As a conservative, that is an ideal that I can agree with.
As a realist, I doubt that would be a politically achievable goal.
Therefor, in lieu of abolishment, I prepared a rant that proposes that SS be efficiently operated as exactly what it is: a socialist income redistribution system, NOT a retirement "savings" plan. By making monthly distributions variable and equal to monthly contributions (rather than fixed), it ends the pyramid scheme associated with the so-called "Trust Fund".
Not an ideal solution by more conservative preferences for abolishment, but at least it has financial stability.
Here's the rant:
If the current SS System = Enron, then Dubya's "privatization" plan = Arthur Anderson.Both major political parties perpetuate The Big Lie regarding Social Security. The Big Lie has existed since Social Security's inception. The debate over "privatization" is only the latest version of The Big Lie.
The Big Lie is that Social Security is some kind of retirement savings plan.
It is NOT.
Social Security is a socialist income redistribution scheme, nothing else.
Those who are working are taxed to provide a "safety net" for those who are less fortunate.
Originally, this meant retirees and surviving dependents.
Congress has, of course, complicated it far beyond this over the last 65 years.But one fact remains: it is NOT a "savings plan", it is an income redistribution scheme.
A major facet of The Big Lie is that "we have to do something so that Social Security remains solvent in the future.
Poppycock!
In today's age of modern computerization, the computation for operating an income redistribution scheme that remains perpetually solvent is quite simple:
This month's total SS tax receipts = Next month's total SS tax disbursements The only change necessary to the current system is that monthly payments to eligible recipients would be a variable amount, not fixed.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR A MULTI-TRILLION DOLLAR "TRUST" FUND!!!
Congress should NEVER have been permitted to confiscate so much money from the American People in the name of The Big Lie. This fund is nothing but a slush fund that Congress raids to pay for other government expenditures. If private sector employers did the same thing with their companies' pension funds, they'd be placed in prison. The "privatization" plan proposed by Bush is merely an attempt by Wall Street brokerage firms and financial institutions to get in on the scam: grab a portion of a constant revenue stream (guaranteed by taxation) from which they can skim their commissions.
Daschle's "concern" over the Social Security system is a lie.
Bush's plan to Enronize the system is worse.
The American People need to wake up and put these liars and thieves in prison.
Civilised societies have a vested interest, in ensuring that it's citizens are in some way provided for in their non productive years. Currently we extort money from a worker to pay off a retiree, that is criminal.
Privatization of said benefit with property rights, and restrictions, OTOH, is an essential part of an Ordered, Civil, Modern Society.
This is true on many levels, but consider the easiest two.
Elderly Non working outnumber the working, as A Voting block they can either
A: Vote themselves Laregess from the Treasury, Much as they do now. or.....
B: Vote in some Hitleresque nut. (he was elected in just such a society, remember).
Just because an Idea is Social in nature, does not prevent it from being sensical under the General Welfare Clause, because as the example shows, the first instance having been laid out by the Framers, and the Second having occured many times in History instructs us that some measure of Social Welfare , in the end, is a measure against Socialism (or worse...)