Read more
Klappentext 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. Attarianattacks 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 Zusammenfassung 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....
