"But I am bright enough to figure out that on the balance, the SS program
has done more good than bad during its existence. "

But there's the rub! You and many others don't see the inevitable crash in
the near future that will erase any possible short term good it may have
done. The future crash was built in right at the start. Those who don't
recognize that it is coming are willfully ignorant. There just simply is no
way to defeat the demographics. Our President has proposed a very small
patch that could delay the crash just a little (too little). Has anything
else been proposed other then printing money, reducing benefits, raising the
retirement age, or raising taxes?

George Willer