…In the sense of personal responsibility. Before (and after) SS there were millions of people who for whatever reason, be it personal irresponsibility or bad luck, ended up not saving enough for their retirement. Those people were a huge burden on society in general. What SS did was force people to save some amount for their retirement through taxes. SS is not welfare. The vast majority of people on SS have paid into it their entire lives. Yes it is a government program but at its heart is ensuring everyone takes some responsibility for their retirement and not become a burden on the rest of society.