We're heading for a showdown between the recipients of old-age benefits, and recipients of all the other kinds of benefits.

WSJ: The Evanescence of Majorities

Just a few examples: Divorced and never-married women are three times more likely to be poor in old age than married women, and more than one-third of retired workers and widows get benefits that fall below the poverty level.

FORBES: Commonsense Ways To Fix Social Security

Congress began trying to provide old-age insurance for something close to 100% of the population as early as 1939, before the first Social Security benefits were paid.

CNN: A Debt-Threatened Dream