[MtnClimber]

Leftists are parasites. I don’t know if there is a cure.

[z3n]

First off, thinking objectively and philosophically, it doesn't matter whether government subsidizes goods for the poor or if the condone the theft of it from the private sector, the effect is probably similar, and equates to a tax or a transfer of wealth, because the later type will cause higher prices for everyone.

Of course, government is a bureaucratic mess of bloat, inefficiency, and corruption, so welfare is probably going to cost citizens more than simply condoning theft will.

My real problem with this whole idea of justifying it because "poverty" is that it's just a false justification.

~~~~~
"...cases were low-level misdemeanors and that the theft of soap and toothpaste constituted a “crime of poverty” driven by “biological need.”"
~~~

Toothpaste and soap?
If you tried to spin something any harder, you'd win the gold in Olympic skating.
Aside from the fact that most anyone below the poverty line should be able to qualify for food subsidies, I call ******** on the idea that it's really toothpaste and soap that all these misdemeanors are for.

Socialism is still socialism.
In the end, it's still re-distribution of wealth, and the net effect of it is to reward a lack of positive productivity out of large segments of your population.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Great article providing clarity about where we are.

The writer doesn’t offer suggestions on how to fix the mess, but fixing starts with identifying and admitting the problem. That’s the hopeful version, the one with fixing in it. Otherwise, it’s like a crew member treading water with other crew members, watching the ship sink, and saying, “It’s that dang hole near the bow that nobody was worried about enough to fix.”