They are called entitlement programs because we are entitled
Arguably Social Security is the most successful of all the safety net programs; it is self-funded and solvent for many decades to come…and that is precisely the reason it is under attack. The Republicans…composed of that very wealthy 1% who own most of the wealth; the corporations that want people to be destitute and jobless so they can pick and choose from an unemployed population, hire them for peanuts, work them to death and give them no benefits…they love to get rid of Social Security.
Social Security is a black eye in the face of greed and conservative economic ideology. There are other social safety net programs not quite as successful but just as necessary and the Republicans despise as well. They would do away with all of these with a stroke of a pen if they could.
When we talk about why we feel that something like unemployment compensation, Social Security and even health care are ours, our very own little assurance that we will not fall through the cracks and lose everything we have; we are talking about programs that we contribute to, the public and employers have to pay into it to be ENTITLED…it doesn’t come free, it is not a giveaway as Republicans would like everyone to think.
The narrative coming from Republicans have been to make us feel guilty if we collect unemployment or even if we retire and go on Social Security. “GET A JOB” is the new battle cry of Republican-Teahadists…replacing “THEY ARE TAKING AWAY MY AMERICA” and to some extent it is catching on. But don’t let the right wing media and the demagoguery of the Republicans convince you otherwise because these are necessary programs for a civilized and fair society to function and do so with fairness and compassion.
All the while when we, the poor and middle class have been contributing financially to these programs to make them serve us, the wealthy and the corporations have paid little or in a lot of cases nothing in the form of taxes. That is so terribly askew, so unethical and immoral that it has to make the majority of Americans indignant.
Occupy Wall Street is but a reflection of our disgust with the unfair redistribution of wealth that has taken place and the unwillingness of the wealthy and the corporations to pay their fair share. Yet, they think they are entitled and we are not. The questions to be asked are: Do they not use public roads, bridges and benefit from fire and police protection? Do these wealthy folks not employ people who we educate with funds that originate from the taxes we pay and they don’t?
In the absence of government we never would have had a strong economy and the highest standard of living in the free world. Telecommunications, highways, ports, water treatment, and an adequate yet erratic judicial system that fairly handles business disputes are all taxpayer funded necessities that makes our free enterprise system work. So yes if you created a business that has been successful and brought you personal wealth you have certainly earned it. However, you have also benefitted greatly from services that today require you to pay a little more to maintain. But let’s get real here…who would give Donald Trump or the Koch Brothers credit for being either innovative or making their own fortunes when they inherited them? I too would be a successful entrepreneur if my father had left me millions.
Elizabeth Warren has been a thorn on the side of Republicans and that outspoken and chirpy woman who put herself through college and was able to keep her clothes on expresses it very well in this video:
SOURCE: http://www.minyanville.com/dailyfeed/2011/10/04/elizabeth-warrens-class-warfare-speech/
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