Repeat after me - benefit. Ben-e-fit. Benefit. Social Security is a BENEFIT.

[hfojvt]

137. a paid benefit sounds like it has already been paid

Plus the Repugs are not Humpty-Dumpty. They cannot give words the meanings that they want to give them. There are limits to ehir eggy power. They may feel that the word "entitlement" means "something unearned" but they are just spitting into the wind if they try to argue that. Because the word has "ENTITLE" right in it and most people know what entitled means.

Of course people expect to get their entitlements - they are fugging entitled to them. They don't have to be reminded that entitlements are not gifts. Nobody is entitled to a gift. Nobody demands a gift (okay except for kids at Christmas, and Halloween, and Easter, and at every parade - okay those little mooches think they are entitled to gifts, but most adults know better.)

I would almost suspect that it is the rightwing that is playing us - pretending to be liberals urging other liberals to abandon and reject the word entitlement. Once it is no longer called an entitlement then people will stop thinking they are entitled to those benefits.