Here's a question for you high dollar self employed professionals

And not so high dollar self employed professionals, too.

Wife and I were talking about starting a business I heard about on some radio program, easy start-up. Low overhead, etc.
I went to the SBA site and while nosing around, found this page about self-employment taxes.
The question is- is it REALLY "available" or mandatory, like SSI. I mean can we put the money the gov't would squander waste protect like it was their own into our own retirement- so we'd actually HAVE something to retire on?

Yeah, I know- stop laughing, it was just a passing hope.