Right then, right now

The 75th anniversary of a landmark event passed with little notice last month. On August 14, 1935, Social Security – the government program that touches the most lives – became the law of the land.

Hard to believe, but 75 years ago there was no such government retirement program for the nation’s elderly and disabled. Everyone was dependent on either retirement benefits provided by an employer or what they had socked away from their often meager earnings.

Of course, the Great Depression and bank failings of the 1930s had wiped out much of people’s savings. In those days, there was no FDIC insurance on bank deposits, either. And, of course, there was no Medicare to provide health benefits to the elderly. Medicare had to wait another 30 years.

Back when Social Security was started, critics called it “communist” and “socialist.” There were dire warnings that the program marked the end of capitalism in America, as if the Great Depression hadn’t already changed everything.

Similar voices raised similar “socialist” scares when Medicare, a single-payer government health insurance plan, became law 45 years ago on July 30, 1965.

Brushing aside the critics, President Lyndon Johnson predicted, “Thirty years from today, this bill will be a welcome and permanent part of our nation’s heritage that no representative would ever dare repeal.”

Of course, Johnson proved to be right.

During last year’s debate over health care reform, we heard the same cries about “socialism.” Ironically, they frequently came from people collecting Social Security and benefiting from Medicare. But if the reform measures end up making people’s lives better, they will be accepted by the American populace, just as Social Security and Medicare were.

Quite often, what’s considered radical today is just tomorrow’s conservatism.