Just

Semantics. Ripped off or paying for everything. Sounds pretty much the same.

You seem to have some deep seated feelings of mistrust and appear to believe the hype by certain groups that those being helped by the government programs are weak, lazy or just plain worthless. Do some abuse the system? Yes, many abuse the system on both ends the spectrum. Been that way for centuries and will always be that way. Your implication "the left" (meaning all the left) demagogues those making over $250,000 for not paying their fair share or unpatriotic is ridiculous since many making that much or more are liberal democrats. Yea, I know you'll call them hypocrites. Sure there are those with an agenda, but the same is true of "some" on the right who portray those making less than $25,000 or who need assistance as somehow unworthy of living in this country. Both comments just perpetuates the fight and is not close to the full truth.

Asking the "rich" to pay more been around as long as there have been the "haves" and the "have-nots" and in earlier times it was the rich who had to take of the poor to some degree or nothing would get done like fighting wars, cleaning up the cities, cooking the food, etc.. You must not have study history or you would know that the abuse by some of ruling class over those they controlled has been a constant fight and only with the continued evolution of civility has that lessened. We still have a long way to go, but we are are better off now than then.

Those who complain about entitlement reform are just scared that they will be left with no safety nets at all if they should lose a job through layoffs, or the death of a working spouse, or disability. Not everyone in this country has the where with all, either financially or academically, to go to college in order to improve the odds of a good wage. Truth is, we are somewhat "lucky" they can't. After all, who would do all the mundane jobs that many feel beneath them. If not for those people our quality of life would be much lower. If the system sets up the structure that has rich and poor, then that same system needs a structure that supports the poor to make it work. Vilifying either extreme does no one any good, especially those already at the bottom. I would argue that existing just above the so called poverty line is not where most would want to be.

You seem to have a very myopic and self-centered view. Of course you will most likely reply that you grew up with no shoes and managed to make something of yourself. If that is the case then great, but as I said not everyone has that same ability, for a great number of reasons.