just to humor you ~ i went to the piece you pointed to and right there in the lead paragraph it says "
on average, Social Security recipients receive more in benefits over their lifetimes than they and their employers contributed in taxes during their working years," ~ ON average starting with the recipients receiving benefits, and how much they and their employers contributed ~ but says nothing about the poor batardes who DIED, or paid too little to qualify ~ 39 quarters rather than 40 for example, or who paid and aren't eligible ~ e.g. Mexican illegals returning to Mexico to retire ~ that money is contributed, and paid to those who survive to get it, but they or their heirs receive none of it!
As i said about most such arguments, they start with a thesis and then carve the numbers (or initial conditions in this case) to fit the thesis ~ that is propaganda!
You do understand the phrase, “on average,” right? I guess math is not your strong point.
Maybe this will simplify it for you. For two years now we have spent more money on Social Security than we’ve taken in:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444138104578033282095368120.html
You don’t need to worry about averages to understand this. We paid out more in benefits than we collected in the same year. Get it now? It’s broken, bankrupt.