We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

There's a wee bit more to the constitution than just defense? But, these days we seem to like to reduce complexity to a new level of "simplicity", complete with simplistic slogans, simplistic ideologies, and simple solutions to complex problems.

I'm perfectly fine with all of the awful complexity of this imperfect world we inhabit. I find forcing people to pay something for a minimum level of social insurance and a modest retirement scheme is reasonable, efficient, fair, and prudent. It allows me not to have take care of grandma, and my kids not to have to take care of me, and provides a modest level of insurance against disability, and want in old age. Some of our pensions came about because of the failure of private schemes, and some programs require more contributions, and provide more benefits, and I find that to be just fine, too. And, this is America, so if you want more, you are always free to earn and save more, and if you aren't so lucky, then at least we won't need finish you off right away, just to save money.......?

Maybe, before we decide who's "being subsidized" let me explain that I'm entitled to my RR Retirement "entitlements" for the old fashioned reason, because I paid for them. I and my employers paid much higher rates in to RR Retirment, and in exchange, I am "entitled" to that pension I earned. I didn't have bad luck and didn't get disabled, and worked a full and productive career, and didn't draw anything out. Now some bozo wants to steal what I contributed, and give me less, so his buddies can have bigger tax breaks.

I am old enough to still believe that those who want to walk away from these contractual obligations and steal, expropriate, or defraund me of what I contributed to RR Retirment aren't really conservatives. The last time I checked, it was folks like communists seeking a foolish utopia who reneged on debts, confiscated private property, and aborgated contracts in the name of the state. Now apparently, it is now true believer libertarians who feel free do it in the name of their version of some mystical Ayn Rand "free market" nirvana they hope to create? Not a free market based on healthy and equitable competition, in a free civil society, under the rule of law, with justice, and compassion, but a true believer fairy tale based on the law of the jungle.

So yeah sure, let's shut down Amtrak and everything else government provides like police, courts, prisons, fire protection, streets, freeways, sewage plants, schools, parks, food inspectors, medicare, pensions, NASA, and all the other public services we have in this complex modern world. Then we can go back to the caves, were we can breath bad air, drink poisoned water, eat tainted food, get ripped off at the company store, and work under slave like conditions, in ignorance, and want? After all, life was so much simpler back then.... and a lot harder, a lot shorter, and hell of a lot meaner....?