Why it is so hard for Conservatives to eliminate Social Security

The conservatives like to say that liberal laws are addictive.  That once we get a taste of it, it is very hard to remove it.   But instead of admitting that Americans LIKE the liberal programs, they instead pretend it they are 'addicted' to them.  They claim they have to keep Americans from enacting 'evil liberal programs', because once they are in, it is almost impossible to remove them. 

Keeping Grandma out of the poor house is not a 'sweet'.  It is the meat and potatoes of the meal.   More importantly

What is going on here is actually simple.   Remember when I gave a new definition of Conservatives vs. Liberals (http://conservativelyliberal.blogspot.com/2011/03/conservative-vs-liberal.html).  Basically, conservatives believe that people have foresight, but tend to sin.

The conservatives have recognized that Americans like certain social programs (Social Security being the best liked of all the programs).   But it is still a core belief of conservatives that Social Security and all other such programs are evil.  They can't admit they were wrong, and they don't want to insult americans by claiming they are stupid.  So instead they fall back on their core beliefs, that people tend to sin.  So they consider it an 'addiction'.

Note, similarly, when liberals find that people just are not willing to enact a high gas tax to fight global warming (like Europe has done), we claim that people are short sighted, not sinful.   Again, this has to do with the core mindset of the political groups.

The truth has nothing to do with our mindsets.

The reasons why it is easier to stop a liberal program than it is to end one are rather simple:

1.  It is much harder to lie about an existing program.  That is, you can stupidly claim that Obamacare will involve "Death Panels", but if you try claiming that Social Security has "Death Panels", you get laughed at.
2. If the program is successful, it will garner a lot of support from people it has helped.  Before it begins, not everyone that it will help will be aware of it or believe it. In fact, if someone has lied about a program, the people it would help might be afraid of it.
3. Existing programs get intertwined with other programs and people make plans based on them.   If you include Social Security in your retirement planning, you don't want to have to redo your plans.  Nor do you want to have to figure out how changes in Social Security will affect Medicare. (or vice versa).
4. The final reason it is easier to stop a program rather than end it is Inertia.  People fear change.  Before a program exists, that fear works against it's creation.  After it exists, that fear works against it's destruction.

How do I know that these four factors are the real reason why Americans support Social Security etc, as opposed to Ann Coulture's ridiculous belief of addiction to a treat?

Simple:  Not all liberal programs work.    I know, I know, I shockingly admitted my own personal political belief's are not always right.

Prime example of flawed liberal programs are actually pretty common.   Almost as common as flawed Conservative programs.  Amazing how one word - 'almost' - can change the idea of a sentence.  A prime example of this was "HAMP" - the "Home Affordable Modification Program" Obama set up to prevent foreclosures.  This plan was horrible.  It did not work.   As such, the conservatives are finding it easy to kill the plan.  They statements about it not working were correct, not lies.   It has few successes, so it has no constituents demanding it be kept.  People know how horrible it is, so they don't make plans based on it.  And the disgust people have over it means it is being tweaked, so inertia is not working on it's favor.

That is how you no Americans are NOT sinfully addicted to government plans.  We only like the ones that actually work. 

So the next time some Republican says people are addicted to liberal programs, tell them no, we are addicted the programs that WORK, whether they are liberal or conservative.  Then ask them which conservative program is so good that people revolt at the idea of changing it.   They do exist - the FBI is a prime example.