(no subject)
So, my Generally Obnoxious Party rant from yesterday? Well, I had an anon (on LJ) comment on it this morning:
Disclaimer: I'm an independent.
Okay, here's my take:
1) The US is broke. We're past broke. We're just sort of faking it at this point. Guaranteed or not, we don't have the money for benefits. Charity is a better bet than trusting the government with money because they waste it in truly stupid ways, democrats or republicans.
2) I come from a big family and we all work our butts off. We don't get benefits from *anyone*. We pay taxes. We struggle sometimes. We'd still rather be self-reliant.
Why the hell has it become taxpayers' jobs to take care of everything? I don't care if you're Bill Gates, I as a person don't feel I have the right to your money. The government doesn't embody America. The people do. We need the budget cut. It's gonna hurt everyone but it has to be done. Money doesn't come out of thin air and we are out of it. Look at history and what happened to Rome. I don't want that to be us. Let the stupid govt shut down. It has happened before and the world didn't end.
People can blame one party all they want, but the truth is that no one is doing enough to fix things. I'm so disenchanted with the whole deal. But I have to admit there's a reason the republicans were voted in: at least they're trying, unlike most dems who want to close their eyes and twiddle their thums and pretend everything is ok.
1. Most charitable organisations receive governnment funding. In fact, nonprofits scramble to receive state and federal grant money, and there's an entire industry (grant writing) devoted to securing cash for nonprofit ventures, even if those nonprofits started off as privately funded organisations. Additionally, private charities have more leeway in whom they can choose to serve, which puts a lot of populations at a disadvantage, like LGBT people.
In a microsociety, this might be viable: in a large, pluralist society, it's dangerous.
2. 'Working your butt off' isn't possible for people with disabilities: many of them depend on governmental sources of income, whether that's SSI or food stamps or something else entirely. You presume that everyone has supportive families and is nondisabled through this comment. Some people honestly, seriously DEPEND on benefits to survive, and benefits aren't exactly easy to get or maintain. The government deliberately makes it difficult to get and keep benefits. Many people receive general assistance, TANF or SSI/SSDI because they don't HAVE that family support. They CAN'T just 'work their butts off'. Those jobs aren't THERE for them.
3. Taxes are FOR the maintenance of the government. What is it with (a lot of) Americans' attitudes towards taxes, anyway? You pay a smaller percentage of your income in taxes than do people in other industrialised countries, and you STILL bitch about it? You claim that money doesn't come out of thin air -- where does it come from? Taxes. I have a solution to this problem, but I'm certain you won't like it: raise taxes! Most of these HORRIBLE™ countries that have higher tax rates also have higher standards of living. Coincidental? I think not.
4. Here's an idea: if the budget cuts are necessary, why not cut defence spending? Does the United States really need all those weapons and planes? The US government spends a tremendous amount on defence, and you don't hear about military spending being cut, just programmes for poor and disabled people. This isn't about money; it's class warfare.
Disclaimer: I'm an independent.
Okay, here's my take:
1) The US is broke. We're past broke. We're just sort of faking it at this point. Guaranteed or not, we don't have the money for benefits. Charity is a better bet than trusting the government with money because they waste it in truly stupid ways, democrats or republicans.
2) I come from a big family and we all work our butts off. We don't get benefits from *anyone*. We pay taxes. We struggle sometimes. We'd still rather be self-reliant.
Why the hell has it become taxpayers' jobs to take care of everything? I don't care if you're Bill Gates, I as a person don't feel I have the right to your money. The government doesn't embody America. The people do. We need the budget cut. It's gonna hurt everyone but it has to be done. Money doesn't come out of thin air and we are out of it. Look at history and what happened to Rome. I don't want that to be us. Let the stupid govt shut down. It has happened before and the world didn't end.
People can blame one party all they want, but the truth is that no one is doing enough to fix things. I'm so disenchanted with the whole deal. But I have to admit there's a reason the republicans were voted in: at least they're trying, unlike most dems who want to close their eyes and twiddle their thums and pretend everything is ok.
1. Most charitable organisations receive governnment funding. In fact, nonprofits scramble to receive state and federal grant money, and there's an entire industry (grant writing) devoted to securing cash for nonprofit ventures, even if those nonprofits started off as privately funded organisations. Additionally, private charities have more leeway in whom they can choose to serve, which puts a lot of populations at a disadvantage, like LGBT people.
In a microsociety, this might be viable: in a large, pluralist society, it's dangerous.
2. 'Working your butt off' isn't possible for people with disabilities: many of them depend on governmental sources of income, whether that's SSI or food stamps or something else entirely. You presume that everyone has supportive families and is nondisabled through this comment. Some people honestly, seriously DEPEND on benefits to survive, and benefits aren't exactly easy to get or maintain. The government deliberately makes it difficult to get and keep benefits. Many people receive general assistance, TANF or SSI/SSDI because they don't HAVE that family support. They CAN'T just 'work their butts off'. Those jobs aren't THERE for them.
3. Taxes are FOR the maintenance of the government. What is it with (a lot of) Americans' attitudes towards taxes, anyway? You pay a smaller percentage of your income in taxes than do people in other industrialised countries, and you STILL bitch about it? You claim that money doesn't come out of thin air -- where does it come from? Taxes. I have a solution to this problem, but I'm certain you won't like it: raise taxes! Most of these HORRIBLE™ countries that have higher tax rates also have higher standards of living. Coincidental? I think not.
4. Here's an idea: if the budget cuts are necessary, why not cut defence spending? Does the United States really need all those weapons and planes? The US government spends a tremendous amount on defence, and you don't hear about military spending being cut, just programmes for poor and disabled people. This isn't about money; it's class warfare.