John Attarian (1956-2004) was adjunct scholar at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, MI.

"Well written and drawing on lots of research.... Attarian is especially thorough in reporting how the program was misleadingly presented to the public, and on the discrepancies between the perceptions and the realities of Social Security." - A. Haeworth Robertson, founder and president, the Retirement Policy Institute "It's a first rate piece of work." - Peter G. Peterson, chairman, The Blackstone Group "At last, John Attarian tells the full story. In comprehensive detail he shows, blow by blow, how Social Security's key leaders and advocates were compelled to describe the program in one way to the public and in an entirely different way to legislators and judges. America's understanding of Social Security remains confused today, even as discussion of far-reaching reforms are underway which makes this book timely indeed." - Neil Howe, LifeCourse Associates"

• Part 1: Social Security’s Threefold Crisis 1. The Bankruptcy Crisis 2. The Affordability Crisis 3. The Crisis of Confidence Part 2: False Consciousness and the Roots of Crisis 4. The Beginnings 5. Helvering v. Davis 6. Forging a False Consciousness 7. The Curtis Hearings and the Insurance Controversy 8. Flemming v. Nestor, the Amish, and the Power of the Word 9. Shoring up the False Consciousness 10. Fruits of the False Consciousness: Drift, Evasion, Denial, Paralysis, Part 3: What Now? 11. A Critical Survey of Social Security Reform 12. A Modest Proposal

John Attarian (1956-2004) was adjunct scholar at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, MI.

"Well written and drawing on lots of research.... Attarian is especially thorough in reporting how the program was misleadingly presented to the public, and on the discrepancies between the perceptions and the realities of Social Security." - A. Haeworth Robertson, founder and president, the Retirement Policy Institute "It's a first rate piece of work." - Peter G. Peterson, chairman, The Blackstone Group "At last, John Attarian tells the full story. In comprehensive detail he shows, blow by blow, how Social Security's key leaders and advocates were compelled to describe the program in one way to the public and in an entirely different way to legislators and judges. America's understanding of Social Security remains confused today, even as discussion of far-reaching reforms are underway which makes this book timely indeed." - Neil Howe, LifeCourse Associates"

• Part 1: Social Security’s Threefold Crisis 1. The Bankruptcy Crisis 2. The Affordability Crisis 3. The Crisis of Confidence Part 2: False Consciousness and the Roots of Crisis 4. The Beginnings 5. Helvering v. Davis 6. Forging a False Consciousness 7. The Curtis Hearings and the Insurance Controversy 8. Flemming v. Nestor, the Amish, and the Power of the Word 9. Shoring up the False Consciousness 10. Fruits of the False Consciousness: Drift, Evasion, Denial, Paralysis, Part 3: What Now? 11. A Critical Survey of Social Security Reform 12. A Modest Proposal

John Attarian (1956-2004) was adjunct scholar at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, MI.

"Well written and drawing on lots of research.... Attarian is especially thorough in reporting how the program was misleadingly presented to the public, and on the discrepancies between the perceptions and the realities of Social Security." - A. Haeworth Robertson, founder and president, the Retirement Policy Institute "It's a first rate piece of work." - Peter G. Peterson, chairman, The Blackstone Group "At last, John Attarian tells the full story. In comprehensive detail he shows, blow by blow, how Social Security's key leaders and advocates were compelled to describe the program in one way to the public and in an entirely different way to legislators and judges. America's understanding of Social Security remains confused today, even as discussion of far-reaching reforms are underway which makes this book timely indeed." - Neil Howe, LifeCourse Associates"

• Part 1: Social Security’s Threefold Crisis 1. The Bankruptcy Crisis 2. The Affordability Crisis 3. The Crisis of Confidence Part 2: False Consciousness and the Roots of Crisis 4. The Beginnings 5. Helvering v. Davis 6. Forging a False Consciousness 7. The Curtis Hearings and the Insurance Controversy 8. Flemming v. Nestor, the Amish, and the Power of the Word 9. Shoring up the False Consciousness 10. Fruits of the False Consciousness: Drift, Evasion, Denial, Paralysis, Part 3: What Now? 11. A Critical Survey of Social Security Reform 12. A Modest Proposal