Entitlements - what's so bad about them?

Our lack of socialism is causing us to run out of money, at least in the middle class where health care costs continue to outpace wages. If we had socialism, we would actually have MORE money. Notice that the UK is spending LESS THAN HALF of what we are on healthcare per capita.

If we were a nation where 50% of the nation were starving, and the other 50% barely had enough to eat, then it would be foolish to be talking of entitlements.We can talk about entitlements because of our wealth as a country as a whole. There is way more than enough wealth in this country to fund programs that provide a basic safety net and basic services. In my opinion, it would be immoral not to have these programs.How is it moral to not have a food stamp program when we are paying farmers billions of dollars NOT to grow food?How is it moral to have a health care system where a hard working father has to choose between death and bankrupting his family?How is it moral to work hard your entire life and not be able to live out your last years with dignity and without burdening your family?How is it moral to give up all of these things so that billionaires can pay a lower tax rate?

Basic services and programs can be funded without having the rich become middle class like you and I. You do understand the irony of this statement, do you not? It helps if companies aren't rewarded with wealth by cutting wages and shipping jobs overseas. You talk about greed. It cuts both ways.All we are asking for is an economy that is fair for everyone, and a government that is able to provide basic services for all people. We have nothing against people getting rich. What we are against is an economy that serves the uber rich at the expense of the middle class.

People are working 2 jobs at minimum wage to get by. Do you really think they would work 2 jobs if they expected other people to take care of them?The Progressive mindset is not "sit at home and rake in the welfare". I don't know why you insist on mischaracterizing it in this way. The Progressive mindset is that trickle-down economics doesn't work. Concentrating wealth at the top doesn't work. Giving tax breaks to billionaires does not create jobs.What I would like to hear from you is what happens when the wealthy have taken all of the money from the middle class. What then?

It is called taxation, not confiscation. Last I checked, that power was granted to Congress in the US Constitution. You may want to give it a read.

It is collected by an elected government through the powers given to that elected government by a constitution. It's taxation by every definition.