If another Dem says "Sosh Security" again I'm afraid I'll have to punch them in the nose
Social Security is going to fail. There is no reason not to think that a government program won't. It's a simple and well proven law of the universe. This will become the S&L scandal of the younger generation, mark my words. And I don't want a damn thing to do with it. Allowed to continue on its current path, the collapse of this entitlement program will have more drastic consequences than a meteor hitting Hollywood. And I pray for it. Actually I pray for both.
Social Security was originally created as a retirement supplemental, just a little allowance that kindly Uncle Sam would hand out just to take the edge off retirement. It was something extra to go with the pension you earned when you did your time at your job and were finally sent to pasture to live out the remainder of your dotage. It was also designed so many folks would be fertilizer before they could collect it. Great scam it was. But, with the age of industrialization and the advancements in medicine and technology, people began to live longer. Not good for the scam or the folks paying for other folks' retirement.
World War II was also a thorn in the side of Social Security. War is good for many things, it boosts the economy, it gets people working, it increases patriotism, it kills bad guys, it advances technology. It also creates babies and this war was no exception. So the population pretty much exploded, the "baby boom" generation. It happens in all wars, big and small, survival of the line or some such.
As the "Boomers" grew up, so did the nation. Many companies and corporations couldn't afford to give pensions and many people didn't stay with the same company like their parents did. Company loyalty became a thing of the past. Many people never gave a thought to retirement plans or savings because having been indoctrinated to believe the meager amount they willingly gave from each paycheck to our perfect bureacratic machine would keep them set for life or death. The smart ones invested in the stock market, tucked it away in a bank, or hid the rest under their matresses.
Nowadays, we are entitled to everything. The government tried raising the retirement age to prolong the inevitable implosion but the old fogeys keeping marching on, gripping their walkers until their knuckles pop and turn white, screaming through their false teeth that they are owed this entitlement, along with Medicare, a salute from you when they pass, and cheaper coffee at McDonalds. Since it has been scientifically proven in the last decade or so that we as humans aren't responsible our behavior because we've all been preprogrammed like robots, I can't fault the old farts too much using that line of thought. However, I don't believe in that crap. I believe if you want to retire and live comfortably until you play kick the can in the great alley in the sky, then it is up to you and you alone to see that it happens. If you want something done right, you must do it yourself. Unless of course you are a screwup, in which case you are still on your own.
We are each responsible for our own destiny. We are each responsible for our own lives. However, we also have a responsiblity to our community, our nation. This is a personal responsibility, not one to be handed to government officials to deal with in their inately incompetent ways. I know of only three entitlements from the government; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rest is up to each and every one of us separately. That being said, I hope Social Security becomes "Roosevelt's Black Hole." I don't want to come across as cruel and hearltess. Yes I do. I pray for Social Security to go tits up. I'm tired of paying into a system, including Medicare, to fund someone other than my family. I busted my ass for every cent I paid in so some dolt can claim it for himself. If our parents or grandparents didn't have the foresight to take care of themselves, then that is tough s#*t. I never, ever thought of Social Security when I planned for my retirement, it wasn't even a blip on my financial radar. It was, however, a tortuous reminder when I saw my paycheck. I'm not greedy, mind you, but I earned that money your grandma is spending at bingo. You take care of your family and I'll do the same for mine, but Uncle Sam, the greedy little bastard, need not be breadwinner for bluehairs.