Glenn Greenwald ain't no Libertarian, Part 1: Defending Social Security and Medicare

[MADem]

195. Libertarian and Reagan Welfare Queen Republican--it's one of Frank Luntz's favorite digs.

It is a word that is used by people who want to shrink the federal government down to the size of a bathtub.

It has been used as a pejorative for over THIRTY years, for heaven's sake. You need to correct YOUR self, frankly.

You're seriously saying you're not aware of this? Never heard of Frank Luntz? Never saw any of Rove's machinations with regard to phrasing? Never heard Ronald Reagan smirk about "entitlements" as though it were a synonym for "government handout to the lazy?"

http://www.lettingthedataspeak.com/entitlement-the-word-2/

http://www.politicususa.com/2012/08/14/fight-epic-gop-lie-social-security-medicare-entitlements.html

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/11/02/the-war-over-entitlements/

By referring to programs like Social Security and Medicare as “entitlements,” conservatives were able to evoke notions (and suspicions) of people unworthy of support, guzzling at in the public trough. Just as important, if one could be “entitled” to something, one could arguably be “unentitled.”