Social Security is NOT an entitlement

Short Diary with little or no heavy-duty background or links or deep philosophizing...

Instead just a short discussion on basic framing of issues, basic fact check, basic problem with the way a lot of people approach the issue of social security.

The entire way that Social Security is discussed, as if it were some form of welfare (a different discussion and different framing issue), or food stamps, or whatever... is WRONG.

Social Security is NOT an entitlement, it is NOT a form of welfare of any kind. NO!

Social Security is NOT a handout.

Social Security is funded directly through contributions from a worker's paycheck.

Social Security pay-outs are based on number of months worked and at what salary that work was payed.

Social Security is, plain and simple, a form of banking a portion of one's paycheck in a stable, long-term, secure account with relatively low, but constant return on investment or interest.

Anyone talking about cutting social security as a way of "reigning in entitlements" is either ignorant or a liar.

It's NOT an entitlement, unless one is willing to suggest that my wanting to save MY money and invest it in the MOST secure place (US gov't securities, bonds and treasuries) and then get it back later when I am no longer working is some kind of entitlement.

Please check yourself, check your representatives, check your pundits, and whenever you hear them (or yourself) mention the words "Social Security" or "Welfare" or "Entitlement" in the same breath, SAY SOMETHING!!!