Social Security, but they are simply "noise" added to pander to other constituents. These should be handled by welfare of some sort.

Please show me where I am wrong and I will eliminate the "litmus test", or agree and we will discuss not only reform of this broken system but of our entire political system and its problems.