IMO, and considering what Social Security was originally called "Social Security Supplement", it was not to be a pension, it was a supplement to go along with a pension or savings. Unfortunately there are large numbers of people who receive Social Security but never put any money into the fund. Of course it can't be sustained that way, it was never intended to do that.
IMO that article linked to was rather facile. By the same token insurance companies are the same as social security. You put money into them and they pay out when you need it, hopefully anyway. And yet the insurance companies will make money. I don't want to make this post too political, but unfortunately it is the politicians who used Social Security to buy the votes of the unwise.