He said he wants private retirement accounts instead, which is abolishing Social Security. - Edit 1
Before modification by Joel at 18/10/2011 10:47:53 PM
And it isn't his handlers who have said he doesn't plan on abolishing SS but Perry has said it. He said SS is a ponzi scheme, a view held by a lot of Americans, but he has also said that he doesn't want change to SS for those at or near retirement and wants to have a public dialog about ways make the system sustainable. the furthest he has gone is a suggestion that states could manage it with block grants. Claiming that isn't a call to abolish SS isn't nuanced it is just honest. The kool-aid drinkers will believe what they want to believe and they will find the "facts" to support those believes but that is no reason to not call them on it.
C'mon, man, I read the "sources" YOU link; turn about is not only fair play but common sense in this case. We can call privatizing Social Security whatever we like, of course, but in practice that just amounts to letting those who can afford retirement savings do so tax free while those who cannot are screwed. The only difference between that and the "system" we had before Social Security is those who can afford to take advantage of it would get a tax shelter until they retire and withdraw the money, but that already exists in the form of IRAs and 401(k)s. Incidentally, while discussing constitutionality, the SCOTUS HAS unequivocally ruled those who pay into Social Security retain no personal private property rights to that money or resultant benefits, which Perrys proposed private accounts would enshrine in federal law (until, of course, the SCOTUS struck it down again.)