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Meanwhile, they have to pay the taxes while they're trying to support their family, send their kids to college, etc. Bill Gates pays the same amount as I do, and I pay the same amount as someone making a tenth of my income.
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But they all get the same thing out, so it's not intriniscally "unfair".
I guess this question must be answered: do you expect the SS system to redistribute wealth or to defer wealth? In my mind, the primary purpose of pension plans is to defer wealth.
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It's defered consumption but otherwise you're correct. Also the EIC is available to many lower income earners which certainly offset their SS contributions. Finally SS does redistribute income:
SS Income Redistribution
If I Bill Gates contributes as much to SS as I do, he should get the same distribution as I do. Don't understand why he should get less. BTW I think this is exactly what will happen in the future, the laws will change and there will be many people who contribute but won't get a dime out of it.