"Arthur, there we were, in semi-complete agreement on almost all of your thoughts… right up until you took a swipe at folks on Social Security and our veterans.
Ya see, of all the cuts you mentioned, those two particular groups aren't "entitlement" constituents, they've earned the little bit our government pays them. The retirees have faithfully paid into the SS system for their entire working lives… and the vets, well, they've paid with their blood and sacrifice. Neither group, in my humble opinion, is "on the dole"." — Waldo Dennison
Since when is it a good idea for the government to take you money now and pay it back to you in stratified payments over time in your golden years? Don't you think that you can save, invest, and spend your own money better than someone else?
Would it not have been better if you had received your full, well-deserved pay in the first place? What was the government' angle in taking care of your money for you? They obviously have not, since the Social Security Fund is going broke!
As for the plight of our veterans, they would have been much better served if they received a lump sum and access to private health care, where they could have taken better care of themselves and relied on better medical care. By depending on the government, even if the government "owes" you the service, a citizen is still at a disadvantage. The government can not do well enough by our veterans, in my opinion. They would be far better off making choices for themselves with resources presented to them at once by the U.S. Government. Perhaps giving them greater tax breaks than they already receive, for example, or a complete exemption.