You're one of the smartest people I know, so I KNOW you aren't that dumb, man.

If I was self employed, and paid about 15% of my income up to $120K every year for almost 50 years, I'd be expecting a LOT MORE than what this measly mandatory b/s plan pays out! Good grief!!!

It was not originally intended to be a safety net for those who had nothing. It was intended as a SUPPLEMENT for retirement by those whose retirement wouldn't probably be enough. Never mind that this assumption and intention was a social engineering idiocy. But that's what it was. That's from SSA.GOV's own website.

I hate the concept, and wish it didn't exist. But it is an insurance+retirement plan that my employers and I have paid dearly for, compared to the pittance I'm getting back, and I dang sure AM entitled to it.

I'm done. Going to work.