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AP
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain (R).
Rick Perry garnered a lot of attention -- and criticism from Mitt Romney -- for calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”
But Herman Cain -- whose 9-9-9 plan proposes eliminating the payroll tax, which funds Social Security -- has gone so far as to call Social Security and the tax code “immoral” and “oppressive,” that they impose “involuntary servitude” and that the “system by its very nature discriminates against black men and women,” a review of Cain’s past writings reveals.
Social security remains popular. In a February NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, only 22% said it would be acceptable to cut it as a way to reduce the federal budget deficit, while 77% said it would not be acceptable. In the most recent NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, 64% disagreed with the comparison of the retirement program to a Ponzi Scheme.
Under a 2005 column titled, “Separate Water Fountains,” Cain wrote, “It is now evident that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not apply to the Social Security system. Due to the rising retirement age, differences in life expectancy between Blacks and Whites, and mandatory payroll tax deductions, the system by its very nature discriminates against black men and women.”
He went on to call it “built-in discrimination,” before adding, “Under the current Social Security structure, deceased black men essentially fund a large percentage of the retirement income of elderly white women, since they live the longest to nearly 80 years on average.”
He added: “The answer is that congressional Democrats do not want all Americans to drink from the same retirement fountains. They insinuate that we are not smart enough to ride in the front of the retirement bus with them. … At least with separate water fountains blacks and whites each had water to drink.”
Cain -- who during his presidential campaign said, "African-Americans have been brainwashed” into voting for Democrats -- also took shots in his past writing at the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, and “many of our so-called black leaders,” including then-Sen. Barack Obama.
“[B]lack Democratic leaders are willing to see the next generation of Blacks remain in economic slavery on the Democratic plantation, so long as they can deny any Republican a perceived political victory,” Cain wrote.
Cain claimed in another column that Social Security would be insolvent by 2018. And he not only endorsed former President Bush’s effort to push for personal retirement accounts, but waged a campaign in favor of the idea in a series of columns.
“President Bush's vision of an ownership society is the same as that of our Founding Fathers, our grandparents and our parents,” Cain wrote. “The centerpiece of Bush's vision is to restructure the soon-insolvent Social Security structure and instill a greater degree of fairness for all citizens in the outdated income tax code.”
Many viewed that as privatization. But not Cain.
“The second dirty little secret is that personal retirement accounts do not really constitute privatization,” he wrote. “Privatization means someone else owns your account. Bush's Social Security plan provides younger workers their own accounts that they control, not the government.”
And he claimed: “Bush's plan will not turn the public into a bunch of moonlighting day-traders, lining up to be fleeced by Wall Street insiders.” But rather: “The president's plan allows the poorest among us to join the investing class and reap the benefits of the market and compound interest.”
And he touted the strength of the stock market: “Personal retirement accounts as proposed by the president are the first step to fixing the solvency crisis and allowing more people access to economic freedom. The market has never once lost money in any 20-year period.”
In a separate column, he wrote, “In just 13 years the system will be insolvent. President Bush and some congressional Republicans are addressing the certain bankruptcy but congressional Democrats and liberal special interest groups are fighting them every step of the way.”
He went on to say in another column that Social Security and the tax code “thwart the natural, individual motivation of citizens to use their God-given talents to pursue happiness and their respective dreams,” Cain wrote.
He continued, “Any program that undermines an individual's liberty to create ownership is, then, by its very nature, immoral.”
And: “It should not take us another 250 years to cease the involuntary negative return most working people receive from Social Security, or the involuntary servitude imposed by the oppressive income tax code.”
He also said that if Social Security and the tax code aren’t restructured, Congress and the president “will have no choice but to cut benefits and raise taxes again.”
He blamed Democrats for attacking “the President's vision daily. They believe it is right for citizens to continue to receive a negative return on their lifelong contributions to the Social Security system, and in many instances no return at all. The return on contributions is even worse for black people, because of the difference in their average life expectancy.”
Cain also said Democrats are not interested in long-term solvency of Social Security, but rather their “hidden goal is increased control of your life, which is achieved by controlling an ever-growing share of your money.”
