A mother's love...

Several days ago, I blogged about the Social Security tug-of-war on the Hill.
I got a comment from my mother, who makes a good point:
"I think people got in trouble when they started depending on the government to support them in retirement. I say you've got to cover your own butt, either with investments or savings."
My mother is a truly wise person, but I have a problem with her logic. If we are indeed to take care of our own financial security in retirement, then so be it. As it stands, I have been paying toward my own Social Security benefits since I began working. When I retire, I should get that money back at the same rate I "invested" in the federal government's retirement plan.
I certainly subscribe to the notion of self-sufficiency; not all of us are as successful at it as others, but there is a level of expectation our own government has instilled in Americans.
If I am not going to get a full return on my Social Security investment after I retire, then return every dime I've been taxed for that purpose and I will invest it myself.
If the federal government is unwilling to return my money to me so I can invest it, then I want 100 percent of the Social Security benefits toward which I have been paying taxes.
We all know Pres. Bush isn't going to mail a check to me anytime soon with an apology to me and millions of Americans my age because the federal government spends Social Security money elsewhere, hence the "Social Security crisis."