I take exception to the post re Social Security being a Ponzi scheme. It is true that those near retirement age when it was initiated benefitted more than the amount they had paid into it; however as initially set it would have been self-funding. The problem is that same as with any government program that has cash on hand- politicians find a place to spend it in their never-ending pursuit to claim voters' loyalty. With a fund that was flush with cash politicians expanded the Social Security Administration to include all sorts of welfare, housing subsidies- you name it and the govt would pay for it under one of the SSA's several Titles- particularly with those politicians who are career politicians.