Rick Perry's social insecurity

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http://lancasteronline.com/blogs/smartremarks/2011/09/08/rick-perrys-social-insecurity/">Smart Remarks:

Indeed, I’m amazed that Rick Perry stood up there before America and called Social Security a “monstrous lie” and a “Ponzi scheme.”

Now, in one respect he’s got a point. By the time “our kids,” and I’ve got three of them, get to retirement age, Social Security will not and can not exist in its current form.

But one needs to ask Mr. Perry – and the base that would cheer this sort of thing – if they believe that there should, in fact, be a program to provide “social security” to those who will lack it in their dotage.

Forget what you think you know about the program and focus on this: the fact that it was devised specifically to provide some sort of pension to retirees. And here’s your essential question: Is this still a financial and moral necessity at this stage of the game? Does government have an obligation to provide such a thing to its citizens?

Because see, the Republican base isn’t merely interested in “fixing” Social Security; they believe there is no need for it, that “responsible” Americans can save for their own retirement and if, for whatever reason, they fail to do so or are unable to do so – screw them.

I got mine, and don’t you take from mine to give to someone else, I will give to them if I feel it necessary or moral and government has no right to do so on my behalf. That is the mentality; that is what they are talking about when they invoke “personal responsibility.”

And so while we might say that Perry’s comments reflect a concern over Social Security’s finances, make no mistake, he aligns himself with those who disliked Social Security even when it’s finances weren’t an issue, who dislike the idea of Social Security.

What Perry implicitly promises, then, is social insecurity for a huge majority of the population.

Romney pounced on this – as well he should have. Because the fact of the matter is that Americans like Social Security and realize that in this environment – with good jobs disappearing, being replaced to far less-good jobs that provide very little in the way of retirement benefits – Social Security is going to be more necessary than ever in the future, if the vast bulk of Americans are, in fact, to have anything approaching financial security in their old age.

Perry himself may realize this – but in his choice of language, he specifically seeks to appeal to those who reject it on ideological grounds. That will play well with the fire-breathers who make up the Republican base. In a general election – Obama will crush him with this like a bug.

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1. As someone earlier stated, the road to being elected runs through Florida...n/t