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Comment by moblahbl4hblah | Hacker News Reader

"Entitlement" is a dog whistle that is used in place of "welfare".

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Entitlement_program

In the United States, the term "welfare" is typically used to refer to need-based social programs like SNAP (food stamps), as compared to things like Social Security which are available to all citizens after a certain age. Politicians across the spectrum use the phrase "entitlement programs" to refer to all social programs offered by the government.

Arguing about terminology is a great way to avoid arguing about tough fiscal realities.

I think it's worth mentioning. Propagandistic terms such as "entitlements" frustrate discussion and make it even more difficult to communicate. It belittles and trivializes the opinion that poor people are entitled to things like healthcare or food, making people who hold that opinion unwilling to discuss it.

It's the government's own term, used by nonpartisan entities like the CBO.

If anything, "welfare" is now used as a more politically loaded term. It's almost never used anymore without attaching a negative connotation -- whether by the right in the old way, or by the left when decrying "corporate welfare".

Politicians can't refer to social programs as "welfare" because it carries a negative connotation, and people on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will be uncomfortable with being grouped with those on SNAP. They also can't refer to them as "social programs" because it's three short letters away from "socialism."

The use of the word "entitlements" is a lot like how socially left-leaning people are now more commonly referred to as "progressives" rather than "liberals."

I realize that it's biased but it also explains the point very well. It's a dog whistle.

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