..."earned benefits"?

I do.

Just infuriates me how little our side seems to know OR understand the critical importance of word usage and manipulation. They’ve almost literally slept through years of this, while the bad guys have systematically studied and specialized in, and then weaponized this level of perception management, and became masters of it. While our side stayed asleep.

I’ve seen these naive dim bulbs on our side on the air assuring everybody that “the American people will see! The American people will know!” NO, you idiots!!! They WON’T!!! When all they hear is the constant onslaught on propaganda pushing the talking points of the bad guys, guess what they’re going to start internalizing and embracing?

They’re not gonna see or internalize ANY objective facts or reality because they’re not even going to know any of that EXISTS. If all they hear is the bubble world view, how will they ever know there’s a different view? When they’re constantly and repeatedly told there’s one set of “alternative facts” out there, how will they ever know there’s another version (the actual real-world reality version)?

Seems like our side STILL doesn’t get this!

What you said...

come up with short phrases to describe our policies then have spokespeople always use them.
I like "earned benefits".

The Putin model of leadership.

Just watch

They really believe that we the people aren't entitled to a damn thing. And getting rid of these things will also "thin the herd."

The Republican Party is the scum of the earth and our deadly enemies.

when it was introduced during his term in Congress in the 1960's.

for Medicare recipients. http://www.factcheck.org/2017/12/medicare-cancer-tax-bill/ What it could (and probably will) do is increase the deficit to the point where available benefits will be reduced.

increased deficit from this draconian tax bill is unknown

I work every week, therefore I'm "entitled" to my paycheck. I'm an American citizen, therefore I'm "entitled" to vote. The word even contains the seed of its meaning: I have a "title" to something. Like you have a "title" to your house

Where did the idea come from that "entitlement" means welfare? It came from the publicans attacking "entitlements". But they weren't attacking welfare. They had already succeeded in that fight. Now they were attacking things we were entitled to.

We need to protect our entitlements, not argue that they're not entitlements. They are entitlements and we need to not waste our efforts on the mis-understanding of a word

Just as I am entitled to Medicare because I paid into it and will pay monthly premiums for other parts of it.

that lie needs to be corrected, and set straight

don't try to prove they're NOT entitlements, but are some other word that means the same thing. That concedes ground that should't be conceded.

as the menace in the WH says fake news.

Unroll it -- here: https://threadreaderapp.com/

throw in the link, and voila: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/942221228483469312.html

Repubs can apply means-testing to Social Security and Medicare to reduce the eligible ranks. It would probably pass, because the opposition would be split along "have"/"have-not" lines within the Democratic Party.

Step by step, they'll try to eliminate these benefits.