Social Security and the Meaning in the Memes

Dr. Cynthia Alease Smith
6 min readSep 24, 2024
Meme generally found on Social Media

Look at the above meme. What do you think about the statement? Does it resonate, or do you feel the need to explain it, debate it, or dismiss it? When I see these memes, especially about Social Security, I ask myself, “Why is America so divided on Social Security? In fact, why is America even debating the semantics of entitlement vs. entitled to?

I wrote an essay back in 2020 called, “Social Security Solvency, the Gaslight Argument and My Special Kind of Stupid where I discussed the so-called impending insolvency question and expounded upon Reagan’s attempt to sabotage the fund. Now, I am compelled to write about the ongoing struggle that at least one-half of the country has with whether or not Americans are entitled to Social Security and the irony of debates that surround and manage to skirt the issues of one’s entitlement to the benefit.

Any person who has read my previous essays knows that I will find the traditionally Racist history of structures and institutions in this country by people who often identify today as MAGA, Alt-Right, Conservative, and Republican. All of these people who identify as such reside on the Racist spectrum and believe wholeheartedly in the sovereignty of white supremacism, and who deem certain institutions and structures necessary to eliminate from society, especially if benefits begin to shift toward a…

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Dr. Cynthia Alease Smith
Dr. Cynthia Alease Smith

Written by Dr. Cynthia Alease Smith

Anti-Racism Essayist & Educator offering discussions about Race, Racism, White Supremacy and the language used, from perspectives not ordinarily considered.

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