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Are you cruel and heartless when you want to advocate violence and harness the police power of the state to take what people have earned and give it to others based on "need"? Which is BS, it is 99% "want".
Are you cruel and heartless when you decide that you need the money of others more than they do? And you will take it using force?
Is it cruel and heartless to assume the mantle of compassion as you point guns and steal what doesn't belong to you?
Just asking...
I actually agree with Libertarians that taxes should be optional. However, if you don't want to pay your taxes, I don't think you should be able to get a driver's license or send your kids to public school either.
You're thinking of North Korea and of revolutions in parts of Latin America...
Think more along the lines of Sweden, Australia, Canada, etc. The cooperative approach is working nicely in places like that, without anyone needing to be threatened with gun violence. O.o
Plus welfare wouldn't even be necessary (aside from for disabled people) if America didn't take such a pro-employer approach at the expense of working people.
A reminder to me that being alone is not as bad as it could be. Likely the main reason why I have not made a friend in 24 years. Many people today are mean, cruel, and heartless. Ageism along with unfair stereotyping is very real.
Giving you a rep for this post.
I am 2 years older than you and can relate. It's likely the main reason why suicides are up in our age group.
Thanks for the rep and the understanding. As for the difficult in maintaining friendships, see this thread I started (link). And I'm talking about a friendship going back to 1972.
I guess you'd support having "the worthless" taken out back and shot.
Nice strawman. If you want to spend all day at work, take your paycheck, and give it to some broke single mom who keeps popping out babies with random men so that she can stay on the government dole then be my guest, but keep your hands out of my pockets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust
How about trying a little humanity instead?
Is it humane to punish those who do well in order to reward those who contribute nothing? Is it humane to take from a man, under threat of imprisonment, what he has earned with his hard work and give it to someone who has done nothing to deserve it?
Maybe you should look up the definition of humanity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust
Sure, the US is the 'greatest'...at incarceration rate, military spending, number of billionaires, obesity, student loan debt, academic mediocrity, gun violence in developed countries, etc.
Must be nice to cherrypick the facts that fit your agenda.
1) Incarceration Rate - What's your point? Why don't you go to your nearest prison and point out who's in there wrongfully. Then you can invite them to your house and let them crash there while you go to work every day to pay for their needs.
2) Military Spending - Would you rather open up our borders and welcome everyone with hugs? Because only Americans are evil and everyone else in the world is peaceful, loving, and tolerant. You really need to get out more.
3) Number of Billionaires - Oh, heavens no! We have so many rich people! What a curse! If only we had more poor, this place would be so much better!
4) Obesity - Most obese people are poor, so maybe you should cut down on food stamps.
5) Student Loan Debt - Your problem, not mine. I wasn't stupid enough to get roped into paying for a sh*t diploma for the rest of my life. Either get a degree that's going to pay immediate dividends or learn a trade. The fact that you still owe $100k for your Liberal Studies degree is a sign of your ignorance, not of a broken system.
6) Academic Mediocrity - Blame it on the poor. You give a person food, shelter, and all their basic needs for absolutely nothing in return. What incentive do they have to educate themselves and go work? Free education is available to ALL Americans. It's not the system's fault that some choose not to make the most of it.
7) Gun Violence in Developed Countries - Is gun violence better or worse than other kinds of violence? And who exactly is perpetrating this gun violence; the upper and middle class folks who keep guns for sport and protection, or the poor hoodlums who refuse to work honest jobs and would rather run around the streets shooting each other over drug turf? The overwhelming majority of gun violence is committed by the poor, so maybe you should get on their case instead of treating them like blessed little angels roaming the earth. It's not enough that I have to pay for their food, shelter, and cell phones but now I have to be responsible for them being violent animals who run around murdering each other too? Think again.
You can keep your guilt trip. America is the greatest country on earth because it offers freedom and opportunity the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Respect it or get out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust
But the true greatness of a country is how it treats those in need, even if they aren't immediately "productive".
