Social Security: The Battle Lines

From Zogby comes a great article on the divisions over Social Secuirty Reform. One of the themes that I have not touched on in this blog is that behind much of the struggles today, whether overtly violent or just political banter, hides the old conflict of capitalism versus socialism, or in my mind, the free market versus state control. And this struggle is not merely a remnant of the cold war but of a longer and more broad struggle; one that we see in the post-Renaissance struggle between the Royalty and the Bourgeois. It is one that I like to characterize, to the dismay of my socialist friends, as the Wealthy vs the Rich. Here, I should define and distinguish that Wealth is the accumulation of riches, and by Rich, I take a certain latitude to define as income, or the potential to be wealthy.

That is, the battle is between those who already have a secure life with no plans for further large gains and those who are nipping at their heels. It is, thus, of no little coincidence that the wealthiest members of congress are against social security reform.

And just where do the poor and the middle class fit into this struggle? Well, the Royalty have always found common cause with the poor and the rich have had a slightly more tenuous pact with those that nip at their heels.