" Being at the virtual bottom of that government pyramid"
I say this with all candor......your parents and grandparents should expect to help you out and leave you a nice sum of money...
if the eldest population, the richest segment of society, insists on supporting this SS scheme, they should be prepared to dole out the money to help younger people, since the younger people are getting the great screw job, IMO, by our Ss system and income taxes in general....
I intend to do that with my kids, am doing that in fact, even though I am far from SS....
Younger people have it hard enough as it is.
I think you are correct that those who are on the top of pyramid should give back to those who won't benefit, but have to pay in. Unfortunately in my case this won't be possible. My parents live in one of most sparsely populated areas of the country and my father owns his own business and just recently began collecting social security as he is of age. They don't make a great income, but if some of the money I'm currently dumping into social security goes to my parents then that's fine. The problem with Social Security, is that when it was conceived it was billed as supplemental income to one's personal retirement fund. Somehow this got twisted soon after, as being your personal retirement courtesy of Uncle Sam. I have made the decision myself, to establish a separate retirement plan through my employer instead of expecting anything out of social security.