And the roots of his support for the Chilean system appear in his columns as well: “The small country of Chile switched to an optional system of personal retirement accounts in 1980 and workers are retiring at 80% of their pre-retirement income. Social Security recipients in the U.S. on average receive about 40% of their pre-retirement income, and they do not own their contributions or benefits after their death. In Galveston County and Chile, your money is yours to keep or pass on to heirs.” And: “We should be embarrassed that the small country of Chile established a system of personal retirement accounts in 1980 that has provided real retirement security for its citizens.”
He said: “Personal account plans have worked in Galveston County, Texas, and the country of Chile for well over 20 years, and have provided their beneficiaries rates of return hundreds of times higher than Social Security over the same period.”
Perhaps signaling why Cain has been popular among Tea Party activists, he also wrote the following, which sounds very much like the modern Tea Party movement: “When we elected a Republican president and a Republican majority in Congress, we thought the runaway spending spree of our money would stop. The excess spending did not stop, and it's not all associated with the war in Iraq. Mandatory entitlement spending alone currently accounts for over half of the federal budget. By the year 2015, mandatory entitlement spending will account for over 60 percent of budget outlays. The persistent overspending has caused the United States to become a net debtor nation instead of the strong net lending nation we once were.”
Cain, who once supported Steve Forbes – and his flat tax - for president also advocated this solution: “Congress, replace the income tax code with a national sales tax modeled on the FairTax. Congress, pass legislation that includes optional personal retirement accounts for workers younger than 45 years of age using 4 percentage points of their payroll taxes. Congress, let's enact a balanced budget amendment, since you have demonstrated that you cannot control your spending addiction.”
And: “As an economic superpower we should be embarrassed that nations once part of the communist Soviet Union, such as Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia recently replaced their outdated tax systems with a single-bracket flat tax system. These formerly backward nations are all experiencing booming economies as a result.”
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What ever goes up must come down . Cain is living in a world of his own . So much for his bull@!$%# . Bye Bye Cain . Go back to the pizza store .
Uncle Ruckus aka Herman Cain 2012!!!
Herman Cain is the only hope we as Americans have to overcome the left wing media who will continually attack him at every turn just as this article does. The author clearly inserts his personal opinion and tries to make Cain look like a non-politician and that is good, because he is not and he is the anti-Obama. RUN HERMAN RUN!!!!!
Bye bye Obama, its been different, actually it's been weird.
Mr. Cain, we don't need your racist mouth trying to run our country. You may as well throw in the towel now.
Starting with cain, he is not the candidate he is the republican party mascot, look we have blacks too. Just like mc cain before him said look we have a woman too.
come on mccain has been around along time and then he picks a woman in a man dominated political system which he has been a part. A woman nobody even knew not even mccain, after what is it forty years in politics he could'nt find a man . Same thing with Cain he's up there for the party to say look we have one to. everyone knows 999 is smoke and mirrors he says the people understand it, and how is that when the economist don't get it. This is a man that has alot to be ashamed of. His analogy of the water fountains and any mention of civil rights from him is despicable he did nothing for civil rights and acts totally oblivious to inequality that still exists. I believe we do need to change the tax code I would prefer a flat tax no loopholes capital gains same tax.
I believe if you take away most of these loopholes you could bring the tax rate down due to taking in more monies, keep a balanced budget. Now I think their should be exemptions for the poor or people making under a certain amount , family size also disabled persons especially veterans. I would change the congressional retirement to the regular government system politicians should not walk away from public service rich, there their to serve they have amassed a great deal of power, we should not reward them with an excessive retirement too. Getting back to cain not a chance, actually right now the republicans do not have a candidate that can win. Between the spin the name calling, and all the the other distortions by spring people will have already made up their minds to stay democrat. The press will always spin it as a tight race in order to sell their dribble and keep their sponsors. This election will all be hype just like las vegas debate did anyone here anything knew or just a bunch guys bicking about things that are not on the agenda Jobs, how do we put america back to work. what are we going to do about wall street, Fannie mae, freddy mack the two wars and all of the important stuff no it's better to call people BUMS because they exercise their constitutional right. Well congressmen those BUMS out their some come from your state and your state has or will have the same thing happening. and if they are all BUMS junkies and alcoholics maybe its because that's the only comfort they could find after you and your cronies took any chance of a decent life away from them. B of A just made 3.8 billion dollars in profit it's probably much more but we don't go there. VOTE the republicans out of congress NOW. that is what the slogan for 2012 should be I would gladly wear that button.
