According to Joshua Green at BusinessWeek, Gene Sperling is strongly hinting that Democrats are just going to have to swallow “entitlement” cuts. My problem with statements like that is simply that it distills the penalties for the human beings who need those services to some kind of political calculus. Even using the word entitlements in place of social programs is a surrender to those who would ignore the reality of why those programs are needed, in my opinion. While politics is how the goal must be achieved that isn’t the goal in itself. That lies beyond the political battle and in the homes where the social programs make real differences in the quality of life for real men, women and children.