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| Entitlement Envy |
A recent survey of Medicare and Social Security recipients noted that only 40% of those receiving payments realized these checks came from the federal government
Of Republican recipients of Medicare and Social Security, a substantial number say they are opposed to "entitlements" and would like to see the budget deficit addressed by reducing "entitlements."
When Republican candidates like Mitt Romney and Ron Santorum say they want to cut "entitlements" recipients of Medicare and Social Security apparently do not connect the proposed cuts to the checks they are themselves receiving in the mail
If you ask these same people how they feel about "entitlements," they are against entitlements, which they think of as government handouts to the undeserving
If you ask them whether they would be willing to give up Medicare or Social Security, they say they deserve these benefits because they earned them.
This might be called "Entitlement Envy."
Once again, the Republicans have been masters of rebranding. Call Medicare and Social Security, two programs they have been hungering to devour and destroy for decades, "entitlements," and you can likely slip by many voters the actual fact these voters would be hurt badly if the Republican bosses got their way.
If you ask them whether they would be willing to give up Medicare or Social Security, they say they deserve these benefits because they earned them.
This might be called "Entitlement Envy."
Once again, the Republicans have been masters of rebranding. Call Medicare and Social Security, two programs they have been hungering to devour and destroy for decades, "entitlements," and you can likely slip by many voters the actual fact these voters would be hurt badly if the Republican bosses got their way.
As the saying goes, "No one every went broke by underestimating the stupidity of the American public". Politicians recognize how poorly informed the public is and capitalize on it by creating catchy slogans, eg "job creators" rather than the very rich or "death tax" rather than estate tax - when very few people have estates!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. Stay tuned for a fuller depiction of rebranding to include: end of life planning morphing into death panels, union busting into right to work, insurance policies (like Medicare) into entitlements, and where there is a fortune there is a crime into I have been successful.
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