I agree with you but your view of SS is incorrect. SS is not some sort of savings account where your deposit is returned to you after a time in increments. It is insurance where the pay off comes after you reach a predetermined age. Many retirees pass the amount they have paid in on SS. I am not defending or attacking SS - just stating the nature of the insurance payout.
But with that said - I pretty much agree with the entirety of your post.
I agree with your analysis of SS. It is interesting to see how it works in practice versus the way it was sold by FDR and the commies during the 30’s and 40’s. The same tired and untrue statements were trotted out every time SS was expanded. SSI, on the other hand, was billed as “insurance,” but straight SS was almost always portrayed and sold as a retirement vehicle.
Making politicians stay true to their “word” is impossible. Where, exactly, is this “lockbox?”
Oldplayer