Everything on your list but VA benefits and defense are very regularly called into question. Even VA benefits are questioned pretty regularly, but that tends to be put down pretty quickly.

> A lot of it is effectively bribing and menacing trading partners

That's just a byproduct of propping up the military industrial complex; have to have conflicts to justify giving the primes sole-source cost+ contracts so they can meet their quarterly EPS targets.

I think there is a lot of discord over medicare/medical, social security, and interest at least, but maybe I'm just in a bubble.