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I reject this collectivist brothers keeper BS in all its formations and permutations. You can appreciate any damnable thing you want, with money that you earned and own. You are not to presume that you can order others what to do with their money and lives. You weren't "lucky" to be born in any particular place. You are not born into slavery or obligation to be ripped off by those around you who demand the fruits of your labor, and the sacrifice of your life to theirs because of needs and wants. It is not ALL for ONE and ONE for ALL. That's hackneyed hogwash. Freedom is first, last, and foremost. Freedom and liberty are what make America different and great. Not obligation, duty and slavery. Freedom, liberty, individualism, and the RIGHT to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT (NOT GUARANTEE) OF HAPPINESS. Please review the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and learn what your country is really about.
The Constitution also says that you are required to pay your taxes, I guess that's to guarantee your right to Life, Liberty, and your Pursuit of happiness. If your representatives are not spending your tax dollars as you see fit, then you exercise another of your Constitutionally protected rights to vote for the representative of your choice. If you don't like the way things are going here, where would you like to move to that's better?
The Constitution also says that you are required to pay your taxes, I guess that's to guarantee your right to Life, Liberty, and your Pursuit of happiness. If your representatives are not spending your tax dollars as you see fit, then you exercise another of your Constitutionally protected rights to vote for the representative of your choice. If you don't like the way things are going here, where would you like to move to that's better?
The constitution also says that taxes are only allowed to be spent on common defense and general welfare of the United States.
General welfare does NOT equal "steal all the money from the rich folks and hand it out to all the poor folks to make things more even".
It means "spend money that promotes the general welfare of the citizenry as a whole". Spend money on what's good for EVERYBODY. Not just good for poor people. Good for everybody.
There is a certain amount of income distribution that's good for everybody. Distribute just enough so that everyone has enough to eat to survive. So that everyone has at least emergency medical care. Enough shelter to not freeze to death in the winter. That's good for everybody because then you don't have people dying in the streets, or mass rioting or stealing.
But once you start to get into distributing more and more and more money because well, they just have more than me and I want what they have without having to work for it because dang it I just WANT it, because I DESERVE a steak dinner or a nice birthday cake for my child or whatever, no, that's not covered in the constitution. Sorry. It's still stealing.
But once you start to get into distributing more and more and more money because well, they just have more than me and I want what they have without having to work for it because dang it I just WANT it, because I DESERVE a steak dinner or a nice birthday cake for my child or whatever, no, that's not covered in the constitution. Sorry. It's still stealing.
America is not India. $20K/yr. in India allows a family of four to live in a gated community and hire private security. In America, not so much. The steak dinners and petty luxuries you imagine American recipients of "Basic Income" can afford, are products of your jaundiced opinion of those less well off. That opinion is also informed by the erosion of your own standard of living due to inflation, corporate greed, Class Warfare and Income/Wealth Inequality. When welfare was crafted, the 1% of the population did not have 99% of the income and wealth! It isn't surprising that the Middle Class now wants to defund Social Programs. What is amazing that it has taken this long for the Middle Class to start turning on the poor. Which increasingly means turning on themselves. Every day, hundreds of former Middle Class Americans enter poverty. Interesting: hard working, never a day off, 20 years at X company, modest home, frugal to a fault. BOOM. Life happens. Company downsizes... in a stroke, the exact same person is now a lazy no-good, welfare seeking slacker...
Last edited by Leisesturm; 12-17-2015 at 11:19 AM..
The constitution also says that taxes are only allowed to be spent on common defense and general welfare of the United States.
General welfare does NOT equal "steal all the money from the rich folks and hand it out to all the poor folks to make things more even".
It means "spend money that promotes the general welfare of the citizenry as a whole". Spend money on what's good for EVERYBODY. Not just good for poor people. Good for everybody.
There is a certain amount of income distribution that's good for everybody. Distribute just enough so that everyone has enough to eat to survive. So that everyone has at least emergency medical care. Enough shelter to not freeze to death in the winter. That's good for everybody because then you don't have people dying in the streets, or mass rioting or stealing.
But once you start to get into distributing more and more and more money because well, they just have more than me and I want what they have without having to work for it because dang it I just WANT it, because I DESERVE a steak dinner or a nice birthday cake for my child or whatever, no, that's not covered in the constitution. Sorry. It's still stealing.
= (tell the truth) kind of country you (and me) want to live in.
Don't mistake generosity and charity with entitlement, when I grew up in the 60's we watched out for our neighbors and community and lent a hand when it was needed. We helped through churches, community organizations, and one on one. Even though a lot of us didn't have much, there was always enough to help someone hungry, who needed a coat, some heating oil, you name it. I don't think that's changed much over the years, I still see a lot of local caring and generosity, and often the people in need don't go running to the government or come pounding on my door for help, they're too proud and embarrassed at their situation, but genuinely grateful for the help, and when they get back on their feet they will often pay it back to the next needy person. Is that the kind of community I want to live in? You betcha
Don't mistake generosity and charity with entitlement, when I grew up in the 60's we watched out for our neighbors and community and lent a hand when it was needed. We helped through churches, community organizations, and one on one. Even though a lot of us didn't have much, there was always enough to help someone hungry, who needed a coat, some heating oil, you name it. I don't think that's changed much over the years, I still see a lot of local caring and generosity, and often the people in need don't go running to the government or come pounding on my door for help, they're too proud and embarrassed at their situation, but genuinely grateful for the help, and when they get back on their feet they will often pay it back to the next needy person. Is that the kind of community I want to live in? You betcha
That is certainly not my recollection of the 60's. Maybe you grew up in a small close knit community but in urban areas there was little to no assistance to the poor outside of what the government provided. I remember one evangelical church that would give homeless men a cot for the night if they stayed for two hours and listened to a sermon, but that was about it and I don't think if anything it's gotten worse, fewer people even know who their neighbors are anymore so it's hard to figure how they will get all this community assistance when no one even knows who they are.
That is certainly not my recollection of the 60's. Maybe you grew up in a small close knit community but in urban areas there was little to no assistance to the poor outside of what the government provided. I remember one evangelical church that would give homeless men a cot for the night if they stayed for two hours and listened to a sermon, but that was about it and I don't think if anything it's gotten worse, fewer people even know who their neighbors are anymore so it's hard to figure how they will get all this community assistance when no one even knows who they are.
Hey, I'm not naive enough not to realize there are dying cities and towns, but a rotting corpse stinks, it has nothing else to give. When you smell that, get out, there are better places to live.
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