Welfare State Devouring Prosperity

[thanatos144]

Just because there is no finite amount of wealth does not mean everyone has the skills or drive to become wealthy...... You progressives seem to not be able to understand this.

 

[there4eyeM]

"when asked how many rounds of golf he takes, the knee-jerk answer is too many."

 

[there4eyeM]

The train-set crowd avoided answering the questions I posed. They don't know how to think other than left - right, up - down. Very very binary!

Some beliefs:
Individual responsibility and initiative are good.
Creativity and enterprise are good.
Being self directed and self-sufficient are good.
Democracy is not perfect.

Some realities:
There are people who suffer from avoidable causes.
There are people who are fragile, weak, infirm.
There are predatory people who may be sick but are nonetheless dangerous.
Power corrupts in proportion to its nearness to absolute and must be controlled.

I have beliefs that do not jibe with the realities observed in the world.

Many people find it insupportable to watch children, old people, the sick and the otherwise handicapped suffer, especially in the richest, most powerful country in the history of the world. I don't like it much, either. It doesn't fit with my 'beliefs', but fairness doesn't care about my beliefs.

So, the question (again) for granpa and his miniature train set garden crowd is, "Are you for the concentration of money to the extent that it destroys the American political system?"

What is the sense of spending more on 'defense' than most of the rest of the world combined to 'defend' a nation so selfish that it is rotting from within?

 

[there4eyeM]

Oh, and something for the death-head: define 'wealth'!

 

[jgarden]

"The welfare state is the single biggest financial problem we face, annually consuming more than the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars plus the TARP bailouts ..... As economist Herb Stein said, “If something can't go on forever, it will stop.” New York Times columnist Bill Keller called for that last week, writing, “We should make a sensible reform of entitlements our generation's cause.”

Melanie Sturm: Think Again | AspenTimes.com

****************************************************************************************************

Thirty U.S. companies didn’t pay income tax from 2008 – 2010: report
Nov 3, 2011

Thirty large and profitable U.S. corporations paid no income taxes in 2008 through 2010, said a study Thursday that arrives as Congress faces rising demands for tax reform but seems unable or unwilling to act .....

Pepco Holdings Inc

General Electric Co,

Paccar Inc, PG&E Corp,

Computer Sciences Corp ,

Boeing Co

NiSource Inc

Duke Electric

http://business.financialpost.com/2...s-didnt-pay-income-tax-from-2008-2010-report/

What Times columnist Bill Keller needs to address is why the American economy was allowed to erode to its present state - where minimum wage jobs are becoming the norm.

The "welfare state" is the result of a series of self-serving decisions in the public and private sectors - now those responsible would like to shift the blame away from the perpetrators and onto the victims.

 

[Lakhota]

The military budget is sucking the blood out of American prosperity. And Social Security isn't welfare when people paid into it their entire working lives - and must also make monthly payments when they are eligible for Social Security. They earned it.

 

[JoeB131]

"The welfare state is the single biggest financial problem we face, annually consuming more than the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars plus the TARP bailouts. Like The Blob, it grows by devouring everything in its path, requiring us to borrow $41,222 per second just to keep government running. At almost $16 trillion, the national debt exceeds the size of our economy and is growing so rapidly that the Congressional Budget Office predicted it could cause a permanent recession by 2025.

Like an overweight jockey riding an emaciated thoroughbred, our bloated government sector is not only crushing the private economy; it's handicapping our opportunity society. Americans are aspirational and self-reliant people, so it's heart-wrenching to note that after spending $15 trillion in the “war on poverty,” America's poverty rate has barely budged, food-stamp dependency is at a record high, and the percentage of Americans in the work force is at a record low.

As economist Herb Stein said, “If something can't go on forever, it will stop.” New York Times columnist Bill Keller called for that last week, writing, “We should make a sensible reform of entitlements our generation's cause.”

Melanie Sturm: Think Again | AspenTimes.com

Okay, but why is that?

Because government is enticing all these people to be lazy?

Or because the 1% that controls half the wealth is doing everything they can to keep it that way?

There is enough money to gainfully employ every person in this country in a useful activity at a renumerative wage, and that in turn would create enough consumer activity to produce more jobs. Even as much as you whine about "them welfare people", the fact is, they are buying food and goods and services that people with jobs are providing.

 

[thanatos144]

The train-set crowd avoided answering the questions I posed. They don't know how to think other than left - right, up - down. Very very binary!

Some beliefs:
Individual responsibility and initiative are good.
Creativity and enterprise are good.
Being self directed and self-sufficient are good.
Democracy is not perfect.

Some realities:
There are people who suffer from avoidable causes.
There are people who are fragile, weak, infirm.
There are predatory people who may be sick but are nonetheless dangerous.
Power corrupts in proportion to its nearness to absolute and must be controlled.

I have beliefs that do not jibe with the realities observed in the world.

Many people find it insupportable to watch children, old people, the sick and the otherwise handicapped suffer, especially in the richest, most powerful country in the history of the world. I don't like it much, either. It doesn't fit with my 'beliefs', but fairness doesn't care about my beliefs.

