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Social Security

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A Severe Burden on Working Men and Women

In the wake of the September eleventh attacks, America is faced with a long-term war against terrorism. The American people have embraced themselves for a war for an indefinite period of time against an unfamiliar enemy. America has become united and partisanship has been placed aside. Those issues that our political leaders grumbled about before the attacks are no longer on the forefront; however, in due time those issues will resurface and be dealt with by way of traditional partisan politics. Among those issues is the issue of Social Security. In more ways than we commonly realize, the current Social Security system is a harmful system that is not consistent with the customs and traditions of the American republic.
In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt replaced Herbert Hoover for President of the United States. Roosevelt assumed the highest office in the land during a time when the American people were in dire need of leadership. The United States was in the midst of the Great Depression and flamboyant political leaders like Huey P. Long were trying to transform the face of America from a free enterprise republic to a kind of communist regime. Roosevelt had a different idea. His focus was to stay with the traditional practices of a free enterprise republic while creating government subsidized programs to benefit those citizens in need. These government programs were put into law by congress through Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. Roosevelt's New Deal consisted of many changes in American policy, of those changes the Social Security Act was signed into law. The Social Security Act created a federal old-age insurance system which provided a modest monthly payment for Americans aged sixty-five and older. It also provided for unemployment compensation as well as governmental support for the handicapped and for single mothers with dependent children. The Social...

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