In other words, can we take the Social Security Tax we paid throughout the years, plus the one that is being withheld from our paycheck,  and use it to fund an IRA.  The IRA will put that money in Mutual Funds, and would "probably" give a better return on the investment ?

By the first postulate of my "tax doctrine" (please visit page), the taxpayer should be entitled to get -if not all, at least some- of the Social Security Tax paid, plus current withholds to add more funds to his/her IRA, instead of to the SS system.

Again, the best course of action here would be to provide highly quality social security system that would offer a hight ROR (rate of return) on investment.  But, in investments there is always a risk.   As the slump in the economy -we have been suffering since April of 2000- has shown, even the best Mutual Funds can have negative rate of return for several years.  The Social Security system must be guaranteed (free of risk) for all elderly people.  And therefore, a "probable" higher return on investment is not a "better service", if can not be guaranteed.  Therefore, it does not met the second postulate of my tax doctrine. The last postulate of the doctrine will be rendered inapplicable.

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