Is it good to have wealthy businessmen in a country?

[Sparko]

That problem seems it more exists in your head than it does in reality. How do you know what sort of situations welfare recipients are in? How do you know what they do with their time? It looks like you're just othering them and making up reasons to despise them.

I come from eastern Kentucky where there are a LOT of people abusing the system. And I see it every day at the grocery store. People selling food stamps. And I have relatives that are abusing the system, sitting on their rears instead of working.

so no, its not in my head, it's personal experience.

Not to mention i have a sister that lives in Germany and when the reunification happened, and they had to take on the east Germans, their economy fell into the toilet because in east Germany, most people sat around on the government dole and after the reunification they still wouldn't get jobs and the West germans had to carry the burden. They are STILL carrying the burden. Prices shot sky high after that happened.

What kind of job do you hold, PM? Are you happy to give away your hard earned cash to "help the poor?"

[Psychic Missile]

I come from eastern Kentucky where there are a LOT of people abusing the system. And I see it every day at the grocery store. People selling food stamps. And I have relatives that are abusing the system, sitting on their rears instead of working.

so no, its not in my head, it's personal experience.

Not to mention i have a sister that lives in Germany and when the reunification happened, and they had to take on the east Germans, their economy fell into the toilet because in east Germany, most people sat around on the government dole and after the reunification they still wouldn't get jobs and the West germans had to carry the burden. They are STILL carrying the burden. Prices shot sky high after that happened.

What kind of job do you hold, PM? Are you happy to give away your hard earned cash to "help the poor?"

The plural of anecdote is not data. If your objection to welfare is widespread abuse, you need to give evidence of it. By the way, Kentucky is one of the states where there's a five year limit on welfare benefits. What do all these people do when their five years are up?

I have a job in digital content creation. The only problems I have with welfare are bureaucracy and inefficiency. Otherwise I support it as policy and am indifferent it it's impact on my salary.

[Sparko]

The plural of anecdote is not data. If your objection to welfare is widespread abuse, you need to give evidence of it. By the way, Kentucky is one of the states where there's a five year limit on welfare benefits. What do all these people do when their five years are up?

claim social security disability. And still collect food stamps.

I have a job in digital content creation. The only problems I have with welfare are bureaucracy and inefficiency. Otherwise I support it as policy and am indifferent it it's impact on my salary.

You draw comics?


figures.

[JimL]

How would you like it if the government just popped over to your house one day with a family of 4 in tow and said "These are the Smiths. They are going to live next door to you and you have to support them and pay all their bills and buy their house for them. Have fun!"
?

And if you have no problem with that, can I come be your neighbor?

Well, if that is the problem that you have with government assistence then you have no complaint because that is not how it works. We pay taxes, and those taxes are spent not only to assist those in need, which could be yourself as well as anyone else, but also because helping those in need benefits the economy as a whole. Everyone makes up the economy, and if five million people are all of a sudden out of a job then thats five million people who are no longer spending money which helps to keep the rest of us afloat. But yours is an exagerated analogy, since the great majority of people are working, if you lose your job your next door neighbor isn't going to have to foot the bill to support you and your family, we all chip in to help you out, knowing of course that by helping you we are also helping ourselves. There is of course some fraud going on in every sector of the system, from falsified medicare payments to doctors and pharmacies, people collecting unemployment while working under the table etc. etc. but throwing the baby out with the bathwater would not be moral, nor would it be good for the economy. The Obama Administration, if you hadn't noticed, has been going after this fraud big time, with big time results, recovering billions in revenues. Bet you didn't know that did you?

[Sparko]

Well, if that is the problem that you have with government assistence then you have no complaint because that is not how it works. We pay taxes, and those taxes are spent not only to assist those in need, which could be yourself as well as anyone else, but also because helping those in need benefits the economy as a whole. Everyone makes up the economy, and if five million people are all of a sudden out of a job then thats five million people who are no longer spending money which helps to keep the rest of us afloat. But yours is an exagerated analogy, since the great majority of people are working, if you lose your job your next door neighbor isn't going to have to foot the bill to support you and your family, we all chip in to help you out, knowing of course that by helping you we are also helping ourselves. There is of course some fraud going on in every sector of the system, from falsified medicare payments to doctors and pharmacies, people collecting unemployment while working under the table etc. etc. but throwing the baby out with the bathwater would not be moral, nor would it be good for the economy. The Obama Administration, if you hadn't noticed, has been going after this fraud big time, with big time results, recovering billions in revenues. Bet you didn't know that did you?

way to miss the entire point Jim. Just because my taxes are split up to help a thousand families a few cents each, doesn't invalidate my analogy. Instead of spreading out my taxes, I was making the point by showing how it would look if my taxes were consolodated to help just one family.

And you seem to dislike what that implies so welcome to the other side.

[Psychic Missile]

claim social security disability. And still collect food stamps.

There are limits on food stamps and for someone to claim disability they have to actually have a disability.

You draw comics?


figures.

No...

[Sparko]

There are limits on food stamps and for someone to claim disability they have to actually have a disability.

you don't know much about the system do you? It's pretty easy to get disability if you want to. I have a relative who got full disability because she had bad eyes and couldn't work on computers any more. Know how she spends her day? on Facebook.

And getting WIC and foodstamps is as easy as plopping out another baby.

