Bankrupt Social Security shafting the kids

To the editor:

Once again Dan Olivier, one of the most passionate and articulate statist writers to ever hit the letters page, comes to the defense of America's premier Ponzi scheme, Social Security. ("Seniors would starve without the government," April 14 Review-Journal).

How can you argue with him when he cheerfully proclaims what a sweet deal he and I and millions of other seniors have when we collect our Social Security checks, representing thousands upon thousands upon tens of thousands of dollars more than any of us ever put into the system? The fact that he's right is why he's so wrong.

Social Security started out as a perfectly sound insurance system with few beneficiaries, lots of contributors and a retirement age that was actually a little higher than the statistical life span in the 1930s. But then those greedy, selfish for-profit health corporations discovered all kinds of new medicines and procedures to extend life expectancy (good), and politicians discovered what a honey pot of vote buying Social Security could be (bad), and we have wound up with a perfectly sound structure turned upside down.

Let's face it. Despite all the broken promises and all the massive tax increases imposed to finance it, Social Security is bankrupt, and it hasn't even paid off the first generation of contributors yet.

Mr. Olivier and I and most of our generations will "get ours" and will probably be dust in the wind when the system totally implodes. But that doesn't change the fact that what we've done to our posterity is shameful beyond words.

Mr. Olivier and I will continue to cash our Social Security checks every month. The difference between us is that I will do so with a certain discontent and concern (but not enough moral fiber to reject the money), and he will do so adamantly convinced he has an absolute right to every dollar of profit he is wringing out of the kids we are shafting.

KNIGHT ALLEN

LAS VEGAS