Social Security
God forbid anybody but the government get hold of my money. And of course I can do anything I want with whatever's left over after the government takes its $13,000 a year of my income for Social Security. How generous!
Of course, whatever I've paid into Social Security is long gone, "borrowed" by the government to help them pretend they aren't as far in the hole as they actually are. But I can comfort myself with the promise of poverty-level benefits trickled out when I'm 66. Assuming they haven't raised the age again.
Or can I? If you take a good look at that paperwork you get from Social Security once in a while, you see the fine print:
"Your estimated benefits are based on current law. Congress has made changes in the law in the past and can do so at any time. The laws governing benefit amounts may change because, by 2041, the payroll taxes collected will be enough to pay only about 78 percent of scheduled benefits."
In other words, if they cut my benefits, I don't really have a damn thing to say about it.
Polling Report has some polls on confidence in Social Security. The most recent one, with Obama as president, is right at the top.