re: Would a phase out of social security be viable?

The IBFreeman plan for SS does just that in the long run. It has been posted here several times but here goes again for you Trumpster new comers

1) end the SS payroll tax today (it is 15%) and replace it with a 10% mandatory savings plan (if you don't do it you do no have any SS as a backdrop so it really isn't mandatory)

2) hold SS benefits where they are at today.

3) people would not be eligible for SS benefits until the savings in #1 were gone. The law would not allow those savings to be depleted a more than SS per month unless the savings had accumulated to the point that it exceed the amount needed to fund monthly payments until age 90.

4) Impose a national sales tax to pay SS benefits---this tax would be adjusted every year to pay only the benefits of that year--in theory it would be virtually zero in 20 years as most people's savings over 20 would be much more than any SS benefit

This plan would immediately reduce the number of people going on SS per month. It would not impact those on SS nor would it eliminate SS as a back drop.

This would also do wonderful things to reduce poverty as these savings would be private property and as such would be parts of estates and after a while many people would have far more savings than needed and get to enjoy the excess as in their own lifetimes.