The Sky Will Always be Falling

Back when I was a kid, a constant refrain was that Social Security was going to go bankrupt and that it would not be around when I eventually retired. "You'll pay into it your whole life, but you won't get any benefit." Then Ronald Reagan signed the Social Security fix, and the narrative changed dramatically. No, wait, it didn't change at all.

So when I hear Kevin Drum argue,

I am, of course, one of those liberals who's in favor of a [Social Security] deal [even though liberals could just wait it out and not give up anything]. Why? Because I think it's worthwhile for young people to have faith that Social Security will be there for them when they retire.

it appears he needs to be reminded: The sky is always falling, we have always been at war with Eastasia, and (even if the actuaries project that it's fiscally sound into the next millennium) young people are going to be told by the powerful voices that hope to undermine the program that Social Security is not going to be around when they retire.