What Gave Ayn Rand the Moral Right to Collect Social Security?

Some myths never seem to die, especially the ones that draw life support from ceaseless social media invective. You cannot follow Ayn Rand on Facebook or Twitter without repeatedly encountering the accusation that she was a hypocrite for accepting Social Security benefits, since she opposed the welfare state in all its forms. Rarely, however, do her attackers bother even to read what she wrote on the subject. To clarify the issues, I wrote this article a few years ago, hoping to encourage careful attention to her reasoning as a prerequisite to passing judgment. Since the myth still lives, I’m publishing a lightly edited version of that article here on New Ideal. (Onkar Ghate)

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[AMX]

The government stole social security taxes from me for 56 years...now I want my money back. It may take 20 years but I'll get most of it. I DID NOT VOTE FOR SS taxes. If I kept that money and invested MYSELF I'd have no problem in retirement.

[Radeo]

Most hilariously evasive rebuttal to this position I've read has to be that "restitution" is not possible since the money one pays in is used that same tax year --- thus the money one gets back "isn't really yours."

[TheMichaelMove]

So ridiculous. If a thief robs you and the police recover some of your money should you turn it down because you are against robbery?

[mikeb]

The real hypocrisy are those that condemn theft but then consider it okay if government steals

[jasonmitchell]

Do the Democrats who support raising federal income taxes send more money to the U.S. Treasury? If not, I wonder why they don't consider themselves hypocrites?

[mustang]

Although I despise the deep seeded evil of the scheme we are all involuntary forced into, I will still try to get damages and restitution for the thefts.

[Papa-bkil]

Because libertarians decide where they draw the line….
She is a hypocrite..
But that’s what is awesome about social security and Medicare you get it regardless of ignorance

[stevengoldstein]

Your discussion just pointed out the real problem that Reason, Individualism and Capitalism we have today. Capitalism has reached the threshold of how far it can grow. We have since the 2000s lived on fictional values called Derivatives or Residential and Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities to "expand" the market. That is not REAL value and thus there is no "expansion" necessary for the practical survival of the three factors you describe. Once there is no "expansion" then the markets will eat itself. Thus we are going into a VERY scary REAL dead end.

[OGDailylama]

What gave her the right? I always get back what was stolen and when someone says, ‘give me your money for your retirement and I’ll ensure you get it back’ they create a contract, even if I don’t agree with it and I expect them to follow through with their contractual obligations.

[SpacePatrollerLaser]

In the late 1970's Rand said that she would collect on Social Security at the Ford Hall Forum. Beyond that, it's official name was not "Social Security" but FICA, which referred to an insurance policy. and you can see that on your pay stub. It was in fact an insurance policy, not welfare. Nobody expected life expectancy to make it unsustainable. When enacted, the age of collection was 65 was 1/12th greater than the actuarial calculation of 60 years, so only 1/13th of the contributers would live to collect on it. Also it was not meant to be a sole income, only to fill in gaps to bring retirement icone up to some minumum level for survival

[NoirHammer]

So, in other words, "restitution" is her way of getting a pass which has led others to view her as a hypocrite. See the problem there? The critics are right in this case.

[RCSkunkWorX]

"What Gave Ayn Rand the Moral Right to Collect Social Security"?
The United States Government that's who.

[collinwimbish]

Hahahaha government is bad except for when I need it.

[myowngenesis]

Did she or did she not collect social security? Not interested in what she said, interested in what she did

[johnkosowski]

This really is the dumbest topic I ever heard. Was she a hypocrite for travelling on public roads?