I am not necessarily disagreeing but in reality SS is a welfare program for those "too old to work" funded by those still working. It has to be because retirement is a voluntary, optional activity. A person chooses to retire but may be too old to work and therefore goes on welfare (Social Security). That is the reason SS is in financial trouble now: a person 65 is not necessarily too old to work and benefits are about 50% above welfare. ON THE OTHER HAND, the progressivity of income taxes is too high; The people that have the top 10 % of income pay 60% of the income taxes; the bottom 50% pay only 10% of the income taxes. Therfore, SS taxes are a way of leveling out the progressive income taxes and as such are good. (Its ironic that the groups that are against a flat income tax are in favor of SS :Demcorats, labor unions, and lower income people.
