They paid retirement benefits. But it appears to now be the total, full
load of benefits retirement plan.

Actually I suspect you are really talking about SSI that is basically a welfare
program for people who may have never paid a penny in their life. It still
comes out of the SS funding tho.
Actually since 1968 it is all academic. Social Security was put "on budget" and
all of the money is dumped into the general fund so I suppose you could say
your FICA taxes are paying for the Iraq war. (along everything from studies of
endangered beach mice in Florida to the drug war)