The descriptive term has become a dirty word because the right’s media has been complaining about it so long that lots of folks think they mean bad programs the Wrong People cheat to receive.

I’ve heard people call in to a somewhat-right-wing local radio show to complain that the host was insulting them by (correctly, and not in any kind of judgy context) using “entitlements” to describe things they were receiving. The very-right-wing national syndicated stuff a few clicks away on the dial never would have made that mistake, and are the reason people had that reaction. Those entitlements, the ones you benefit from, aren’t entitlements.

I bet a bunch of people hearing Elon talk about cutting “entitlements” don’t realize it overlaps with—or is even mostly—some things they don’t want cut.

each person should be forced to look up what they already paid in to these programs before arguing or supporting cuts to fund other stupid shit like department of offense or “tax cuts”