Could somebody explain why unconstitutional Social Security didn’t simply require people to by US savings bonds, FDR establishing such bonds in those days too?
I have researched Social Security extensively because a buddy of mine from the Army who retired about the time I did got a job with them.
The reason it was not written so any surplus went into the stock market was two-fold. 1)no one trusted the stock market at the time because of the 1929 crash (social security was adopted in 1935), 2)they were also worried that dumping that much money into the stock market would make cause serious problems. Like the government becoming the owner of most companies.
Also it is not unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has ruled it is, in essences, a tax, and therefore constitutional under the 16th Amendment.
I personally have come to believe it is a good program and necessary in an industrial society. I look at it like the military, where it protects us from enemies abroad and helps with disasters at home. Social Security provides us protection in our old age and disability. Would have rather seen it created through a constitutional amendment though.
In one way it’s better than the military. Every American gets the services of the military, even if they’ve never paid one red cent in taxes. The only way you can draw anything from social security is if you, your spouse, or your parent paid in.
SS is NOT about retirement income!
It is about CONTROL!
Can’t have you deplorables out there making your own investment/savings/retirement plans, can we now?