Pat,

Now do you really believe that someone who is wise about money and investments will not push the Govt to allow them to invest how they want?  And if this is done, what is to stop everyone from being able to do so? 

And this is what I think those who want to privatize SS are after (in some ways I don't blame them, but I would venture a guess that the largest numbers of receivers of SS would not make wise investments and again as a whole, we again would be paying the bill twice - first for the initial SS payment and then after the initial money is blown someone will have to pay for the continued financial support needed to support the bad investments).