For your consideration ...
My gut feeling is to revert it back to it's original intention, to provide if there is no other means.
That's the BS propaganda gaslighting reason they used. The reality is that SS was created, (in 1935), (coincidentally right after FDR confiscated everyone's gold in 1933), to offset the effects of the expansion of the money supply, inflation, and all the smorgasbord of new taxes and fees that were created and necessary to service all the debts that local, state, and federal governments began to take on to go on spending sprees. Inflation, and taxation at all levels reduced many to pauper status because their wages couldn't keep up. Prior to the Federal Reserve Act, revenue to governments came from consumption taxes, such as sales and use taxes. The federal government's revenue came from, tariffs and customs duties: 40-50%, excise taxes: 20-30%, public land sales: 10-20%, internal revenue: 5-10% (taxes on opium and other products).
Prior to 1913, $100 saved in, say 1870, still had the same purchasing power in 1910. That same $100 saved in 1970, today, has the purchasing power of about $11. Another way to put it is; If some thing cost $100 in 1970, today that same item would cost $814. And from here on, it is only going to get worse.
It is inflation that destroys people, even if they live a modest lifestyle. The super vast majority of people simply cannot save enough to offset the loss of purchasing power from the constant devaluation of the dollar being worth less every day after day due to the creation of new currency entering the system every day.
And it doesn't matter if people have a retirement plan or not, even if mandated, inflation, and the yo-yo casino markets that that money is invested in, will never be enough to live on comfortably as when they were working.
Social security is nothing but the government saying, "Hey, we fuked you over your entire life, taxed your wages and everything else your entire life, so here's a pittance until you die. Oh, and by the way, we need to tax your SS too. You know, medicare ain't free. Plus there's still that national debt thing."
