I think they believe that is a “promise” from the government. Why anyone would trust any kind of promise from the federal government is beyond me
When we were sold that promise, the Federal Government was a different critter. Still riding the wave of post-WWII/Korea patriotism, in the teeth of the Cold War, a lot of the Federal Government you see today did not even exist. The things being done today would have been shut down as being Communist. The "Great Society" had NOT been signed into law (and since then, trillions have been pissed down that rathole).
It wasn't perfect, but the Government was more trustworthy than it is today, and at least it worked to benefit Americans instead of enslave them.
While you are glorying in folks getting shit on/lied to by our Government, or maybe just the heady jenkem of being "right", keep in mind there was a day and age when much of our government worked far closer to what was intended than today.
I don't even think that you would deny that the America of 50 years ago was very different.
We can argue that Social Security never should have started, or that decades ago should have been privatized, but for a tremendous number of seniors today, that ship has sailed.
Weasel out of what was indeed paid for, even if under false pretenses, and there will be a regime change. I am ever amused by the notion that somehow gramma and grampa don't know how things work--we built that shit, and we can damned sure break it.