<i>The complaint from the right is that the federal government confiscates the wealth of its citizens and redistributes it, presumably suboptimally.</i><p>No, that's the complaint from the Libertarians. The complaint from most of the right wing is that it redistributes to the wrong people (e.g., ones who vote Democrat).<p>In particular, old people tend to vote more right-wing, so you're <i>raving mad</i> if you think they'd <i>ever</i> oppose Medicare.