We ourselves (I am in my mid-50's) have been paying into that fund all our working lives (myself, since the age of 13 or so, since I mowed, clipped, dug, etc, at the local cemetary and was paid from town funds until I was old enough to get better-paying construction work, etc, to buy my way into college). Many years, I have paid the maximum amount payable, and I won't get that much back in benefits. If you want fairness, you should insist that our politicians keep the system solvent, and pay your fair share so we can keep this safety net operating. If you want, you can insist on means-testing so that well-off people get reduced benefits or none at all, but remember, the well-off have had to pay in just like the rest of us and they have a lot more clout than the generation X-ers, who have not worked to create their own political base. In the 60's, we young people were mobilized by the Vietnam war, and ended up with some political clout as a result. We forced the age of majority down to 18 in most states (draft age), saying that if you're old enough to be drafted and sent to get shot at, you're old enough to vote in elections and you're old enough to buy a beer at the local bar. The beer part has been ratched back up in most states, but at least here in Maine, we've got some 18-year-olds running for City Council positions, etc and showing some promise.
