Conservative economists say the figure is irrelevant: if Social Security didn't exist, people would save more. This may be true of economists, but what about the rest of us?
No...we're all too stupid. We need government to do it for us! Say, I need the government to mow my lawn properly and keep my weight down, too. Can they send someone right over?
The argument illustrates the ideological agenda of those who favor privatization: they want to change people's behavior.
This lack of argument illustrates the ideological agenda of those who favor federal Ponzi schemes: they want to redistribute wealth from the haves to the stupid.
The haves are smarter and deserve to have adequate retirement income. The have-nots are stupid and don't.