What would've happened to Social Security if Republicans privatized it like they wanted to under Bush?

[Socrates]

Apparently you don't do many investments. Depending on how the investments were structured, it could have taken a hit for a couple of years (end result not earning anything on principle) or nothing, Regardless, the yield of a privatized Social Security account would still be DOUBLE what it is now, and without taxpayers paying for it.

Some people picture all the Social Security money going into Bill's Louisiana Fish House or something like that. Liberals might structure something like that. Conservatives wouldn't. If FDR put the trust fund into a simple interest-bearing account in the first place, all this would have been avoided. Well.....Democrats (and a few Republicans) would have still raided the Social Security Fund for their pet spending projects, so disregard that last comment.

[webned]

You'd have to rename it Social Insecurity.

[adeline]

It would have given those who wanted the right to spend their money the way they saw fit, instead of having it taken from them to be misappropriated by government.

[whosudaddynow]

Money in the market is never lost, it just changes pockets. By now it would have been in the pockets of Wall St. friends of the Republicans Fat Cats.

[Shuthrower]

The party of "fiscal conservatism" should not be offering ways of privatizing retirement accounts or social security. The latest collapse of Wall Street banks should be more than enough evidence that they have no idea of what they are doing. Offering up "trickle down" theories and de-regulation as a way to stimulate the economy only stimulates the bottom lines of corporations, bankers and Wall Street CEO's, not working middle class families. The idea of making retirement accounts and social security vulnerable to market forces, clearly shows who their allegiance is to. Anyone that thinks the republican party is on your side when it comes to your money needs a lobotomy.