America, ever hear of personal responsibility?
Why rely on and stand up for, a crooked, (proven) nanny government to "rob" (and spend) one, of their own earnings (social security tax) and then claim to give that very money back to you, as a "retirement fund" (which does not exsist = spent, by the crooks in Washington)
How dumb are you America?
After the Republicans eliminate SS they will go after your military retirement.
glump-3047761 , They already are. Paul Ryan said even disabled combat vets have it too good and wants to cut their benefits. Even John McCain blocked the increase in VA benefits that Obama wanted.
Almost every retired military person I know talks just like MtMike. That's why I assumed he was retired military. I don't understand why they cheerlead these politicians.
Now I do see it, Social Security is a ponzi scheme. Americans are forced to pay Social Security, but the money that is taken out of their pay checks goes to pay those who are drawing Social Security now, and the money taken out is not really actually there.
Mr. Cain, your embracing the flat tax is a good starting point for you and the thinking rank and file members of your disgusting party. But, until Congress pays back to the SSA General Fund the money it deviously removed, Congress will retain the label of THIEF, such as the fox guarding the henhouse. SSA must be restored to its former investment status and Medicare needs the same overhaul - make both solvent again through a series of long terms taxation that everyone pays into. 15% flat tax with 1% of that tax gong into the SSA/Mecicare funds to allow for those of us who paid for so many years to at least reap our return, small as it is. It is not opressive Mr. Cain. What is opressive are a--holes like you who cannot correctly identify the culprits in the US system of entitlements. We are entitled to our SSA and a our Medicare because we paid into it! How dare you and your unethical lackeys seek to revolutionize a system that works, but was left in arrears by Congressional thievery. Go back and fix a Pizza Mr. Cain, for you need to spend more time in the kitchen.
This is my plea to Republicans, if you are going to vote against Obama, PLEEEEEEEEEASE, don't vote for CAIN!!! HE'S A COMPLETE IDIOT!!!!!
We learned from the last election that the Republicans will nominate the dumbest people they can find. That might turn out to be Cain and some other ranting lunatic.
Uncle Tom Cain speaks and morons applaud.
I guess you're applauding then?
C'mon liberals; have a lttle compassion for our fellow citizens of the Republican persuasion. They keep picking champions, anoint them as the next coming and then watch them go down in flames. Palin, Trump, Bachmann, Perry... and now Cain. In the next few days they will discover that he shares all their values of small government, except that he is not in favor of having government imposed bans on abortion. That has to be the kiss of death with voters who absolutely want to impose their religious views on everybody else. Of course, he may just pick up on Romney's example and just do a flip flop. From what I can see so far, he's not all that good at it, though. Romney is very good at it, but then again he's had so much practice....
I am a disabled veteran with psych and physical ailments from my military accomplishments between 1990-1993. I was on 7 psych medications and chose to stop taking them over a year ago. I have a service dog (MARLEY) she helps with my anxiety levels but without me using “Black-market” marijuana its harder for me to control, without marijuana the ARTHRITIS in my back would be more painful. I have a young friend of mine who is diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) he too benefits from the effects. I say to you the readers KNOW-THE-FACTS…..If it’s legalized it too would stimulate the economy by shutting down unneeded prisons and government spending on prison guards , low-level law officials and programs like” NARK” and “DARE” that eat at local community budgets(This would put the MONEY back where it came from Social Security, Healthcare and WEL-FARE). These are local programs formed by the government under the “war on Drugs” with money bribes to your local politicians. why do you think we all want to know now “WHERE DID THE MONEY GO ?” The budgets are done every year the money is hidden in programs!!!Have we forgotten we gave IRAQ “GRANTS” to rebuild not LOANS ? How about the tsunami $$ to Japan to rebuild or to Indonesia to rebuild OR HAITI after their earthquake to rebuild ? I have an IDEA use US tax dollars to help the US TAX PAYER……….The sad part is we the people didn’t vote for that congress did for us. when we have a crisis we don’t have the money . Not to mention the new STATE “regulation” on pain medication means I now have to drive to my doctors once a month instead of once-every 3. The raise they are considering for SSDI is a joke compared the the gas$ increases over the past 3yrs. WE keep writing laws that keep LOW-income, LOW-income. wall-street has the gas market cornered their job is to make their investors money, it’s congress that’s spending our money and draining the purse not WALL street. Try sleeping at night knowing the country i was injured protecting is the same country I’m now fighting to legalize an” alleviation” from my symptoms.
