The Social Security Conundrum

The meme that Social Security is bankrupting the United States is beginning to rear its ugly head again as those opposed to entitlement programs are balking at the cost of the new economic stimulus.  Though we clearly have a problem with meeting our future obligations in regards to Medicare/Medicade, the problem with social security is that the excess of dedicated funds that the payroll tax accrues each year to pay out SS benefits is promptly misappropriated to the general budget to mask the true fiscal deficit.  Many who would cut SS benefits or end entitlements altogther don’t really want this little fact to become public knowledge.  FWIW, I ran across the following illustrated tutorial on the Payroll Tax, SS and the fiscal deficit, and while it can get slightly preachy toward the end, the vid has some important factual information to convey: