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TheLadyEve

31 / F / Straight / Seeing someone

Denton, Texas

Her journal posts

On Entitlement and Privelege

Jan 26, 2011

Did everyone watch the State of the Union? How about the GOP's response? I have a few thoughts...

There was a lot of "bootstrap" talk, by which I mean the championing of the average American to pull themselves up without the help of the government, and the negative repercussions of larger federal government. I am of two minds about this. 

I've worked with state agencies, and treated a lot of people who live on social security and medicaid. I have seen this system abused. I know that it happens.

But I can't help it; I'm wary when a privileged white man tells me that people should be able to overcome poverty through sheer force of will. The fact is, if people could just "pull themselves up" on minimum wage in this country, they would. Oh, sure, there are a few rare counterexamples of people who work their way from poverty to middle income. But I think that we exist in a socioeconomic caste system that is awfully hard to traverse. Once you're down, it's hard not to stay down. I think it would be great if everyone could hold down a good job, live in a decent place, have reliable public transportation, have access to a real grocery store, and not have to live on handouts from the government. But the fact remains that many Americans live in slums, have no access to fresh food, have no way to get to a job (even if they could get a job) and have no reason to start a savings account (why open a bank account when you're living check to check? It makes more sense to buy cigarettes for your nephew so that you can stay with him when your lights get turned off). I'm not saying I think the government should support everyone. That's not feasible. But I am saying that it is awfully easy to lecture about the perseverance of the American spirit from a high horse on Capitol Hill. 

Did everyone watch the State of the Union? How about the GOP'sresponse? I have a few thoughts...

There was a lot of "bootstrap" talk, by which I mean thechampioning of the average American to pull themselves up withoutthe help of the government, and the negative repercussions oflarger federal government. I am of two minds about this. 

I've worked with state agencies, and treated a lot of people wholive on social security and medicaid. I have seen this systemabused. I know that it happens.

But I can't help it; I'm wary when a privileged white man tellsme that people should be able to overcome poverty through sheerforce of will. The fact is, if people could just "pull themselvesup" on minimum wage in this country, they would. Oh, sure, thereare a few rare counterexamples of people who work their way frompoverty to middle income. But I think that we exist in asocioeconomic caste system that is awfully hard to traverse. Onceyou're down, it's hard not to stay down. I think it would be greatif everyone could hold down a good job, live in a decent place,have reliable public transportation, have access to a real grocerystore, and not have to live on handouts from the government. Butthe fact remains that many Americans live in slums, have no accessto fresh food, have no way to get to a job (even if they could geta job) and have no reason to start a savings account (why open abank account when you're living check to check? It makes more senseto buy cigarettes for your nephew so that you can stay with himwhen your lights get turned off). I'm not saying I think thegovernment should support everyone. That's not feasible. But I amsaying that it is awfully easy to lecture about the perseverance ofthe American spirit from a high horse on Capitol Hill. 

On Entitlement and Privelege
I agree with you. When people are in desperate need of food and shelter it's wrong to withhold assistance when you can do something to help. Sure some people do abuse the system, but I think those are in the extreme minority. The GOP and tea party make me real mad sometimes. Don't they care about people who are less fortunate?

A former user commented on Jan 26, 2011

An image of elliecation The dumbest fucking thing he said was that the size of government was at an "all-time high." REALLY? so government was _smaller_ when we had ONE phone company, airlines and banks were regulated and Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower taxed the wealthiest Americans at 91 percent?! All-time high. Really. I'll remember that next time I go to the commissary for my weekly rations.

elliecation commented on Jan 26, 2011

An image of BeagleDogLover The fact is that very few earn minimum wage for any length of time. As Thomas Sowell correctly explains, people traverse through the economic strata their entire lives. The lowest paying jobs are typically held by teenagers and those just starting in the job world. And minimum wage laws do more to hurt that segment of society. All minimum wage laws should be repealed.

It is all well and good to care for those who cannot take care of themselves but the fact is that most of the so called poor are simply lazy, uneducated, and prefer to play video games than work. It is not difficult to be successful in America: go to school, don't abuse alcohol and drugs, wait until you are married to get pregnant and do that after you have become an adult.

Most certainly Conservatives care about those down on their luck. We simply understand how to get people back in the game rather than just giving them handouts. Freeloaders should not live off the work of productive people. Poor people are poor, for the most part, because they want to be poor. They don't feel it necessary to work when they can receive almost as much for doing nothing.

BeagleDogLover commented on Jan 26, 2011