HTG you just can't seem to make the connection.
The fed.gov took their money and spent in on roads, bridges, whatever they wanted, (yes including pay outs to other seniors). You can call it insurance, you can call it whatever you want, but no matter which way you cut it; the fed.gov indebted themselves to seniors much the way we are indebted to foreign nations.
That's brilliant! You set aside money for your own retirement. Then you decided you'd rather spend that money early, so you borrowed it from yourselves and spent it on shiny government baubles and a reduced tax burden for yourselves. Now that it's time for the loan to be paid back, you guys split the scene. That's OK, though, those younger workers will pay it back for you, no problem.
Sorry, but this younger worker doesn't want to play that game. You'll have to force me to, if you can. I'll do whatever I can to resist, and failing that, I'll do my darndest to drag something resembling a conscience out of you while you're fleecing me.
The government
is bankrupt. The government has
no money! The only thing the FedGov has at this point is the power to tax the American economy in the future. But the amount of taxation necessary to support the expected SS payments would be so large that it would destroy any future economic activity. Our only options at this point are to cut benefits or inflate so heavily that the benefits have no value.
Either way, that much wealth cannot and will not be paid out to SS retirees. It's just not possible. The younger workers couldn't possibly pay out that much wealth even if they wanted to, which they definitely don't.
Think about it. If most of you boomers couldn't come up with enough wealth in your lifetimes to provide a comfortable 20 or 30 year retirement,
what on earth makes you think we'll be able to save that much up for you? You can claim you're owed something. You can get all your fellow retirees to agree that you're all owed something. You can vote in politicians who promise to give you what you think you're owed. But politicians cannot make that wealth exist in the first place to be given. All they can do is promise.
All you have at this point are empty promises. You can try to blame me for this, claim I'm obligated to pay back your debt, claim you deserve an easy retirement on the back of my labors. Well, I'm not going to cooperate. I'm sure you understand why.
Instead, if you want to try to work with me on a solution, then I'll hear you out.