Not only are there proponents of:
America was founded on the belief in/of God Almighty...
It appears that America's belief in "entitlement programs" began a long time ago with the issuance of:
"The Declaration of Independence" to King George III and his minions-of-monarchy.
TO WIT:
First section/paragraph:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation".
Second section/paragraph..."The Preamble":
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security".
The major premises/propositions/conclusion:
-A government entity (Great Britain) had deliberately sought to reduce the
"rights" of the Colonists under absolute despotism.
-The Colonies
do have certain
"unalienable rights"
Therefore:
-The peoples (Americans) of the newly-formed-States have a
"right" to alter or abolish that form of government.
Pretty straightforward "entitlement-language"...
But, however, that was found to be totally unacceptable to the ruling class of the time.
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Has the meaning of "entitlements" (including legal interpretations) changed over time? Certainly.
-But now, as in other time-periods of the USA, there is a pejorative connotation attached to some
of those that are recipients...(Conversely: some who are not)...whether it's totally deserved, or not.
-Unearned; Undeserved; A "sense" of entitlement...are words that come to mind.
Also: Entanglements.
-
Some folks will declare that the "entitlement-word" is never applied to things like huge profits, market dominance,
tax cuts for the wealthy, huge stock options, agriculture subsidies, etc., etc.
On the other hand...
To help explain his reason to expand upon FDR's SS program... LBJ told the opponents of Medicare:[/B]
"By God, you can't treat Grandma this way. She's entitled to it".
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In closing:
My personal :thankyousign: goes to AGO for allowing me opportunities to express my points-of-view on various topics.
But...Are they entitled to do so? Am I?
Bob