Show or hide comments about the document.
Search over the document's text.
Share the document through social networks or e-mail.
After selecting an area on the page.
...you can:
copy the text
share the segment
comment
cite the document

Fall 2005

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 21, Number 1

Categories: Politics | Fall 2005

Social Security: Tyranny of the Status Quo

Thomas F. Siems, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Download

e-mail

<< Back to editing
Previous version by
<< Older
Newer >>
Revert to this one

Edit
Cancel
Fullscreen

Show comments
Zoom:
Page: / 15

Line spacing:
Word spacing:

Search:FindClose

search results

JournalofPrivateEnterprise,VolumeXXI,Fall2005SocialSecurity:TyrannyoftheStatusQuoThomasF.SiemsFederalReserveBankofDallas"Iplaceeconomyamongthefirstandmostimportantofrepublicanvirtues,andpublicdebtasthegreatestofthedangerstobefeared....Iamnotamongthosewhofearthepeople.They,andnottherich,areourdependenceforcontinuedfreedom.Andtopreservetheirindependence,wemustnotletourrulersloaduswithperpetualdebt.Wemustmakeourelectionbetweeneconomyandliberty,orprofusionandservitude."—ThomasJefferson(1816)Thestatusquocanbetyrannicalwhenitfocusesourthinkingintoknownandfamiliarways.Seeingonlytheabsolutepowerofexistingconditions,oneisoftenledtodead-endsolutions,producingnorealchangeorwayoutofthecurrentenvironment.Infact,itoftentakesacrisistoproducechange,buttheactionstakenaretypicallydrawnfromthoseideasthatarelyingaround.Sotobreakfreefromthetyrannyofthestatusquo,goodideasareneededthatarereadyforimplementation.Morethan40yearsago,MiltonFriedman(1962,182)wrotethefollowinginCapitalismandFreedom:The'socialsecurity'programisoneofthosethingsonwhichthetyrannyofthestatusquoisbeginningtoworkitsmagic.Despitethecontroversythatsurroundeditsinception,ithascometobesomuchtakenforgrantedthatitsdesirabilityishardlyquestionedanylonger.Yetitinvolvesalarge-scaleThomasF.Siems142

GLIFOS-digital_archive

Metadata [hide]

Title	Social Security: Tyranny of the Status Quo
Authors/Creators:	Thomas F. Siems, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Year:	2005
Volume:	21
Number:	1
Pages:	142 - 156
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Social security, Paternalism, Income redistribution, Pension system, Milton Friedman

Citation:
Siems, Thomas F. / 2005. "Social Security: Tyranny of the Status Quo." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 21(1): 142-156.