As a libertarian, I generally warn people against dependence upon big government because politicians are elected based upon their ability to promise more than they can deliver. So, no one can be completely shocked when the public programs created by Congress fail you as an individual.
Social Security provides an excellent example of big government failing the public as a whole. For every $1 the program has ever collected, it has generated $3 of promises that it does not expect to keep. Voters, I hope, understand that robbing Peter to pay Paul cannot last forever.
By all accounts, the public embraces the idea of Social Security. That is fine, provided that voters realize that they have a responsibility to monitor the programs that they create through their votes, and they accept the consequences of allowing a government program to spin out of control.
Social Security has spun out of…
