Americans give about 12 percent of their income to perfect strangers, meaning politicians and bureaucrats, with the cheerful, simpleminded optimism the strangers will save the money for their retirement.

This is called Social Security, and why we fell for the scheme is anyone’s guess. But as if the program isn’t a big enough scam, we now learn millions of dollars, perhaps billions, in benefits will be shipped to Mexico.

That’s right. The braintrust in Washington proposes adding millions of Mexicans, including illegal aliens, to the Social Security.

A story surfaced in the Washington Post on Dec. 19, and the dangerous details appeared in the large print.

Because Mexican president Vicente Fox is frustrated about U.S. immigration policy, American officials would pay him off with Social Security benefits.

The payola could cost as much as $1 billion annually and would permit Mexicans to “totalize” the number of years they worked in either country so to reach the minimum required for Social Security. As Rep. Ron Paul of Texas notes in a piece at Lew Rockwell.com, a Mexican could work here a few years, head home, and at retirement, dip into Social Security.

Hilariously, officials might even construct a Social Security building at the American embassy in Mexico if this harebrained scheme is approved. And with a straight face, the Post reports we “owe” $50 million to 13,000 illegal aliens, who paid into the system under false names.

You’re probably wondering why foreigners are entitled to Social Security, why they pay into the system, and indeed, you were probably clueless such mischief was afoot.

Foreigners must pay into the Social Security system because they work here. The idea is to avoid double taxation; i.e., force a worker to pay into the retirement systems of two countries.

The rest, fellow saps, is a subject for another day.

More importantly, Social Security has been destined for collapse since day one, although the program was financially stable when workers vastly outnumbered recipients.

When Congress realized it could bribe voters with these retirement funds, Social Security became another big welfare program. Just about anyone can collect a check if they come up with a good enough tale of woe, even if they aren’t close to retirement age. As well, more retirees are joining the program.

Soon, the ratio of workers to recipients will be 1-to-1, meaning one worker will support one recipient, and no savings will land in the worker’s “account.”

Social Security is essentially a direct transfer of the wealth from young workers to old retirees, many of whom don’t need it, and non-retirees who don’t deserve it. It pits the young against the old.

The fix is privatization.

But back to old Mexico.

Supposedly, the Mexicans are “entitled” because they paid into the system. But one must then ask who will foot the bill for their illegal brethren teeming across the border, who are draining public treasuries across the land. We will.

If you’re wondering who to blame for this crackpot idea, look in a mirror. You gave politicians your retirement money; now they will give it to Mexico.

Paradoxically, the ominous cloud over Social Security has a silver lining. If the boodlers in Washington give enough money to Mexico, maybe the program will collapse 10 years sooner than expected.

Then we would be rid of it that much faster.

R. Cort Kirkwood is managing editor of the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va. His e-mail address is: [email protected].