Democrats, Liberals, Progressives (DLP). These are names that the working man should stay clear of.

The names sound innocent enough. Democrat, for years associated with Labor Unions that once looked out for the little man. Liberals, sounds like an ideology of inclusion and openness. And Progressives, they sound like they are on the cutting edge of societal evolution to steel a line from Rush Limbaugh. The intention of these folks may be pure, but the outcome and traggic consequenses of their governing skills is quite apparent.

Let us look for a moment at the grand history of the DLP ideology and the outcomes of just one of their programs. I will write more on others later.

First, let's look at the sacred cow of DLP ideals, Social Security.
 
The "Old Age Insurance" (OAI) program we call "Social Security" today was created as Title II of the Social Security Act. It established a pool of funds that workers would pay into while they were working, which they could draw upon to support themselves in retirement. The government would not pay for it. Instead, it would be funded out of contributions of both workers and employers. To keep the cost of the program down, the initial Social Security law limited the program to workers in commerce and industry other than railroads. However  amendments to the law in subsequent years have added more and more groups to the program until it is now nearly universal. www.elderweb.com

Did anyone catch that last line? It said that more and more groups were added to the program until it is now nearly universal. Originally it was designed to assist the states that were trying in vain to manage programs to help the poor elderly. Why? The Depression. Well we don't live in Depression era America anymore.
 
Let's move on.
As the depression wore on, private charities and benevolent societies couldn't keep up with the demands for assistance, and the people they would otherwise have helped had to rely on public welfare instead. Local governments couldn't care for the exploding numbers of poor people on their welfare rolls and turned to the states for help in meeting their obligations. The states couldn't operate with deficit budgets or issue new money to pay their obligations, but the federal government could, so the states began to look to the federal government for help. Same site as above.

Enough said about the why question.
Let's look at the outcome.

The benefit levels had risen so much that by 1948 the average OAA benefit ($38.18 per month) greatly exceeded the average Social Security benefit ($25.13 per month), providing a perverse disincentive for people to provide for their own old age by working and saving. (Advisory Council Report, 1948) Same site as above.

Did you catch that line anyone. there was a problem with the system as early as 1948. It had already become obvious to those involved with running the program that people were not understanding it as a SUPPLIMENT to their retirement. They wanted ti to cover everything they needed.  Over 50 years ago we new there was a problem but nobody did anything about it.

Let's go a little further forward in history shall we?
Two years later, in 1950, amendments to the Social Security Act said, "[The] Federal Government will share in cost of payments made directly to medical practitioners and other suppliers of medical services, which when added to any money paid to the individual, does not exceed the monthly maximums on individual payments." This created a significant change in the way that welfare was delivered and paid for. Nursing home operators could now contract directly with the states for payment, providing nursing homes with a new and more reliable source of income. Individuals were more time-consuming to deal with, and they didn't always pay their bills. A check from the government was one a nursing home could count on. Same site as above.

What the @&%$?  We have to look here for a minute. We new there was a problem. It had been clearly identified. Prior to the depression people took care of their own, now the governemnt was doing it with a plan designed to hhelp out during said Depression.  We new people were not providing for their future because of this plan. But what did our government do? They threw another entitlement on the heap. Amazing!!!

But it gets worse...

Several amendments to the Social Security Act were made in the 1950's, creating millions of additional people who would have a reliable source of income in their old age. In 1950, domestic workers; farm workers; non-farm, non-professional self-employed persons; and federal civilian employees not in the federal retirement system were brought into Social Security. In 1951, railroad workers with less than 10 years of service were added. In 1954, homeworkers and all self-employed persons except lawyers and medical professionals became eligible. In 1956, members of the military and all remaining self-employed persons except doctors joined. Same site as above.

Holy #$%@. Are you serious Average American? Did our government really expand a program that literally strapped millions of people into being poor? One that they new was stripping away peoples desire and drive to take care of themselves? And now, when a President wants to shows the gall to change the system and return control of it to the people by letting them invest just a little of that money on their own, these same Political Parties are standing in the way?

YES!

You see, the system was never intended to do what we are trying to make it do. It was just supposed to relieve a little of the pressure off of the states during the Depression. That's all. Help out when we were in seriously tight straights. Now it is a bastardized version of what it started out to be. Now it is a Sacred Cow.

This is the truth as told by a non-partisian, elderly advocacy web site. They have no reason to lie to any of us. I could find no affiliation to either party, Rep. or Dem.

But what would I know, I'm just a "do no research" Average American.