unless we're going to fund Social Security and Medicaid from general tax revenues,
Which we should.
Only if you want to kill or severely cut back the programs. Politically, they only survive long-term because they have the appearance of being pension programs instead of welfare programs.
I'm speaking morally rather than politically.
At the very least, Social Security benefits should be an averaged flat rate for every American over whatever the retirement age is rather than a function of who did and didn't have A Successful Career while they were working.
FYI, there is a progressive element to Social Security distributions insofar as one earns benefits at a much higher rate at lower levels of income than higher levels.
