Assuming SS exists when I retire, I will accept no more in benefits than I paid in FICA taxes, indexed for inflation. Although there's very little chance I'll live long enough to get to that point, since in order to keep the program solvent taxes must be raised and/or benefits cut substantially.
There is no trillions in debt worth mentioning involved, SS is a pay as you go system.
It is precisely because SS is a pay as you go system that there are trillions of dollars worth of obligations outstanding, that can only be fulfilled by heavily taxing future workers.
Lets settle something. The best evidence I have heard from people who have studied it for years is that SS has a TEMPORARY shortfall due to BBer demographics resulting in the potential reduction of benefits on the order of 25% for some temporary time period. It is not going under PERIOD!
This system is a good system and will be better in the future when changes planned for it come to pass. It is a good system, not because of its efficiencies of course, but it is a good system because it keeps large numbers of people from starving or living in abject poverty which is the guaranteed result if this program was scrapped. It will modified no doubt with raised ages and personal accounts etc.
Lets settle another issue GOVT debt really DOESN'T matter. Why is that? It never has to be paid! Only the interest on it has to be paid or as is the past, the govt can pay it off by pumping up the money supply, creating a stock boom and using the increased taxes to retire it as it did in the 90's.