But it APPEARS to exist, and for each one of us who knows its a fraud, there is a sober statement from the news media saying the Trust Fund will last until 2070 or some nonsense.
I want to come up with a sound bite to show the government to say that it has invested money in government bonds is ipso facto absurd, but people don't understand money. They don't understand that you cannot call a liability an asset. If I went into the bank and asked for a loan they would ask what I had for collateral. If I told them I had 40 million dollars worth of bonds they would be impressed, but would lose that respect when they learned that the bonds were 40 million Babble-On bonds, guaranteed by the full faith and credit of me. Social Security Trust Fund is the same thing. An asset which consists of saying that you'll go out and get the 4 trillion bucks somewhere else when you really need it.
Maybe something along the lines of "an IOU you write to yourself is worthless".