>>People like Bill F. and Thomas Whiteley have already collected at least what they have contributed....

Can't speak for Thomas, but I started paying into Social Security in 1951 and still haven't stopped.
My salary hit the max about 1958 and I paid the max (matched by employers) till I cut back in 2003.
Beginning in 1984, I also was the employer, however, as an employer, I can tell you that the employer considers the matching portion an employee expense, so in effect, I was paying both portions all of my working life.
I'm too lazy to do the math, but if the trust fund just earned the TBill rate (which is does, since the treasury raids the trust fund, avoiding borrowing) during that period, the interest alone would have been enough to pay me what I've gotten so far.
It's low now, but the TBill rate was in the teens for a while.
But.. just to annoy those guys...I plan to live forever and clean their clocks.