David Rising, Randy Herchaft, and Richard Lardner of the Associated Press have discovered that a small group of ex-Nazis, including death-camp guards and SS soldiers, are drawing America Social Security payments to the tune of more than $1.5 million. According to the AP, the U.S. government allowed the suspected war criminals to continue collecting Social Security if they agreed to leave the country to face prosecution abroad. The AP reporters found that at least 38 of 66 Nazi guards removed from the United States were allowed to keep their Social Security benefits and only 10 were prosecuted for war crimes in Europe. The federal U.S. Department of Justice denies it used Social Security as an incentive to persuade Nazi suspects to leave the country voluntarily, but American taxpayers have good reason to remain skeptical. And they might contrast the Social Security payments to Nazi war criminals with the restrictions American workers face.

As we noted two years ago, if an American worker is unable to find employment and chooses to take Social Security at age 62, the payout is substantially less than at age 65 or 67. In many cases, the payout would be inadequate to pay a mortgage and household expenses. Retirees at 62 can still work, but Social Security imposes an income limit in the neighborhood of $15,000. Beyond that, the government docks $1 for every $2 the worker earns. The limit increases at full retirement age but does not go away until 67, when the worker is obviously less able to work. This all amounts to enforced poverty and makes no sense on any level. The system that enforces these oppressive rules manages to keep the money flowing to Nazi war criminals.

Workers who find that disturbing should also consider the double standard for federal government employees. Under the Federal Employees Retirement System they are able to retire seven years earlier at 55, with no income restrictions and even with a Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) “designed to help bridge the money gap,” and which kicks in “your missing Social Security income until you reach age 62.” The American ruling class always gets the best deal.