You completely missed my point and are apparently not aware of the current situation. Forget projections, SS FICA taxes afunding a fraction of SS benefits right now, the rest is coming from new treasury bills and national debt. It is degraded into welfare now, which means it cant last in its present form.
“it can’t last in its present form.”
I acknowledge that the income will fall to as low as 75% of the outflow, but no lower for the rest of the century (that’s out to the year 2100! You expect to be around past that?). And as I say, that requires that (a) checks get smaller, or (b) withholdings go up, or (c) cutoff is raised, or (d) a combination of these three. But if you make that adjustment, it can last forever. And I give the numbers above - it can last forever with just two workers to every retiree.
It’s no “get-rich” scheme, but it shouldn’t be a get-rich scheme. It’s a “keep-poor-earners-and-poor-savers-from-starving” and a “give-a-little-spending-cash-to-the-rest-of-us” scheme, that can last for the life of the country, no problem. It’s a smart program, has been for 75 years, is right now for my dad, is probably right now for a bunch of your relatives, and will be tomorrow for us.