no1tovote4
Gold Member
Mariner said:poverty isn't specious, No1. It's a real problem, which I'm curious how conservatives would confront, since you oppose a welfare state. How about addressing the issue I raised, which is that European children have it better than ours? I'm not trying to compare our system to that of a third world country. I'm trying to compare it to other capitalist economies which choose, as a society, to invest more in their people, while we choose a more individualistic path.
Mariner.
I am not a traditional Conservative, I am a Libertarian. I do oppose a welfare state, but largely because of experience. I grew up as apartment trash in a neighborhood where many were on welfare. I watched as people that were on welfare would limit their hours at work in order to continue receiving welfare, rather than work to be successful.
I also watched those that made it out of the situation and how they worked, in almost every case they worked hard and made it out without the help of the government. The first step was to get off the rather specious "help" of the government handouts, only then were they able to get out of the "poverty".
Now, when you say European kids have it better than ours what is your evidence but this one article? Comparisons to lifestyles of poor Americans is not really fair in countries that share hot water heaters and whose refrigerators hold about a day worth of food (and yes I am talking about Europe not third world countries).
The relative way they compare the lifestyles of those in the US with those in Europe shows a bias towards Europe and a distinct and purposeful ignorance of the lifestyle of the "poor" in the US. I would much rather be poor here than there, there is a higher chance of getting out of poverty here than there is there.