Rick Perry may believe that his views on Social Security are founded in sound logic, but the truth of the matter is that his beliefs couldn't be further from the truth. The Texas governor had no problem bashing the Social Security system, calling it a “Ponzi Scheme” and a “monstrous lie to our kids,” but the truth is that the Social Security System is a viable and sustainable program that can support the nation's elderly and disabled if proper changes are made.
If Rick Perry hopes that his outrageous comments will make him a shoe-in for president, he is dead wrong. The American public does not want to hear that the system they have paid into and have believed in for so many years is a scam. In fact, Senator Bernie Sanders has provided us with a bill that will support Social Security for another 75 years if passed. If the changes are made according to Sanders' plans, how exactly then is the Social Security program an “outrageous lie?” It's not.
It is easy to bash a plan that has been in place for many years and is experiencing some financial concerns. It is even easier to do so when you do not have a solution in place to address those concerns. While Rick Perry has no problem spewing forth comments about everything that is wrong with Social Security, he hasn't given a single viable solution to the problems that he says exists. Of course he has no problem letting Social Security as we know it now be replaced by a state-level program, but what exactly will a state-level program consist of? Will disability benefits continue to be supported by these programs?
More importantly, how in the world can Social Security be a Ponzi scheme and a complete lie when the program has a surplus of $2.7 trillion? How can a program that has helped millions of disabled workers and retirees be an outrageous lie? These brash statements aren't founded in sound logic – they seem to be “doomsday” scare tactics that are meant to get voters into Perry's camp. Hopefully, the exact opposite will occur.
Those who follow Social Security news and know that Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed a logical bill to address Social Security's budget issues will see Perry's comments for exactly what they are – a smoke and mirrors scare tactic. Is Social Security in trouble? Yes. Are there solutions to address the problem? Yes. So Perry's comments to the public about the downfall of Social Security are not just illogical, but perhaps we should call those comments a monstrous lie to our children.
Even republicans are in an uproar about the comments made by Perry. According to Mark Rove, having a presidential candidate who makes such outrageous statements that are not in the best interests of the American public is akin to giving the republican party a death sentence come election time.
Perhaps Rick Perry is just too much like Chicken Little. The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Oh wait, it was just a bit of plaster in his soup…
