By the way, this is not just liberals demanding this. Many conservatives here also demand entitlements and tax cuts, in fact look at what GWB did.
I’m not in the elderly category, and the way the world is going I hope I don’t ever belong to that category, but it very much irritates me when the government finger pointing about entitlements is directed at the elderly. Let’s start first by looking at those segments of our population that could work, but don’t. I’m not talking about now, when there is an economic downturn. I’m referring to those who are young enough and healthy enough to make an effort but choose to use the system instead.
Cuts should be made first in the entitlements for those who still have the capacity and time in their lives to make the proper adjustments and responses. A 75 year old man who has worked all his life and saved money and didn’t treat himself to a lot of luxuries, and now needs a hip replacement, shouldn’t have that held from him because Washington spent itself into debt buying votes and appeasing those who could and should provide for themselves.
That depends totally on how one defines "conservative."
One can hardly define GWB as a conservative. Personally likable, more "conservative" than the opposition, certainly more honorable, and burdened by the trauma of 9/11, but no way conservative. And in fact could never never never articulate from the bully pulpit what conservatism is, just as on FR so many claim "conservatism," but cannot even say what it is.
Conservatism is being responsible, assuming responsibility for one's own decisions in life and insisting others do likewise. Responsibilities like one's own healthcare, one's own retirement, one's own education, one's own career choice, one's own family planning, one's own sexual behavior, etc. And in fact that is what freedom is. And in fact is why previously millions and millions of immigrants came to the US, not for centralized entitlement which demands centralized subservience, but for the opportunity to live one's own responsibilities.
In religious terms it is called Soul.