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I need assurance that our Gov't is for Americans first and that they will prevent the unethical Americans from having their way.
Of course this requires our leaders to not sell us out. It requires our Gov't to abstain from policies that create poverty here at home.
Great post, but as it stands right now the middle class HAS ALREADY been sold out!
its not a matter of finaincial worth its a matter of them at least making an effort.
as far as what to do in my honest opinion...throw people into the fire, you would be surprised at how well they do when they have to
How do you know poor people aren't making an effort? It seems to me certain people are judging the results and concluding that it is a personal problem instead of a systematic or societal problem. Nevermind that sometimes all the best efforts in the world cannot get water from a stone, it is very easy to look at somebody on welfare and say "they aren't trying" or they are lazy.
I agree that poor people shouldn't be having alot of children. However, how does a rationale society that respects human rights go about helping people in those situations? Depriving their children of food? What is needed is more programs that empower single women to make smarter choices and have more oppurtunities. Something Republicans do not like. They only like to talk about sticks and no carrots.
Besides, it is a huge myth most poor people have lots of kids. Most have less than the general population by a small margin. Most people with large families now days are white and middle class or have some religious perscriptions regarding family size. It is very rare to find a single mother with a half-dozen children now days.
How do you know poor people aren't making an effort? It seems to me certain people are judging the results and concluding that it is a personal problem instead of a systematic or societal problem. Nevermind that sometimes all the best efforts in the world cannot get water from a stone, it is very easy to look at somebody on welfare and say "they aren't trying" or they are lazy.
I agree that poor people shouldn't be having alot of children. However, how does a rationale society that respects human rights go about helping people in those situations? Depriving their children of food? What is needed is more programs that empower single women to make smarter choices and have more oppurtunities. Something Republicans do not like. They only like to talk about sticks and no carrots.
Besides, it is a huge myth most poor people have lots of kids. Most have less than the general population by a small margin. Most people with large families now days are white and middle class or have some religious perscriptions regarding family size. It is very rare to find a single mother with a half-dozen children now days.
His whole argument is based off of sterotypes. They all have a pre-conceived notion about what "poor" is without even realizing that the middle class Americans are now drifting into poverty and finding it difficult to make ends meet.
In another thread (that was closed) a poster talked about having been in the military, and how he didn't live high on the hog at the governments expense. (implying that the military doesn't pay well.)
As a matter of fact, the Military is one of the greatest examples of American Socialism.
Every military person, with or without family, is guaranteed a basic level of housing, food and health care. Day care facilities on military bases run about 25% the local cost of daycare (or maybe just in NY.) Most things on post are far cheaper than you'd get outside.
And from the last time I looked, when my husband was in, the combination of his salary and BAH put us in a far higher income bracket than him working a regular job. That didn't include the free perks.
So when people talk down about socialism, they are talking down the military way of life, which is the greatest example of workable socialism in America.
His whole argument is based off of sterotypes. They all have a pre-conceived notion about what "poor" is without even realizing that the middle class Americans are now drifting into poverty and finding it difficult to make ends meet.
I agree! In another thread this guy was talking to me like he knew me personally. Why has nobody heard the one about people who make assumtions?
In another thread (that was closed) a poster talked about having been in the military, and how he didn't live high on the hog at the governments expense. (implying that the military doesn't pay well.)
As a matter of fact, the Military is one of the greatest examples of American Socialism.
Every military person, with or without family, is guaranteed a basic level of housing, food and health care. Day care facilities on military bases run about 25% the local cost of daycare (or maybe just in NY.) Most things on post are far cheaper than you'd get outside.
And from the last time I looked, when my husband was in, the combination of his salary and BAH put us in a far higher income bracket than him working a regular job. That didn't include the free perks.
So when people talk down about socialism, they are talking down the military way of life, which is the greatest example of workable socialism in America.
you know I made the same arguement in a chatroom recently about how the military is basically a socialist program and many military types told me I was crazy! How many private sector jobs give you all those perks?
I wouldn't necessarily call the military socialism, though it does provide alot of support and some benefits. If you factor in what the military actually does, it puts it into perspective. The military has very explicit requirements of members that go beyond the demands placed on the average citizen. Also, not everybody in the US can be in the military, in fact many cannot for one reason or another. Disability/ health status (even high blood pressure) or being gay, for instance, can preclude a person from serving.
The military and related programs are a good example, though, of how the government can provide services. The medical system the military runs is fairly good (though military dentists get a bit of a hard time) on the whole and provides services to all military members and their families. Prior to the Gulf War: Part II, the VA (which is actually not part of the Department of Defense) was actually doing very well. Now of course they are being stressed by the demands of a war and funding isn't always keeping up. The problems that existed were/are mostly in rural areas in western states, where people live far from local VA clinics and hospitals. However, on the whole it is a very cost-effective medical system an example of why government-managed healthcare need not be the disaster some predict.
you know I made the same arguement in a chatroom recently about how the military is basically a socialist program and many military types told me I was crazy! How many private sector jobs give you all those perks?
Very few. The only one I can think of is perhaps in Academia where an instructor is living on campus.
If something doesn't change soon, we're going to see a lot more of these types of things happening. Typical middle class guy having financial difficulties -
Lengthy standoff ends in suicide in Spring | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (broken link)
I wouldn't necessarily call the military socialism, though it does provide alot of support and some benefits. If you factor in what the military actually does, it puts it into perspective.
That isn't relevant. It is a self-contained, socialists, ecosphere. PERIOD. Socialism is not a dirty word. It's not binary after all. The US is a combination of socialism and capitalism. Other nations as well. The argument is the mixture of the two. (much like the Lauffer curve. aka the Laughter Curve).
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Disability/ health status (even high blood pressure) or being gay, for instance, can preclude a person from serving.
You'd be very, very, very surprised at the waivers that are being doled out these days. And in the military, just about anything is waiverable. (I have some first hand experience with the military in the past two years.)
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the VA (which is actually not part of the Department of Defense)
[..]
Now of course they are being stressed by the demands of a war and funding isn't always keeping up.
Ain't that 'sumthin''. Thanks. We don't need you anymore. Wham bam thank you mam. (or mister.)
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However, on the whole it is a very cost-effective medical system an example of why government-managed healthcare need not be the disaster some predict.
Yep
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