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Show THE SEARCHLIGHT ©he Basis of Social Security Editor’s Note: The Searchlight in this issue begins a series of articles on Social Security. This article is naturally rather broad in scope and will be followed by articles dealing with more specific problems facing the social security program. In succeeding issues the Searchlight will discuss in brief the present Social Security Program as it operates in the state and in the nation today and a brief discussion of the all-inclusive program which has been suggested by the National Resources Planning Board. There are some drawbacks to social security which should be faced if America is going to have social security in fact as well as in name. Both the worker and the employer are responsible First for these and drawbacks. probably most important is the fact that both worker and employer alike look upon social security as being something for the individual. The employer especially looks upon social security as being something which only concerns the man who gets it. That is the big error which must be overcome before America ean have real social security. The worker and employer alike should know, and should always bear in mind, that any social security going to an individual benefits the group of individuals. Social security is a community benefit rather than an individual benefit. We are so interdependent in this complex modern civilization that anything which affects one small portion of the community affects the whole community and might affect a community ten thousand miles away. Thus the prime object of those who want to further social security should be to get workers and employers to thinking in terms of social security and the community instead of social security and the indiwidual. Another drawback is the tendency to separate social security from the general economy of the nation or the community. That 1s something like the point just mentioned. It is hard to believe that the activities of some one in South Africa or China will have any effect upon the security of the American workman. It is hard to believe that such things as trade agreements, attitudes of American tour- ists abroad, actions of exploiters who move into an undeveloped foreign country, have any bearing on the social security of the American. Yet all have direct bearings. The matter of tariffs and their overall effect on the general economy of the government directly affects the security of the worker and too often the worker who has hidden behind employment produced by a tariff wall one year has had to endure long periods of unemployment later. This is not a discussion nor a condemnation of tariffs or trade agreements or international actions of individuals or corporations. It is simply a statement that all of these things have a direct bearing on any social security program and those who sincerely want to further the security of the American workman should make a study of the nation’s economy, in fact of the world economy. All men ean not do that, but anyone who claims to be a leader of a great movement should look at the broad problem, not merely set a goal and drive for it, regardless of cost. Yet another drawback to social security is the smugness of the American workman. The Gallup poll of a few weeks ago carried the the unbelievable statement that 87 per cent of the American workmen believed that their jobs would continue after the war. About three per cent did not express themselves, 5 per cent said they would easily get another job and only 5 per cent thought the going would be tough when the shooting stopped. What chance has a thing like social security when the worker has had three square meals a day for some years and declines to look at the future, and when employers, with visions of prosperity ahead have kidded themselves into thinking that we have arrived at Utopia and that private industry can guide the destinies of Man from here on out? A patriotic thing to do would be for a eroup, in fact any number of groups, of those who believe that a human being is entitled to at least a minimum of certain rights and privileges, to dedicate themselves to the ‘broad study of social security, which in a sense is a study (Continued on following page) _ |