No...

The way you talk, it doesn't sound like you have ever had a real job. Just sayin.

[The Moonshield]

I have a relative who got full disability because she had bad eyes and couldn't work on computers any more. Know how she spends her day? on Facebook.

I have a couple of relatives who are in a similar boat. One got on full disability because he lost half his arm years ago and just can't work because of it... yet since his accident he has operated all sorts of power tools building chairs, tables, ramps, etc. for friends and neighbors as well as himself. He's also installed a number of toilets and done some other plumbing work for said friends and family plus some house painting since becoming "disabled."

The other, his wife, also collects disability. She has some mental problems but nothing bad enough to prevent her from working. Her drinking is the real issue, and it has lost her a fair number of jobs that she was fully capable of doing while sober. Most of the money they get from disability goes towards cigarettes and alcohol.

[nickcopernicus]

[...]This is America, not socialist cuba. If you want to live in a socialist country where the government "helps the unfortunate" by stripping away the money from those who work for it, then move. Oh wait, it seems that there are fewer and fewer of those countries around any more. ...BECAUSE THEY ALL WENT BROKE!!!

Nick:
I am going to keep bringing this up as long as Conservatives keep touting off this nonsense. Sparko, tell me about the poverty rate, homicide rate, DEBT TO GDP RATIO, % of personnel in prison, life expectancy, abortion rate, & healthcare to GDP ratio of the US compared to a very socialist Denmark.

Or will you retract your "BECAUSE THEY ALL WENT BROKE!!!" statement? Well?

From what I can tell, it matters less whether an economy is socialistic or capitalistic, and more on proper execution by the government and populace.

[Darth Executor]

Nick:
I am going to keep bringing this up as long as Conservatives keep touting off this nonsense. Sparko, tell me about the poverty rate, homicide rate, DEBT TO GDP RATIO, % of personnel in prison, life expectancy, abortion rate, & healthcare to GDP ratio of the US compared to a very socialist Denmark.

Pretty much every single issue mentioned about is due to the fact that US liberals are several magnitudes more evil than the average Euro one, and furthermore US liberals are dumber than a sack of bricks which isn't usually true of European liberals.

Also, Denmark is not "socialist", let alone "very socialist". Socialists pretend Europe is socialist for propaganda purposes but actual socialism looks exactly like Cuba or the Soviet Union. Denmark's a mixed market economy, just like the rest of the western countries.

[Sparko]

Nick:
I am going to keep bringing this up as long as Conservatives keep touting off this nonsense. Sparko, tell me about the poverty rate, homicide rate, DEBT TO GDP RATIO, % of personnel in prison, life expectancy, abortion rate, & healthcare to GDP ratio of the US compared to a very socialist Denmark.

Or will you retract your "BECAUSE THEY ALL WENT BROKE!!!" statement? Well?

From what I can tell, it matters less whether an economy is socialistic or capitalistic, and more on proper execution by the government and populace.

well gorsh Nick. Head on over to Denmark. Nobody is stopping you. That way you will have the lifestyle you want and won't have anything to complain about. except maybe paying between 40 and 60 percent income tax to pay for all that wonderful socialism.

Get going now. Hop to it.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

What? are you still here?

[Cow Poke]

well gorsh Nick. Head on over to Denmark. Nobody is stopping you. That way you will have the lifestyle you want and won't have anything to complain about. except maybe paying between 40 and 60 percent income tax to pay for all that wonderful socialism.

Get going now. Hop to it.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

What? are you still here?

Maybe he's a taker and not a giver, so he'd be downright happy over there.

[SarahB]

I come from eastern Kentucky where there are a LOT of people abusing the system. And I see it every day at the grocery store. People selling food stamps. And I have relatives that are abusing the system, sitting on their rears instead of working.

so no, its not in my head, it's personal experience.

Not to mention i have a sister that lives in Germany and when the reunification happened, and they had to take on the east Germans, their economy fell into the toilet because in east Germany, most people sat around on the government dole and after the reunification they still wouldn't get jobs and the West germans had to carry the burden. They are STILL carrying the burden. Prices shot sky high after that happened.

What kind of job do you hold, PM? Are you happy to give away your hard earned cash to "help the poor?"

So what do your relatives have to say for themselves when you express your concerns?

[Sparko]

So what do your relatives have to say for themselves when you express your concerns?

various things.. Like the one who says she can't work on computers because of her eyes yet spends all day on the computer at home, says "well it's different having to work in an office, the lighting hurts my eyes" or other excuses. Well gorsh, get a freaking job where you don't have to work indoors on a computer then!!! sheesh.

[Adrift]

well gorsh Nick. Head on over to Denmark. Nobody is stopping you. That way you will have the lifestyle you want and won't have anything to complain about. except maybe paying between 40 and 60 percent income tax to pay for all that wonderful socialism.

Get going now. Hop to it.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

What? are you still here?

Don't you think this sort of reply is a bit one dimensional? Pointing out how you think one nation is doing something more productive than your own doesn't imply that you want to move to that other place. It could just be someone's way of saying, "I love this country, but I think this country would be better if we implemented what they do over here". Now they may be wrong about that, but that doesn't mean that we should round them up and ship them out. That's sorta what's so great about America is that you can have opposing views, and some of those views (for better or worse) even have the chance of being implemented.