The Social Security Debate, Cont'd

MScoleman at aol.com MScoleman at aol.com
Wed Aug 26 22:25:45 PDT 1998


Max (and anyone else) i realize that welfare and social security are 'different' but Frances Bolton's point is broader than the discussion you are addressing. At the time all this legislation was passed (during the fdr years) welfare and social security were considered part of the SAME social net -- and were originally conceived of as equally important. This was one of those brief periods in US history when women really were homemakers to a great extent, and the social contract was meant to allow poor women the same 'rights' as more well-to-do women, the right to stay home and raise their own children. ALSO, it was discovered, and remains true today no matter what anyone in government claims to the opposite, that it is cheaper to maintain women and children through welfare than it is for the state to assume the responsibility of raising those same children in institutional settings. It is only in the last few decades that the double standard against women has become so virulent.

In short, welfare was originally conceived of as the same type of payment as social security -- men received retirement income they were entitled to because they worked for so many years and women received income to raise children. You will not that 'men' have kept their entitlement and women have not.

maggie coleman mscoleman at aol.com



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