Gnu wrote: "I spent my entire working career (44 years) in military and government service."

Good to see that socialism is alive and well, because if I read this correctly, yoiu have depended on the government your entire working career to provide you with the comforts of life, and as you glide into retirement, my tax dollars will continue to provide for your retirement and health insurance.

Of course, I'm only exploiting the weakness of the "right's" circular logic here, gnu, because your work on the dole of uncle Sam was undoubtedly useful, as virtually all moderates and progressives would agree.

As has been said many times before...it's only socialism when it doesn't provide a direct government benefit to me, me, me.