No one was “forced to invest”. “Forced”, yes the money was taken by force as is all taxes. “Invest”, no because there was never an investment. The money was taken if people wish to delude themselves and believe the takings were investments then they have their fantasies to help them believe they are owed the money. There is nothing to “recoup” and there is nothing “earned” in the way of future payments. Words such as invest, earned, trust fund, contributions, benefits, etc. are words used by politicians to help people feel good about the tax and spend welfare entitlement. People can choose to accept them and justify accepting the entitlement or they can see the words for what they are and understand that they are participating in a welfare program.
How about this. We quit collecting SS contributions and up the income tax by an equal amount. The monthly SS check could be renamed as the Montly Old Age Payment. Nothing would change except people could no longer claim they are “owed”.
“understand that they are participating in a welfare program.”
That is a deeply insulting play on words. I have never been on welfare. Social security is not welfare.
The general definition of “invest” can be found in a Google search and come up with: “expend money with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial schemes, shares, or property, or by using it to develop a commercial venture”
That pretty much fits social security.
OK, now I give in. Let’s say this social security “welfare” system is ended. Period. That is those receiving benefits are just told to go pound sand.
Answer this question: There are people that rely substantially if not entirely on social security that are not on welfare. Once their SS checks disappear, what happens to them?
The vast majority are too old to work for meaningful wages. Many are too sick or disabled to work at all.
So yes, once the government screws SS recipients out of their EARNED benefits, what happens to them?
I mean really, you may have a very good solution that’s better than social security
Let’s hear it?