They were wrong.
Yeah, it's nice to find that out after all these years. When I was young, it was commonly referred to as Social Security Insurance. When I got older and learned what a Ponzi Scheme is, I said "hey, that sounds a lot like Social Security".
But we need to stop complaining and start trying to come up with a humane alternative. You may have parents too, and they may not have enough left to support themselves once these programs go belly up.
If and when that happens, you may face the uncomfortable prospect of paying for their medical bills out of your own pocket, or having them put to sleep like an old dog.
Time to talk about phased privatization.
W did, and got his teeth bashed in for it...I'm not so young I don't remember old folks chasing Congressmen down the street, whacking them with their canes during the last "permanent fix," during the '80s.
I have a lot less sympathy for old people than I used to...and they're to blame.