No, it's not. EVERYONE is needy in some way or another. There's some billionaire somewhere who would give it all up for a good lay. Why don't you go be a humanitarian and pleasure him? You're not so giving when it's your skin in the game. It's easy to be a humanitarian when you're throwing around other people's money.
America isn't great because of its poor. It's great because of its industry leaders, innovators, geniuses, heroes... Those who contribute and sacrifice to make America stand head and shoulders above everyone else. That's what makes this country great, not mother Teresa's throwing other people's money at those who are only a cancer to humanity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust
Instead, this country is a playground for the few powerful, elite, connected. Through crushing the backs of everyone else.
LOL. You REALLY need to get out more and see other countries. What exactly is crushing your back? The fact that you can pick and choose from any job that you're qualified to do? Or is it the fact that you can leave that job and work another one whenever you so please? Or is it that you can work two jobs if you so desire? Or is it that you can start your own business and be your own boss, being a master of your own destiny. Please tell me, WHAT is it that's crushing your back?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust
Every day, I step over mangled sick bodies on the street on my way to work, people lying in their own bodily fluids, past alleyway slums, and into my sleek office where I do my cushy 6 figure job. It's damn weird, and I'll never get used to it.
Yeah, drugs suck. Some of us aren't stupid enough to get hooked on them. Whose fault is it that some junky is laying in his own ****? Was I the one there sticking the needle in his arm? And if you're so concerned, why don't you come down from the ivory tower with your six figure salary and cut some of those folks a nice check? Oh, but it's easier to feign outrage and demand other people do something about it. Wouldn't want to get any vomit on your Louboutins.
ohhwanderlust"Every day, I step over mangled sick bodies on the street on my way to work, people lying in their own bodily fluids, past alleyway slums, and into my sleek office where I do my cushy 6 figure job. It's damn weird, and I'll never get used to it.
I try to give them food when I can, and I volunteer, but when I see attitudes like this, it all seems so futile because of how resistant people are to helping those in need. And it's depressing."
With a 6 figure job, you can give all the time. More importantly, you should volunteer all of your free time. Demonstrate true long-term commitment instead of pontificating about it.
Time donated to help others help themselves is the most important thing you can give. I tutored , after college, for a total of 5 years, every week, for free by my choice. I felt sorry for the kids as their background was horrific. Both turned out well; one is an RN, another an Engineer.
Words are cheap. Action shows commitment.
Be prepared for one other fact: Most needing help will do nothing to enable you to help them. By the time you see them on the sidewalk, for 99.999% of them, they are too dysfunctional to accept help and work towards being productive. But you should still try, as it is meaningful, unlike pontificating about their plight.
There is NOTHING more pathetic than a sad little man standing in false judgement over somebody else while being only one layoff - one bad quarter's profits, one CEO's bonus - away from being ruined himself, all the while cackling over his perceived superiority, while being too ignorant to realize how close he is to being in the same situation.
ohhwanderlust"Every day, I step over mangled sick bodies on the street on my way to work, people lying in their own bodily fluids, past alleyway slums, and into my sleek office where I do my cushy 6 figure job. It's damn weird, and I'll never get used to it.
I try to give them food when I can, and I volunteer, but when I see attitudes like this, it all seems so futile because of how resistant people are to helping those in need. And it's depressing."
With a 6 figure job, you can give all the time. More importantly, you should volunteer all of your free time. Demonstrate true long-term commitment instead of pontificating about it.
Time donated to help others help themselves is the most important thing you can give. I tutored , after college, for a total of 5 years, every week, for free by my choice. I felt sorry for the kids as their background was horrific. Both turned out well; one is an RN, another an Engineer.
Words are cheap. Action shows commitment.
Be prepared for one other fact: Most needing help will do nothing to enable you to help them. By the time you see them on the sidewalk, for 99.999% of them, they are too dysfunctional to accept help and work towards being productive. But you should still try, as it is meaningful, unlike pontificating about their plight.
