Krauthammer misses the point

Tue., Sept. 27, 2011

The same arguments used by Charles Krauthammer (Sept. 17) to claim that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme could be used to claim that educating our children is also a Ponzi scheme. In the case of education, earlier generations pay for schools that benefit children who will eventually pay for schools that benefit later generations, and so on.

The issue, however, is not whether Social Security is or is not a Ponzi scheme. Instead, how do we carry out the social contract (between the dead and the unborn) whereby those in their most productive years can help with the needs of other generations?

Roy Johnson

Pullman

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