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And here I am - on a guilt trip because I'm living on government "entitlements". My health care is covered by Medicare and "Tricare For Life" (a Medicare supplement for retired military). Medicare payments are to be reduced by 23-25% in December, at which point I'll probably lose my primary care doctor of many years. The government keeps threatening to do away with Tricare For Life.

I'm receiving VA compensation for injuries sustained on active duty. It was non-combat but involved some serious head, neck and shoulder trauma. I managed to pull two years in the Vietnam War and a bit more, 10 years active duty, before we mutually agreed that I'd be better off finishing my career in the Reserve.

I've had headaches every day for 42 years and a left arm that's not much use. My neck and back are deteriorating. My left leg is shorter than my right, I haven't squatted down to tie the lace on my left shoe since 1982. Suit coats have to be tailored so both shoulders look the same height. VA and social security both consider me 100% disabled. I'm NOT whining or looking for sympathy, that's for losers. I'm just painting the perspective here. I didn't even apply for the benefits until about 8 - 9 years ago when I hurt too bad to work anymore.

So, as I said, here I am, feeling guilty for living on government benefits, VA, SS, military retirement, Medicare. Although I suspect that my wife and I pay in more taxes than I take out in benefits. And by the way, NO cost of living adjustment on any one of those benefits for the last few years because the government needs to pinch pennies, ya know? (I bet my share didn't even cover Madame Pelosi's bar tab for a one way Air Force flight from Washington to San Francisco.)

The icing on the cake is that I have gone without a lot of things during my life so I could save and invest for the "future". I drove a crummy old car or truck, and did without the toys and clothes that "everyone else" seemed to have. The financial manipulation on Wall Street and in Washington took more than half of my life savings in the last ten years. I sacrificed all those years for nothing.

I don't really give a shit if they take away all my little "entitlements" and give them to some illegal alien or ghetto gangbanger. They can do what they think they need to do. The worst they can do to me personally is to kill me, and I won't go quietly.

Nowadays I'm invested in precious metals: lead, brass, copper.