Actually I do volunteer, and donate a percentage of my income each month, but nice try. Besides, I live in a city where average rent is $3500...so I'm definitely not rolling in riches myself.
But there's only so much that I can do on my own to help them. It'd make more sense to just have a system that everyone contributes a bit to.
Nice strawman. If you want to spend all day at work, take your paycheck, and give it to some broke single mom who keeps popping out babies with random men so that she can stay on the government dole then be my guest, but keep your hands out of my pockets.
Is it humane to punish those who do well in order to reward those who contribute nothing? Is it humane to take from a man, under threat of imprisonment, what he has earned with his hard work and give it to someone who has done nothing to deserve it?
Maybe you should look up the definition of humanity.
Must be nice to cherrypick the facts that fit your agenda.
1) Incarceration Rate - What's your point? Why don't you go to your nearest prison and point out who's in there wrongfully. Then you can invite them to your house and let them crash there while you go to work every day to pay for their needs.
2) Military Spending - Would you rather open up our borders and welcome everyone with hugs? Because only Americans are evil and everyone else in the world is peaceful, loving, and tolerant. You really need to get out more.
3) Number of Billionaires - Oh, heavens no! We have so many rich people! What a curse! If only we had more poor, this place would be so much better!
4) Obesity - Most obese people are poor, so maybe you should cut down on food stamps.
5) Student Loan Debt - Your problem, not mine. I wasn't stupid enough to get roped into paying for a sh*t diploma for the rest of my life. Either get a degree that's going to pay immediate dividends or learn a trade. The fact that you still owe $100k for your Liberal Studies degree is a sign of your ignorance, not of a broken system.
6) Academic Mediocrity - Blame it on the poor. You give a person food, shelter, and all their basic needs for absolutely nothing in return. What incentive do they have to educate themselves and go work? Free education is available to ALL Americans. It's not the system's fault that some choose not to make the most of it.
7) Gun Violence in Developed Countries - Is gun violence better or worse than other kinds of violence? And who exactly is perpetrating this gun violence; the upper and middle class folks who keep guns for sport and protection, or the poor hoodlums who refuse to work honest jobs and would rather run around the streets shooting each other over drug turf? The overwhelming majority of gun violence is committed by the poor, so maybe you should get on their case instead of treating them like blessed little angels roaming the earth. It's not enough that I have to pay for their food, shelter, and cell phones but now I have to be responsible for them being violent animals who run around murdering each other too? Think again.
You can keep your guilt trip. America is the greatest country on earth because it offers freedom and opportunity the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Respect it or get out.
No, it's not. EVERYONE is needy in some way or another. There's some billionaire somewhere who would give it all up for a good lay. Why don't you go be a humanitarian and pleasure him? You're not so giving when it's your skin in the game. It's easy to be a humanitarian when you're throwing around other people's money.
America isn't great because of its poor. It's great because of its industry leaders, innovators, geniuses, heroes... Those who contribute and sacrifice to make America stand head and shoulders above everyone else. That's what makes this country great, not mother Teresa's throwing other people's money at those who are only a cancer to humanity.
LOL. You REALLY need to get out more and see other countries. What exactly is crushing your back? The fact that you can pick and choose from any job that you're qualified to do? Or is it the fact that you can leave that job and work another one whenever you so please? Or is it that you can work two jobs if you so desire? Or is it that you can start your own business and be your own boss, being a master of your own destiny. Please tell me, WHAT is it that's crushing your back?
Yeah, drugs suck. Some of us aren't stupid enough to get hooked on them. Whose fault is it that some junky is laying in his own ****? Was I the one there sticking the needle in his arm? And if you're so concerned, why don't you come down from the ivory tower with your six figure salary and cut some of those folks a nice check? Oh, but it's easier to feign outrage and demand other people do something about it. Wouldn't want to get any vomit on your Louboutins.
