points of view

Islamism from page 35

intolerance of basic human rights
and Western liberties, hangs on
the ideological defeat of political
Islam. The West will be chasing
splinter groups of radical Islam
into the next century, he argues,
unless pious Muslims, who
believe in Western nation states
and their secular system of law
over the "Islamic state win the
internal political debate among
Muslims.
Dr. Charles
Jacobs, head of
Boston-based
Americans
for Peace &
Tolerance,
cogently wrote
in a May com-
Dr. Charles
mentary: "The
Jacobs
problem that
we refuse to
confront is the well-financed and
well-planned efforts to radical-
ize what has been a historically
moderate American Muslim com-
munity."

Joining Force!

America is caught in the cross-

hairs of this struggle. At stake
is the preeminence of our
Constitution and our form of
governing. Islamism already has
infected portions of Europe. The
American Muslim community
must lead the charge against radi-
cal Islam or the thrust is doomed.
Certainly, this call to battle
requires teamwork. All faith
groups must be part of the solu-
tion to countering the influence
and ideology of political Islam,
which is rooted in Sharia law and
doesn't recognize the complete
equality of minorities, the way
our Constitution does.
The answer, which I first
pitched in 2011, is still burrowed
in all faith groups of good will
aiding moderate Muslims in
exposing the extent of Islamism as
well as governmental imposition
of Sharia law.
American Jewish groups are
uniquely positioned to help — if
they have the will to step up.
Jasser holds that "not only has
Israel been dealing with the threat
of radical Islam in Hamas, but the
Jewish community also has suf-
fered as a minority when living
in nations under Islamist control,
such as Iran and Saudi Arabia,
and thus has additional dimen-
sion in understanding this threat."
Boston was yet another wakeup
call to Islamist danger. ❑

36

June 13 • 2013

Guest Column

i)onfft Cut Social Security Benefits

T

he best anti-poverty program we have ever had just
has only made the situation worse.
turned 78, and many in Congress as well as the presi-
It is true that Social Security is in need of adjustments to
dent want to cut its essential benefits.
ensure its long-term stability. Such adjustments have been
At a time when millions were near starvation during the
made in the past and no doubt will be in the future. But they
depths of the Depression, the U.S. adopted the system of
have always been made to achieve stability in the program
social insurance we know today as Social Security. Confronted
itself - that is, any gains made by such changes have been
with overwhelming need and an economy on the
used to sustain the viability of the system. They have
.,
skids, the country committed nevertheless to the
not been offered as a bargaining chip in some grand-
task of rescuing millions from destitution. Now that
er deal that penalizes recipients - including current
we're the richest country on Earth, somehow we
recipients - for the sake of a concession in Congress
can't afford to maintain the current standard of
on some other completely unrelated matter.
benefits?
In fact, rather than cut benefits, there is actually
Social Security was cut significantly in 1983
a case to be made for raising them.
when the full retirement age was raised from 65
Americans have long been told to think of their
to 67 (to be phased in by 2027). Still, more than
retirement income as a three-legged stool - a pen-
40 million older Americans of all incomes now
sion, savings and Social Security. Defined benefit
receive benefits, and 17 million more who are dis-
pensions - the traditional notion of a pension that
abled or minor children also receive a monthly
baby boomers grew up with - are vanishing in the
check. And as for fighting poverty, Social Security
corporate world. Even IBM no longer offers pen-
lifts nearly 15 million - almost 47 percent - of
sions to new employees. But too many workers
those aged 65 and over from falling below the
can't afford to save what they need due to stag-
poverty line as well as more than 1 million children.
nant incomes over the last decades. And public employee
In fact, Social Security is the largest program benefiting
pensions aren't what they used to be either. They are often
the nation's children, providing $2.5 billion every month to
underfunded at the state and local level and can't be relied
4.4 million minors who survived the death of a working par-
on to deliver what was promised.
ent or whose parents are disabled. It also saves nearly 6
We do need a broad public discussion of the future of
million adults aged 18-64, mostly disabled, from impoverish-
Social Security. But first we need to recommit ourselves to
ment. That's 21 million people all told.
its original goal of providing a strong underpinning to that
For women, the prospects in retirement are dire. In 2011,
three-legged stool and remember its original purpose - pull-
the average annual Social Security income received by
ing a generation out of poverty.
women 65 years and older was $12,188, while men received
$15,795. Unmarried women - including widows - age 65 and
Nancy Kaufman is the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women.
older relied on Social Security for half their total retirement
income, while Social Security comprised only 36 percent of
unmarried elderly men's income and only 31 percent of r
elderly couples' income. So, women rely more heav-
ily on Social Security than men do, receive less to
begin with and will therefore suffer more
from any cuts.
Nevertheless, the government's com-
mitment to Social Security, both as a
concept and as a program, is under attack.
On the one hand from those who find
it ideologically distasteful and on the
Readers have a lot to say about "Pegged,"
other from those who would "help" Social
Security by cutting benefits. The proposal
the new social media site feathred in +ha May
by President Obama to reduce monthly
30 issue of the JN.
checks by revising the cost of living
adjustment - substituting the so-called
Has Dr. Gray consulted an attorney? Would this constitute libel? What an
"chained" CPI or Consumer Price Index
irresponsible business.
- Farmington Hills
- is a dispiriting breach of trust to future
generations by the administration.
I wanted to comment on Dr. Michael Gray's new endeavor, Pegged. Sounds
The president's proposed cuts mean
like a terrible idea, right for character assassination. I think that the beauty
that an average earner retiring in 2011 at
of sites like Facebook is that you can choose to opt in or opt out at will. When
age 65 would lose more than $6,000 over
you are posed with a site such as he is proposing with Pegged, doesn't sound
15 years. The chained CPI under the
like when someone is having a bad day, they will get away with it cleanly.
president's proposal would also be
Even the best of us have bad days and if it's a site that is there to slam peo-
imposed on many other federal programs
ple, I don't think that sounds like a good idea.
- West Bloomfield
and on federal pensions, multiplying its
harmful effects throughout the workforce.
Pegged is possibly the worst idea for a social media website. Baseless accu-
These cuts would come at a time when
sations can be formed forcing people who are unaware or unable to partici-
workers' savings are already paltry. Three
pate in a social media experience to either ignore them or counter them. For
quarters of near retirees (ages 50 to
professionals in many fields, this is not a wise idea. Pegged will force people
64) have annual incomes below $52,201
to drive to the site to counter negativity and answer to that. I sincerely hope
and average retirement savings of only
the shareholders of Pegged have a very large insurance policy on hand.
$26,395, and the decline in home values
— West Bloomfield

❑