[NittanyLion]

Not a bad fate for a "crackpot."

Seeing as Townsend never had to pay 14% of his income to SS, I guess not. But I wonder if he wouldn't feel a bit differently if his pocket was the one picked every two weeks?

[fire and forget]

Good article. Thanks. Perhaps FDR wasn't entirely so bad as I've thought for so many years. He apparently had some sense when it came to "re-distribution of wealth."

Warm Regards ...

[NittanyLion]

Roosevelt wanted a self-financed plan that would include payments by the workers themselves. His reasoning was simple: With the workers paying into the system, it wouldn’t be a dole, and they would be gaining a property right to receive their benefits when they retired.

Ironically, it would appear Roosevelt was well to the right of most present-day politicians (in both parties), at least on this issue.

[freefly]

Not a bad fate for a “crackpot.”
Not half bad enough for someone that gave the fed yet another way to get it's fingers around our necks.
Not to mention into our pockets...

[DeaconBenjamin]

The free coinage of silver movement in the latter decades of the nineteenth century—basically a disguised means of triggering inflation to benefit debt-ridden farmers—is one example.

I know its not the main point of the article, but I would like for someone to show me how the free coinage of silver before 1873 had such a massive inflationary effect. BTW, any references to the inflation of the 1860s will raise the issue of greenbacks.

[mattdono]

Sorry, but it only seems appropriate to include the link to Cato's Social Security Privitization Website.

I am sure that many FREEPERs have been to this site, but if you haven't, then check it out. After reading the information found there, no SANE person could possibly support the social security program as it is.

[randog]

While the Townsend Plan was crackpot economics, it had, not surprisingly, a powerful appeal to the elderly.

What's that saying? Democracy works well until the populace figures out how to vote themselves the treasury......?

[Yardstick]

bump