I wasn't able to locate the NPR segment, but via the magic of Google I found this quote in today's Asheville NC Citizen-Times. It probably refers to the same speech.
"A lot of young people today feel like they've got a better chance of seeing a UFO than a Social Security check." - President Bush
Ok, this isn't quite as bad as my original version, but it's still bad. Young people may indeed be this ignorant (I hope not), but the president shouldn't be. See my point above about what happens if we do nothing. People still get 70-80% of their benefits. This isn't as good as what people get now, but it's a long way from nothing.
Social Security does have a problem. Young people evidently think it won't be there for them. I can remember thinking that perhaps 15-20 years back. Why do people think this? Probably because the "Social Security won't be there" meme has been pushed for a long time by conservatives. The rest of us need to speak up in response to that sorry line.
The complete quote
"A lot of young people today feel like they've got a better chance of seeing a UFO than a Social Security check." - President Bush
Ok, this isn't quite as bad as my original version, but it's still bad. Young people may indeed be this ignorant (I hope not), but the president shouldn't be. See my point above about what happens if we do nothing. People still get 70-80% of their benefits. This isn't as good as what people get now, but it's a long way from nothing.
Social Security does have a problem. Young people evidently think it won't be there for them. I can remember thinking that perhaps 15-20 years back. Why do people think this? Probably because the "Social Security won't be there" meme has been pushed for a long time by conservatives. The rest of us need to speak up in response to that sorry line.