[Harrius Magnus]

I didn’t mean it personally, and re-reading my post, accept my apology, as it was coarse.

Background: Non-military, but primary care physician who has a 35% patient population who is Tricare Prime/Standard (and their dependents). Thus, when a vet wants me to write a letter to the VA stating that his hemorrhoids are due to Agent Orange, so he can boost that “service connected” disability, he is a part of that 10% you speak of. I think it is probably closer to 20%, but don’t estimate myself as more knowledgeable than you.

Regardless, 50% of my patients are Medicare. Thus, 85% of my pay comes from the government. I work very hard for it, and sometimes several times a year, the reimbursement for my services are cut off or lowered until congress votes on stop-gap measures.

Effectively, I am also a government check receiver. With the war(s) and Barry’s centralization, a majority of us who work (and who do not!) are now dependent upon the FedGov teet - and we rate that as a necessity and will fight accordingly. We talk broadly, but we vote our paycheck (especially if family is involved). We are thus statists, reinforcing this malignant (and ultimately, terminal) relationship. You have no more right or authority to claim disability monies that I do Social Security - both transactions we invested towards with a promise of return. I also sign a Medicare and Tricare contract every two years.

The problem is that there hasn’t been enough wealth to pay for those promises for quite some time. FedGov knows this, and it is hardly concealed from the voting public. Since every politicians first-most and greatest desire is to remain in office (and ALSO RECEIVE TAXPAYER BENEFITS), the easiest and obvious short-term strategy is to let us continue to believe our “cut” is the top most priority. It isn’t, but as long as you and I continue to fight over it, we exchange security for fear and anger, and they receive the security.

It is wrong, and it has got to stop. Going further, I would say we must stop it, or it will stop on its own accord (scarcity, once the future variable is exploited, will render it unsustainable) and hurt us ALL much worst than if we changed it on our own.

The country of our Grandfathers would have fixed this; that was a time when many would have walked away from Social Security or Medicare Disability - out of pride and altruism, “give it to someone who needs it,” and depended more heavily upon family, church and community. Now, you and I both would think that someone who turned down the tentacles of a FedGov benefit would be insane.

This is no longer the country we like to wax nostalgic over.
With the current borders and population composition, it won’t be again.

Mike

[OldGoatCPO]

Apology accepted, if I over reacted please accept mine as well. As a Senior Enlisted Leader I dealt daily with those who were gaming the system. Most do not start out that way, but they have enablers within the system. Some enablers need to justify their jobs, others their budgets and others have the same entitlement attitude. That may be where the getting hooked on entitlements that you mentioned begins. I have seen a perfectly healthy individual develop into a drooling mess with a Thorazine (spl ?) shuffle in less than 9 months. He wanted an early retirement and 100% disability. He got them, last I heard he is still a drooling mess. He is probably do doped up to decide if it was worth it. The enablers ask you if you have memory problems, say yes, you get a PDA, some TBI victims need them, others just want to play games. I have seen only one individual who claimed PTSD be told he was fine and only experiencing the normal anxiety of returning to a civilian environment after combat. The rest are treated and placed on a drug regime that makes a lobotomy look pleasant.
Unfortunately the system also causes the situation you described with the agent orange. Under relatively new rules, members with hemorrhoids will get at minimum a disability rating of at least 0% on retirement. 0% means the VA will not give them money but will treat the hemorrhoids for free for life. Vietnam vets and Gulf War vets did not fall under these rules as they are not grandfathered in. So even those with serious injuries related to combat have to prove those injuries occurred in combat or they cannot get compensation. Thus they need a provider to say it is Agent Orange related.
Entitlements are a problem, but the bureaucracy has to be fixed first. It is just like the immigration issue, there are no politicians with the testicular fortitude to fix the system first. At first I got angry, at those gaming the system, then I just focused on those who really need help.

Lest we forget, God Bless those who really need this help and will never have what could be considered a normal life again.