why do we even have social security?

First off, during the last Great Depression, there simply was no "extra" money for people to save for retirement. It was a matter of leaving them on the streets to die, or helping them through a national retirement supplement plan. It was also a matter of providing health-care for them to stay in their homes instead of throwing them all in nursing facilities. Many of them were veterans of WW1 and WW2. For years after the Great Depression, people worked for about $1 a day, right here in this country. African-Americans and Women of all races didn't even make that much. Most white people in this country didn't have more than an 8th or 9th grade education, so you can guess what education level existed for non-whites. They didn't even expand the education system in this country to 12 grades until the 1950s. People weren't "Stupid" there just wasn't very many higher paying jobs. They were encouraged by a nation rebuilding from two world wars to have children to repopulate the nation. There was no birth control. People didn't just up and abandon their children or get a divorce. Tell me where they had the ability to "save for retirement?"

It was always the way. Young people took care of their parents, grandparents and so on. That is how China became so over populated, and why so many girls are put out into orphanages and up for adoption to this very day. Sons take care of their parents. The more sons you have the better your life will be when you get old. The United States is the only nation on earth whose children do not take care of their elders. Usually children figure out ways to drain all their parents savings and assets and turn them over to the government to take care of. Children do owe their parents a debt, they generally aren't very keen on honoring it. They provide for them when they are too young to provide for themselves. Parents educate them...often spending their life's savings to do so.

Social Security was never meant to be a sole source of retirement. I was intended to pay for basic necessities and medical care. Any retirement funds saved in addition to that was supposed to be for living the good life. The fact is most children do not know how to "save." Most adults you speak with aren't sure how to buy and sell stocks. In this "Great Recession" which was actually a second "depression" most people saw all their retirement investments go to nearly zero. My own aged friends had over two million saved and invested. They now have only about $300,000 that has to last for the next 15-20 years. Quite a difference. Most people didn't have that much saved, so guess what their "fall back" nest egg is...Social Security.

As to its solvency and your future. Remember Al Gore's run for president when he kept talking about putting SS in a "lock box?" When GW Bush took office, the SS fund was secure and solvent until the year 2070...well past your "40 years." Those tax refunds Bush gave back to everyone, including the wealthy, weren't just paid for by the budget surplus. When he spent a Trillion dollars on a war with Iraq, more money was diverted out of the fund. He enacted a drug bill to further drain the fund by not negotiating drug prices...Drug companies immediately raised prices as soon as the bill went into effect. In short, politicians have mismanaged, and "stolen" from the fund. That is why it is in trouble. It has been solvent many times over the years, only to have its fund raided for other purposes. What no one mentions is, if the SS fund is no longer there or is legislatively prevented from being raided, where will the "extra" money come from for disasters, military spending, corporate bailouts, and wars?

Economic experts agree. The SS fund can be easily made solvent again with a few minor changes. Raising the retirement age for full benefits one year, (and we are living and working longer), will raise the insolvency date by nearly 30 years...even if the economy never recovers. Once the economy recovers the date will raise without doing anything at all...provided the fund quits being raided.

First off, you are not paying into SS for others. You are paying for yourself. You sound a little annoy but what you should do is research the program. to help a little, everyone that works pays into SS. In addition to paying into the program, you can also put aside your own monies, i.e., savings, 401K, etc. Some people can't afford to save. The job they have covers living expenses, food, rent/mortgage, car, insurance, etc. etc. It isn't always the fault of the "Old" person who didn't pay for their retirement. You really have a terrible attitude on this subject. Where does the disgust or loathe of older people come from? Are you forgetting that some day you will be there? And what if life's circumstances caused you not to be able to collect SS (because you didn't work or you didn't work enough quarters to get a decent amt. There are lots of "what ifs" I'm guessing you're in your twenties when you mention 40 yrs. It may be longer for I'm sure they will be raising the retirement age to 67.

I've been trying to answer each comment you made and again, you can't be removed from SS. It's a program for the working person. Paying taxes is different than SS..

In closing, I really believe you need to research SS. You keep thinking it's for someone other then yourself but the bottom line you are putting your own monies into the system.

I understand what you are saying, however, it will never change. The government needs a way to keep track of every individual. Your ss# goes with your credit history, verifies that you are eligible to work in this country, verifies that you are eligible for unemployment or government assistance if you should ever need it. If there was no way to keep track of these things there would be chaos. Since many people have the same name and birth date, there has to be a unique identifier. No two people have the same ss# of course. As far as removing yourself from the system and not wanting to pay for other peoples' retirement I understand. However, the fact remains that this is something that you will never be able to change so you might as well not spend precious time worrying about it. And when you get to the age that you are eligible for those benefits, take them. Even if it is not a lot, you might as well accept it since you are entitled to them. I have a feeling that you might be a Republican. Having a valid ss# helps insure that illegal immigrants are not receiving benefits that our citizens are entitled to receive.

Have you tried a sprinkle of Lemon Juice on those mushrooms?. Mushroom and Lemon Tea is nice too. Most of those on Social don't get out of bed until 2.00 pm, except on Signing On day.

It is a safety net there in case your regular investments fail. It is a crutch not a investment. What is also nice about social Security is that it is not a CD and loans cannot be made off the money. No loans means no debt when is conservative.

social security is a "forced savings plan" that allows room for those that don't make enough money to "invest" or even save...

you ever met anyone (an adult) living on under 20k?

they can't save..they usually don't even have a car...

we need social security b/c they would only end up in the welfare line..or homeless...

you ever smelled a homeless person?

what you youngsters don't understand...is that you won't have your health and vitality forever...

i really hope you wake up...but if you don't, and you're poor...(and you probably will be) i hope you remember this post...and then tell me how you 'don't want" the entitlement...

and for the record...it's been one of the only parts of our federal gov't that we can count on being stable over the last 70yrs...

i hope i meet you when you're old....

We have it because most people don't save for retirement. Prior to SS, nearly all elderly people had nothing to live on and relied on family. If they didn't have help, conditions were terrible for them.

Because it seemed like a good idea back in the day. Then the baby-boomers happened and with them all retiring at the same time that the economy is at it's worse point since the '30s, it breaks the system.

"It serves no purpose for those that are responsible for their finances"

There's your answer. Most people aren't responsible or dedicated enough to save and instead have to be forced. They want immediate satisfaction without worrying about the future. It's the same reason credit card debt is so high.

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