Conservatives totally favor entitlements, that is, only if they come in the form of corporate welfare. It's the social entitlements for average Americans, and especially social welfare for the poor, that they disdain. Ne'er the twain shall meet. Contemporary conservative philosophy hates the American middle class based on the actions they propose. The flip side is that many liberals either hate or don't accept economic reality. With a combination like that, I've managed to figure out how the American empire can decline and fall. At least Rome had lead in the water pipes to partially blame.