I am a Vietnam vet and you have my sympathy and support. I was a medic with the 199th Lt.Inf. Brigade in Long Bien from 1969 to 1970. I cannot imagine the misery of repeated tours in Iraq and Aphganistan. The mental strain is overpowering. I appreiciate your service, but feel that you were duped (as I was) into believing that that what you did was for freedom. You were a pawn, used by our government to accomplish a mission of dubious origins to secure monetary gain for the war machine. Be brave. You can make it through this. Believe in yourself. Know that many Viet vets feel your pain. We were the first to feel the loss of youth and support from WWII vets. I was called baby killer and loser by them. I was a medic who saved 2 lives with CPR, but "I" was baby killer. Read my comment below about how upset I am wth Herman Cain. He should be totally ignored when the elections come.
The social security act was passed in 1935. At that time , the average life expectancy was 64. Therefore, the retirement age was set at 65. This was 1 year after most people died , at that tme. If people don't see through the smoke and mirrors that Herman is throwing up, then I feel sorry for those people. These ramblings from Mr. Cain are laughable. He is throwing the race card into an act that was meant to cover those few people who beat the system by living past age 65. Congress has raised the retirement age to 67 for the people born after the baby boomer age to compensate. Herman - you are the whitest black man I have ever encountered.
You are too ignorant to realize you just proved Cains point.
Rocky Racoon, My spouse is a combat disabled vet He lost a leg in 1969 in Viet Nam and survived because of the service you and others gave to our country and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. One thing Cain said that caught my attention was most black men don't live long enough to collect SS. Well he was born December 13, 1945 which makes him 66 in two months. Since there's no means test for SS yet, I wonder if he's collecting his. I'm sure he paid into it for years before he made his millions. I have not heard anything about him serving in the military. If he didn't, how did he avoid the draft ?
It's about time a black leader stood up for the rights of minorities instead of exploiting them the way liberals have been doing for nearly 60 years.
Thank you, Herman Cain.
"I'll have those ni&&ers voting democrat for a 100 years."
-Lyndon Johnson
At the rate these GOP hopefuls keep making such over the top comments and scaring people with their obvious disregard for the middle class, the 2012 election is getting easier by the day to call the winner now.
I guess he really wants to get elected. It's some strategy. LOL.
Did you even read what the man said? Obviously not.
The Republicans refer to SS as an entitlement because they believe wall street is entitled to it. So when it gets privatized the crooks on wall street will figure out a way to swindle the public. SS will go the way of the 401k, down the drain.
How can we be swindled any more than receiving a negative return on our money from a corrupt government?
Anyone in the stock market since 2001 knows.
Cain is simply saying it like it is. He is reading right from the script that all Republicans ascribe to whether they admit it or not. He is not unique and He is not really the issue either. The issue is that given his popularity and that of the Tea Party in general means there are a large swath of Americans who whole heartedly support his positions. These people a "believers", even as they are led to the edge fo the cliff.
Well, Obama hasn't exactly led us to the "promised land" with his grotesque government intervention and spending.
I know Tea Party people and they are glassy-eyed believers who cannot be reasoned with. They will go off the cliff and then blame Obama. They followed GWB off the cliff and blamed Obama didn't they?
