One of today's most important national concerns is the projected
bankruptcy of Social Security some time in the next few decades and
its consequent inability to pay full benefits on time. Yet despite
two decades of warnings about this, nothing is being done. The
saying that Social Security is the third rail of American
politics-touch it and you die-still holds true. In Social Security:
False Consciousness and Crisis, John Attarian argues that the major
cause of the current impasse is the misleading manner in which the
program has been depicted to the public and the beliefs about
Social Security which prevail as a result.Most Americans see Social
Security as retirement insurance under which taxpayers pay premiums
to buy benefits for old age, with their contributions being held in
a trust fund which will pay guaranteed benefits which will be
theirs as an earned right as America "keeps its compact between the
generations." Attarian demonstrates that this false picture was
deliberately fostered by Social Security officials to ensure the
program's constitutionality while downplaying the power of Congress
to eliminate, cut, delay, or tax benefits or deny them to certain
classes of people. As the core of his argument shows, Social
Security was structured and presented in this manner to the public
as well so as to make it popular and politically invulnerable.
While this strategy succeeded, it was inaccurate in crucial
respects, and the inaccuracies have worsened as the program has
aged. The resultant false consciousness about Social Security has
decisively shaped the responses to the program's financial crises
over the last two decades and helped preclude corrective action.
Attarian attacks all of the misconceptions about Social Security
point by point so that debate can proceed based on realities, not
misunderstandings. He addresses as well issues surrounding Social
Security reform, showing how numerous proposals now circulating
have lethal faults. Most of these refuse to cut current benefits
and are thereby saddled with the huge costs of transition to a new
system. Others risk politicizing the stock market. Virtually all
ignore the larger economic and political context that threatens to
defeat their purpose. Attarian concludes with his own proposal to
radically restructure the program from a universal entitlement to a
floor of protection.Treating the Social Security crisis in
unusually broad perspective, Attarian is critical of both the
status quo and the privatization camps, and his recommendations
offer an alternative to both. The book will be of interest to
policy makers as well as citizens concerned about the future of
Social Security.John Attarian is adjunct scholar at the Mackinac
Center for Public Policy in Midland, MI. He is the author of
Economism and the National Prospect."A contribution to the
important discussion of Social Security's fragile future and our
options to restore its health."--Dorcas R. Hardy, former
Commissioner of Social Security and author of Social Insecurity:
The Crisis in America's Social Security System and How to Plan Now
for Your Own Financial SurvivalWell written and drawing on lots of
research. Does a good job explaining the coming crisis in Social
Security, particularly the often overlooked political aspects.
Attarian is especially thorough in reporting how the program was
misleadingly presented to the public, and on the discrepancies
between the perceptions and the realities of Social Security."--A.
Haewoth Robertson, The Retirement Policy Institute"As the United
States (along with the rest of the developed countries) debates how
to reform our pay-as-you-go retirement system and make it
sustainable in an aging world, it is essential that we speak and
think clearly about how we got here. We need to look critically at
the dysfunctional mythology surrounding words 'trust fund,' 'social
insurance,' 'earned rights,' and 'lock box.' That's just what John
Attarian does in this comprehensive and critical overview of the
hisotry of Social Security. It's a first rate peice of
work."--Peter G. Peterson, The Blackstone Group"Nearly every
historian who looks carefully at growth of Social Security both as
a federal program and as a popular mythology comments at least in
passing on how the artful or shall we say downright deceitful use
of key terms like insurance and statutory right has to pave the way
for the programs expansion. At last, John Attarian tells the full
story. In comprehensive detail, he shows, blow by blow, of how
Social Security's key leaders and advocates were compelled to
describe the program in one way to the public and in an entirely
different way to legislators and judges. America's understanding of
Social Security remians confused today, even as discussion of
far-reaching reforms are underway which makes this book timely
indeed."--Neil Howe, Life Course Associates
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