NYT's Stunning Claim: Military Retirement and Health Programs = 'Big Social Welfare System'

It seems President Obama, his Department of Defense, and the New York Times have found something in the budget they think is worth cutting: military retirement and healthcare programs. In a stunning article, the NYT went so far as to call the current programs a “big social welfare system.” These programs are certainly not welfare by any means, but by calling them such, the NYT is only embarrassing itself and showing its usual disdain for the men and women who bravely serve their country.

Even if one were to make the argument that these programs are a form of welfare, isn’t it a bit ironic that the NYT would show such contempt toward them? After all, isn’t the Grey Lady normally cheerleading big government welfare programs and big government spending? Apparently not so much when the “welfare” benefits those who have actually worked for it, shed blood for it, and even sacrificed life and limb to receive it.

I wrote about current efforts to restructure the military retirement system last month: Revamping The Military Retirement System: A High-Stakes Jenga Game. The Defense Business Board has recommended creation of a 401(k) style retirement system to replace the current one that provides servicemembers a retirement check for life upon completion of 20 or more years. In short, the DoD is recommending “privatizing” the military retirement system.

Interestingly, whenever Republicans talk about privatizing Social Security, the left flips its noodle. The New York Times’s Paul Krugman typically goes on a rant whenever the discussion flares up. In 2005, when a GOP President occupied the White House, Krugman smugly referred to talk about privatizing Social Security as a “borrow, speculate, and hope” strategy.

When the left wants to privatize the military retirement system, Krugman is not only silent, but his colleagues come out swinging for it. One of the NYT’s journalists who wrote this piece about privatizing the military retirement system seemed to speak ill of privatizing Social Security in the past. In 2003, Mary Williams Walsh referred to such efforts as “gambling,” using a term her mentor Paul Krugman is fond of tossing around when the subject of privatization surfaces.

The other writer, James Dao, has an impressive Ivy League education, but other than writing about military matters, has no military experience. To expand the old cliché: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. Those who can do neither, become staff writers at the New York Times.” Mr. Dao and Ms. Williams Walsh seem awkwardly out of their league forming an opinion about the military retirement and healthcare systems.

The other part of the “big social welfare system” in the minds of the NYT is the military’s healthcare program, TRICARE. When I entered the service in 1981, there was a fundamental promise made to all servicemembers: medical and dental benefits for military members and their families would be free for life. That didn’t last long. Somewhere along the way came the Delta Dental plan that had significant out-of-pocket expenses. The TRICARE system, while exceptionally generous for what it costs, is certainly not free as promised.

In his plan to reduce the deficit, President Obama has proposed significant changes (cost increases) to the military retiree healthcare system, moving it even further away from that promise of no cost for life. I’ve seen no similar proposals by President Obama to restructure, reduce, and remedy Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Frankly, I’m tired of the heavy-handed leftist agenda to disenfranchise the military and veterans. They covet and protect their own gold-plated programs, fight to continue funding the broken Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs, and aim their arrows at the military whenever there’s a “need” to make cuts in spending. Before one cent of military retirement and healthcare programs are cut, serious efforts must be made to restructure these other enormous entitlement programs.

Mike Angley is the award-winning author of the thriller series, the Child Finder trilogy. He is a retired USAF Colonel and 25-year career Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Follow him on Twitter: @MikeAngley, FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.angley, and visit his website: www.mikeangley.com.