Big government enthusiasts designed social programs to
provide a financial safety net, but, in turn, dependency on
the government for the most vulnerable in society became
an expected entitlement. Decades since their inception, far
too many Americans have shifted their expectations from
government assistance to entitlement. Too many people
have exchanged their freedom for a false sense of security
that these programs are perceived to provide.
Unfortunately, this has not only been to the sociological
detriment of America, but also to its economic detriment.
Simply, ever-expanding social programs are compromising
the current and future financial stability of this great
country. According to a May 2009 article in Newsweek,
current projections indicate that Medicare will go bankrupt
by 2017 and Social Security will bottom out by 2037.
These figures are advanced from 2008’s estimates, which
forecasted Medicare’s bankruptcy to occur in 2019 and
2041 for Social Security. Some experts believe these
programs’ demise will arrive even sooner.
For the generations who have paid into Social Security and
Medicare, the federal government’s inevitable failure to pay
them as they retire is undeniably stealing. These are
generations who have worked and sacrificed to leave this
country a better place for their children and grandchildren,
and we have an obligation to make certain that their
financial futures are secure. The current behavior of an out
of control federal government does little to ease their minds.
It’s also imperative that we revamp our social and welfare
programs, so America’s less fortunate can be offered
a “hand-up” instead of a “handout.” The government
should help people to be able to help themselves.
We must return to free market-based solutions that
empower our nation’s workers to take control over their
professional and retirement futures. It is essential that we
modernize our Social Security and Medicare programs, which
began in 1935 and 1965, respectively. What worked then will
not work today, and the government has a responsibility to
support America’s Golden Age population by empowering
them instead of restricting them.