Maybe we should change the form of government, I think everyone would agree that politicians and our present political parties, lobbyist and the rich control the government, and that the care taking of this country and it's citizens is not a priority.
We need laws that curtail what politicians can do. with the internet and and high speed communications. we can have laws passed by a citizen vote, not just congress, we need to marginalize their positions and take back the country. We take away their power we take away the lobbyist and special interest groups.
I think this would really work especially in town's and cities as well as states, bills, motions laws are displayed for one week to one month and then voted on by the people of that district town or state.
you have the entire time to vote not just at a certain time or day but within the time allotted . congressmen and senators would still be the writers but now they vote like the rest. There would still be things that congress voted on only but that would be limited. and would go as far those things being up for filibustering to go for a general vote.
Tell me what you think,
call don-3418190
That would assume that we had first world internet infrastructure and computer access. We don't. Like everything else we were first there, last to invest in continuing updates.
Thurind, Well maybe there's job in their somewhere!
I think but I am not sure anymore it's called globalism.
It is really funny to listen to Herman Cain talk about the 1964 Civil Rights Act. As the official Uncle Tom for the Koch Brothers, it appears that civil rights and large campaign donations don't matter. He is more than effective working as a shill for the Koch Industries. Before you start howling that I am a racist, let look at a little back ground on the Koch Brothers and their father.
This is taken from the following article.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-02/koch-brothers-flout-law-getting-richer-with-secret-iran-sales.html
Fred Koch was an early adviser to the founder of the anti-communist John Birch Society, which fought against the civil rights movement and the United Nations.
His campaign money originates with the man who fought against the very Civil Rights Act, he is quoting.
More on the Koch Brothers and their Civil Rights past.
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/10/02/there-are-many-more-koch-brother-secret-sins-video/
The Koch brothers are keen to let their think tanks and front groups do their dirty work for them. They have donated more than $5 million to Americans for Prosperity, a Tea Party group that allied with like-minded organizations in North Carolina. The Koch brothers put their money to work, and the result was external groups laying the groundwork for a long, subtle campaign to elect a new school board majority.
The Koch-supported candidates won and promptly began reversing the student assignment plan. They favored one that would lead to segregated schools. The Koch brothers' plan to resegregate schools hit a roadblock when students, parents, teachers, and civil rights leaders united to stop the return to Jim Crow.
The Koch-supported school board members in North Carolina face an election this month. An anonymous campaign flier, which could come back to Koch-supported groups, accuses the NAACP of indoctrinating local anti-resegregation candidate
Once again, Herman Cain is collaborating with the very people who are bankrolling efforts to to return Civil Rights and the Black Community to the very time Mr. Cain is talking about.
...and how would you spew your racism in defining Obama...as George Soros' slave?
I really think Cain should continue to campaign on doing away with Social Security, making it a point to emphasize that each person is responsible for himself. He should hammer away at this and also call for discontinuing Social Security for everyone imediately after he is elected President. The TeaParty is so strong now, and their philosophy so prevalent, that I am sure that this is the path for the republicans to take to gain full majorities in both houses and retake the presidency.
And the cow will jump over the moon, ahem.
You would think that since they want to destroy the middle class they would be sneaky about it. But they are not being sneaky. They are saying up front that they want to screw us and they want us to vote for them. I don't get it.
herman cain, is about herman cain, he sat a that prestigious university, while people where marching suffering and dieing for his a**. excuse the * now he says inequality don't exist what world are you living in?
NEWS FLASH! all the black people your just wrong, your unemployment isn't twice the nations average, your not poor because of racism the playing field is even according to cain,
If the playing field is even for everybody then why do one percent have all the wealth and power.
I suggest racism is rampant and the middle class and poor whites have been duped into believing that they were part of the one's that with hard work they could have a better life.
You were the prison guards of fair treatment, and now come to find out your just a prisoner too....
But maybe this WHITE guy just had a dream...
Don,
There is a spell-check button that you obviously don't know about. It's the one with the ABC and the little check mark below it on your posting toolbar. As I am on your side I would encourage you to use it.
Otherwise, you look a lot like the ignorant GOP low-information posters on this vine.
Help our cause and use it!