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Security and Sacrifice
Holy smoke! No sooner than President Bush makes a proposal on Social Security, the daggers come out. Here’s what to look for in the coming debate. There is little doubt in my mind that this debate will degenerate into the typical acrimony and divisiveness we all so used to on tough political issues. The politicos and organized interest groups will stake out their positions, use the Social Security to rally their troops and raise dollars from their faithful, and make sure little progress is made. But, this issue, if engaged, could help the nation sort out some important concerns that have been just beneath the political surface for some time, such as:
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What is the social covenant today? Americans
are deeply torn and concerned over what the
social covenant is between and among them. This
issue, clearly, raises such concerns and the
opportunity to debate them.
What is my own obligation? In a society that
is so consumer driven, where we expect to get
what we want when we want it, there is the
question about what our own obligation is to
secure our future. This debate provides the
opportunity to discuss this important issue.
What is the public good, and what sacrifice
will I make for it? Here, there is the question
of what kind of society do we want, and what do
each of us need to ante up in order to create
that society. This debate requires that, at
some point, we engage as citizens, not just as
individuals.