Way to twist the facts into ridiculous extremes. No, we shouldn't open up the borders and welcome everyone with hugs. But cutting back a LITTLE on military spending? Sure.
Do I want all inmates released? Absolutely not. But there are people in there merely because they possessed weed. I don't think they should be in prison.
Get the idea? Or is the idea of moderation unacceptable to those who support CEOs rolling in riches while their employees (ie, they actually work) barely earn enough to eat?
And no, I'm not saying that CEOs shouldn't earn more than the average worker. But a CEO of an established, profitable company should at least pay them as close to a living wage as possible (not necessarily a luxurious wage, but enough to survive independently in the area). And the CEO will still have more than enough money to play with.
And yes, America is successful because of the industry leaders. But also because of the workers. They may have the lofty ideas and 'executive presence' (and the connections and the family money...but I digress. ahem), but that'd amount to nothing without the people working hard to turn them into reality.
And no student loans for me....I've worked full-time throughout college to avoid loans like the plague. My grades were only 'eh' though. Those who want to graduate summa *** laude may find that student loans are a necessary evil in order to have time to study.
But there's only so much that I can do on my own to help them. It'd make more sense to just have a system that everyone contributes a bit to.
According to who? You? Your local congressman? Feinstein? Who decides who should give what and to who?
When called out on it you whine about high rents and blah, blah, blah... "there's only so much I can do." Sure, nice excuse. Well who are you to say what anyone else should do?
Everyone should contribute a bit? Who's "everyone"? Clearly you don't mean EVERYONE everyone because that would include the poor and homeless chipping in their share too, but them you give a free pass to. So let's call it what it is, "THE HARD-WORKING AND PRODUCTIVE of society should contribute to support THE NON-WORKING AND UNPRODUCTIVE."
And what does "contribute" mean to you? To me a contribution is something voluntary. It's not "contributing" if you're TAKING my money AGAINST MY WILL. That's THEFT. So we've concluded that you want to "TAKE BY FORCE from THE HARD-WORKING AND PRODUCTIVE to support THE NON-WORKING AND UNPRODUCTIVE."
Lastly, what do you consider "a bit"? Who decides what "a bit" is? Clearly your "bit" isn't very much because "high rents" and "there's only so much I can do" and whatnot. So whose "bit" is the bit we go by?
Here's a better idea: If you can make it in life, good for you. If you can't make it in life, tough luck. Help others at your own will and discretion in whatever way and measure you desire, but demand help of no one. Give people the freedom to live their lives as they see fit and demand nothing of them other than that same freedom in return.
According to who? You? Your local congressman? Feinstein? Who decides who should give what and to who?
When called out on it you whine about high rents and blah, blah, blah... "there's only so much I can do." Sure, nice excuse. Well who are you to say what anyone else should do?
Everyone should contribute a bit? Who's "everyone"? Clearly you don't mean EVERYONE everyone because that would include the poor and homeless chipping in their share too, but them you give a free pass to. So let's call it what it is, "THE HARD-WORKING AND PRODUCTIVE of society should contribute to support THE NON-WORKING AND UNPRODUCTIVE."
And what does "contribute" mean to you? To me a contribution is something voluntary. It's not "contributing" if you're TAKING my money AGAINST MY WILL. That's THEFT. So we've concluded that you want to "TAKE BY FORCE from THE HARD-WORKING AND PRODUCTIVE to support THE NON-WORKING AND UNPRODUCTIVE."
Lastly, what do you consider "a bit"? Who decides what "a bit" is? Clearly your "bit" isn't very much because "high rents" and "there's only so much I can do" and whatnot. So whose "bit" is the bit we go by?
Here's a better idea: If you can make it in life, good for you. If you can't make it in life, tough luck. Help others at your own will and discretion in whatever way and measure you desire, but demand help of no one. Give people the freedom to live their lives as they see fit and demand nothing of them other than that same freedom in return.
Engaging with you is pointless. You're too much of an extremist to reason with.
Have a nice day.
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