I am among those who think the President's budget proposal is a bit cynical. It leaves tough decisions to the GOP. I even agree with Obama's critics who accuse him of "kicking the can down the road," as he famously commented in one of his books. I think it would be fine to touch the "third rail" of politics. I think it's logical to raise the age of retirement; it was set when the average life expectancy was about 67. The average American (even given our best efforts to kill ourselves with lousy diets and lack of exercise, and counter this with high-priced healthcare ... a story for another day) now lives to be 79.
But let's look at the meaning of "entitlement." When does war become an entitlement? Is healthcare a right or a privilege? (I maintain it's a right, but that all rights require equal parts of personal responsibility.) What about education -- is it a right or an entitlement that I believe my kids should receive an education that prepares them for a successful 21st-century future, IF they work hard to succeed?