So, the question (again) for granpa and his miniature train set garden crowd is, "Are you for the concentration of money to the extent that it destroys the American political system?"

What is the sense of spending more on 'defense' than most of the rest of the world combined to 'defend' a nation so selfish that it is rotting from within?

We have all answered your socialist question you just ignore the truth.,

 

[there4eyeM]

You have placed 'ist' where it does not belong.

 

[LogikAndReazon]

The military budget is sucking the blood out of American prosperity. And Social Security isn't welfare when people paid into it their entire working lives - and must also make monthly payments when they are eligible for Social Security. They earned it.

The military budget is bankrupting the country ??? Do tell..........lol

Just think with cuts to the military Reservations could get more aid from taxpaying white folk.................

 

[there4eyeM]

Or schools could be improved for all folk.

 

[LogikAndReazon]

Yes !!! Yes !!!!!!!!!!

The teachers unions, administrators and all their aides can improve the schools !!!!!!

If they only had the money..............LOL

 

[thanatos144]

Or schools could be improved for all folk.

After reading your posts I would say they must need the help cause it produces idiots like you

 

[there4eyeM]

I do not have the habit of calling people 'idiot', especially so easily and when they do not deserve it. As you lower yourself to do so, you merit no respect. You insist on answers to false questions and ignore thoughtful, polite ones.
Your place is in the necrophiliac darkness of your facile, groundless precepts.

 

[Oldstyle]

"The welfare state is the single biggest financial problem we face, annually consuming more than the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars plus the TARP bailouts. Like The Blob, it grows by devouring everything in its path, requiring us to borrow $41,222 per second just to keep government running. At almost $16 trillion, the national debt exceeds the size of our economy and is growing so rapidly that the Congressional Budget Office predicted it could cause a permanent recession by 2025.

Like an overweight jockey riding an emaciated thoroughbred, our bloated government sector is not only crushing the private economy; it's handicapping our opportunity society. Americans are aspirational and self-reliant people, so it's heart-wrenching to note that after spending $15 trillion in the “war on poverty,” America's poverty rate has barely budged, food-stamp dependency is at a record high, and the percentage of Americans in the work force is at a record low.

As economist Herb Stein said, “If something can't go on forever, it will stop.” New York Times columnist Bill Keller called for that last week, writing, “We should make a sensible reform of entitlements our generation's cause.”

Melanie Sturm: Think Again | AspenTimes.com

Okay, but why is that?

Because government is enticing all these people to be lazy?

Or because the 1% that controls half the wealth is doing everything they can to keep it that way?

There is enough money to gainfully employ every person in this country in a useful activity at a renumerative wage, and that in turn would create enough consumer activity to produce more jobs. Even as much as you whine about "them welfare people", the fact is, they are buying food and goods and services that people with jobs are providing.

You'd best run THAT concept past all the people in this country who are quite content not working, Joe. I'm guessing that they are going to be less than ecstatic about this "useful activity" that you speak of. Oh, trust me...they'd like for you to seize money from the "haves" and give it to them...but they're not going to "work". God, that's hard...and degrading!

 

[Oldstyle]

I do not have the habit of calling people 'idiot', especially so easily and when they do not deserve it. As you lower yourself to do so, you merit no respect. You insist on answers to false questions and ignore thoughtful, polite ones.
Your place is in the necrophiliac darkness of your facile, groundless precepts.

"Necrophiliac darkness of your facile, groundless precepts"?

Really? Hate to tell you, There...but THAT is an idiotic statement. It's the kind of thing that political science grad students throw into an essay to impress their professors. Big words don't make for big ideas...

 

[there4eyeM]

I should apologize for my native tongue?
Take a hike!
Little minds make for little ideas. No one expected you to understand.

 

[The T]

Or schools could be improved for all folk.

WE spend more per capita per student than any industrialized nation on Earth. WE produce epic failures. WILL throwing more money at the problem solve it? DECADES of this and the complaints still are there.

NOW...why is that?

 

[there4eyeM]

Or schools could be improved for all folk.

WE spend more per capita per student than any industrialized nation on Earth. WE produce epic failures. WILL throwing more money at the problem solve it? DECADES of this and the complaints still are there.

NOW...why is that?

Come on now, don't take that from my post. That was a response to another proposal for spending the money.
"Just think with cuts to the military Reservations could get more aid from taxpaying white folk................."
It was in contrast to the bigoted proposal, not a serious one.

 

[JoeB131]

You'd best run THAT concept past all the people in this country who are quite content not working, Joe. I'm guessing that they are going to be less than ecstatic about this "useful activity" that you speak of. Oh, trust me...they'd like for you to seize money from the "haves" and give it to them...but they're not going to "work". God, that's hard...and degrading!

I think it depends on the person.

The vast majority of people on welfare are only on it short term, and a lot of the people who are taking advantage of programs like Food Stamps, MedicAid and Section 8 housing actually DO have jobs. Just not jobs that pay well enough to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Are there some people who abuse the system? Yup. There are people who abuse every system.