Originally Posted by SwampYankee

I think folks should have the option of taking that mandatory "contribution" percentage and investing it themselves, in what ever retirement-based account they see fit. At 40, I'm not sure I'll see any of that money I was required to "invest" so I'm planning (and hoping) for alternatives. Not the least of which is a hope to never really retire in the traditional sense.

But like any pyramid scheme, S.S. counts on a steady influx of cash to finance those on the levels above. Not only that, those of S.S. age are probably the single-most reliable voting base. There isn't a career politician out there that dares turn that base against them. And since they've been promised those benefits, few dare even suggest changing the system nevermind actually doing something about it to fix it.