Big demographic shifts are always difficult to deal with. But they are never surprising. You can see them coming for decades.
If the US had had actual political leadership for the past 30 years or so, maybe we could have made some gradual shifts to get ready for massive retirements, and a smaller cohort of workers in their prime. Change is inevitable. Leaders manage change. We haven’t had any decent leaders for a long time.
Quit electing leaders and elect representatives.