Bingo. Jefferson’s idea.
In a sense the feds have two problems that are made for each other.
First, Social Security. Like any pyramid scheme, there’s no way to shut it down without screwing the last generation that paid, but it’s still a communist, collectivist scam that has no place in a free country. So what to do?
Second, owning millions of acres that could be put to some pro-freedom, pro-citizen use is too much power with which to entrust the government. The federal government even moreso than the states, but still. Who wants 99% of Nevada even to belong to the Nevada state government?
Some FReeper once suggested paying off those who’ve paid into SS with federal land as a way to shut down SS. Don’t remember if he saw getting the feds out of the property business as a huge advantage of the plan, but it certainly seems that way to me.