The bare facts are that the fed gubmint forced you to contribute to a retirement fund. They did not invest the money, they spent it. It did not accrue interest. It's a Ponzi scheme by any definition.
If you live long enough you will take out more than you put in and your check depends on working people paying SS taxes.
Those are the facts. You are then riding in the wagon as opposed to pulling it.
The fact that if you had invested that money in very conservative investments you would have done far better is irrelevant to the premise of the article.
“...is irrelevant to the premise of the article.”
Premise - a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion.
A premise is an assumption. And in this case the premise is irrelevant.