"Nor are people whose circumstances are such that, although they have worked hard all their lives, they've never been able to make enough to put some aside for their old age personally responsible for the fact that when they become too old to work, the only income they have is their monthly Social Security check. They have been diligently personally responsible all their lives, and still wind up with nothing"

Which is precisely why there is the current public discussion of how we might salvage the Social Security system.

It sounds to me as though the proposal (whether or not it goes through) of "personal" or "private" accounts is merely trying to set up Social Security in the manner that most Americans think the current one already is.