There's more deceit and dishonesty. In 1950, I was 14 years old and applied for a work permit for an after-school job. One of the requirements was to obtain a Social Security card. In bold letters on my Social Security card are the words: "For Social Security Purposes -- Not For Identification." According to the Social Security administration website, "This legend was removed as part of the design changes for the 18th version of the card, issued beginning in 1972." That statement assumes that we're idiots. We're asked to believe that the sole purpose of the removal was for design purposes. The fact that our Social Security number was going to become a major identification tool had nothing to do with getting rid of the legend.

 There's a moral dimension to Social Security that few have the guts to address. What moral principle, consistent with liberty, justifies forcing a person to set aside a certain portion of his weekly earnings for retirement and jailing him if he fails to comply? Retirement isn't the only important item for which we should budget. How about a congressional mandate that we set aside a certain portion of our weekly earnings for housing, food, entertainment or our children's education? Were Congress to propose a measure that would require each American to set aside a portion of his weekly earnings for these items, most of us would see it as tyranny. Pray tell, what's the difference in principle for a congressional mandate that requires setting aside earnings for retirement versus a mandate setting aside earnings for housing or our children's education?