We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, July 9, 2010

Was the Social Security Money “Borrowed” or “Stolen”?

by Allen W. Smith from Dissident Voice

Read how the ruling class "borrowed" worker's Social Security fund, and now don't want to pay it back. It's like Warren Buffet said, "yes, there's class war, and we are winning!"
Over the past 25 years, five presidents, and the members of Congress, have participated in the great Social Security scam.  All Social Security contributions made by working Americans, except the amount which was needed to pay current retirement benefits, has been funneled into the general fund  and used for non-Social Security purposes.  Some like to say that the government just “borrowed” the money during the time period when it was not needed to pay benefits.