Posted on 01/01/2014 5:36:13 AM PST by gooblah
When Obama first ran for president, I expected him to lose because he was outright selling socialism. I thought this would only work in a country where there are a large number of truly poor and desperate people. I said, “How do you sell socialism in a country where even the poor have cars, ac, homes, food, and big screen TV’s?” The citizens of this nation proved me wrong.
This and the Palestinians electing known terrorists were two modern events that caused me to rethink my own view of democracy. It is plain that representative government is never better than the people represented by it.
When whatever nation or nations rise from the ash heap of what this nation becomes, I think those reformulating the new constitution should tie the right to vote to having no dependency on government assistance. I think it is a weakness of our current system that people can vote themselves access to the treasury.
Two "gentlemen" one in front and one behind me in line started discussing their recent purchases... The latest expensive Nike, yaddayaddayadda, the guy in front had a cart full of stuff; he was having a party, lots of steaks nice provisions...
Guess how he paid?
On Christmas Day, one of our local TV stations visited the free meal at the local homeless shelter. While they were expounding about the charity involved, there were two 300 pound plus black women in the front row TEXTING ON I-PHONES!
Poverty is the poor schlub working for a living at just enough not to qualify for all the government freebies which are handed out to generational welfare recipients, illegal aliens, guest workers, and brandy new immigrants (including Jihadis).
It’s also the poor schlub ‘lucky enough’ to be working two or more part time jobs with no benefits and no future because there are no good full time jobs being created.
Poverty is also the experienced professional in STEM fields who’s been replaced by guest workers and off shoring, and is pulling down their saving to survive on unemployment. They can’t find work in their field, any related field or any field for that matter. The off shore and guest workers, we are told, are only doing jobs Americans can’t or won’t do.
Poverty is the active duty, retired, or disabled military person whose salary / pension has not kept up with real inflation
The list goes on.
Some of my coworkers are still on government assistance despite having full time jobs with employer provided healthcare and retirement. I couldn’t believe they told me that they still get it from conversations I had with them.
One lady is receiving housing.
One guy talks about his lobster tail and other nice meals.
Naturally, they are not white people.
One more thought ... among the really poor, minimum-wage peeps that we work with, a lot of them don’t have cars. Many don’t have washers and driers.
One of my co-workers *did* have a window air conditioner and until a couple of friendly locals stole it. He had screwed it to the window frame and when it did not remove easily the two crooks both pulled and got the AC and window frame with it.
A lot of the really, really poor have bad teeth because they don’t have good dental care ... or they use meth. Bad teeth and bad health.
Sometimes there’s not enough food stamps to go around because extra non-paying people such as children belonging to an adult son or daughter’s live-in are also in the household.
So poverty also comes from a lot of bad choices — drinking and drug abuse meaning no car, poor health, crappy job — never getting married means single moms and tots drift in and out of other people’s homes ...
The government can’t “fix stupid” by throwing more money at people who are living in a cascade of bad choices.
A lot of our co-workers are “too soon old, too late smart.” We can talk to them and make suggestions and give advice but we can’t make them do the right thing.
87% of the world’s population is below the USA poverty line.
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