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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Welfare State

This is America under the Obama regime hat tip to Z):

25 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, this is America for far longer than just under Obama. So many have grown up as virtual wards of the state that the very idea of being self sufficient is not only incomprehensible to them, it's inconceivable.

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  2. There is our future with their offspring.

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  3. I saw this at Zs blog, what gets me is the utter lack of shame. It's become a part of life now sponging of others.

    I wonder if it's because people now think that it's govt. money and not money taken from others.

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  4. The progressive agenda is working beautifully...

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  5. Liberal Idiot: there is no shortage of nitwits in this country. Take you, for example. However, one of these days it might occur to you that two wrongs do not make a right. Attempting to mitigate one behavior by illustrating similar behavior from the other side of the spectrum does little more than prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you truly are a liberal idiot —and by the way, contrary to your assertions I do not think you could pass the ASVAB exam.

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  6. I just said this in addition to lengthier remarks linking the problems we are having with illegal immigration to socialism. It certainly applies here as well:

    The tenets of Marxism make about as much sense as trying swim from the bottom of Niagara falls to the top.

    ~ FreeThinke

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  7. Viburnum,

    Thanks once again for another perfectly truthful, sober, clearly stated observation.

    Instead of trying to deal with myriad specifics -- like treating members of a cloud of gnats individually -- we need to get back to basics and understand that flagrant, officially sanctioned violation of fundamental moral principles and deliberate abandonment the dictates of common sense have put us where we are today.

    No matter how desperately we want the dirt in our yard or the gravel in our driveway to turn into gold now amount of wishing, whining -- or legislation -- could ever make it so.

    ~ FreeThinke

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  8. We are looking at the "leaders" of tomorrow. They are not looking for jobs. They want careers. These are the voters Obama wants to make of as fast as possible.

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  9. There is a very large difference between the people depicted in this video, and genuinely needy Americans who, rather than looking for a handout, merely need a hand up. They are not willing to “earn” entitlements, but they don’t mind getting them for nothing. The communist left understands how to take advantage of the illiterate, the under-educated, and those who reject productivity. Accordingly, the progressives encourage the lazy to remain so because the indigent class provides a much-needed springboard to gaining, and then maintaining political power.

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  10. Sam Huntington said..."Liberal Idiot: there is no shortage of nitwits in this country. Take you, for example."

    Tit for tat, dude. You can put yourself in the category since I was just pointing out other segments by this filmmaker-who happens to be Nancy Pelosi's daughter.

    Watch:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb62fpsyhC4

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  11. I know of and actually know a few teenagers who, having been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, believe that they should be collecting Social Security Disability when they turn 18.

    I have no idea if Social Security provides such "disability" income. But the fact that any young people believe they are entitled to it boggles my mind.

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  12. FYI FOR ALL COMMENTERS:

    My participation in comments threads will be limited for a while. Mr. AOW and I have a plethora of medical appointments over the next few weeks -- nothing serious, as far as we now know (although I do have a miserable dental surgery coming up on June 4). It's merely that time of year.

    Also, I am finishing up some matters related to the school year. Understandably, my student whose mother passed away this spring has some work to complete; another student, who has been quite ill during the school term, has work to finish.

    I am reading all comments via comment notification, but not always able to join in the discussion.

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  13. I wacthed the segment from New York and the one from Miss.

    Other than the one guy every other person said they would rather rely on themselves than the government. So I fail to see how the two segments are the same in terms of folks wanting a handout from the government. Yes both segments had people expressing racism its called freedom. However, even in Miss they know Obama is not all black in fact his heritage and life experiences are nothing like that of a typical black American.

    I do agree voting Republican has not really worked all the time but voting Democrat does because you get a Communist every time.

    Liberalmann as usual your arguemnets are as weak as your logic. The voters of Miss are proud but they are limited. Some of their ideals are found throughout the Land of the Free but their experiences are unique having been destroyed by the Civil War. They hardly are a representative sampling of conservative voters. On the other hand the film made in New York is played out in cities all over this great land. Sorry you are wrong again...but thanks for the additional info

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  14. The fact is there are no jobs so of course folks are trying to get on any government program they can.

    And what happens when the money train runs out? When the World decides we really can not float the World biggest economy? Greece is in for a mere 500 billion, we spend that before next week. Spains biggest bank just asked for 28 billion, we spend that before lunch. Without a budget its hard to see but we are going to sepnd upwards of 3.5 tirllion and take in only 1.5 trillion...I know tax the rich---good luck on getting 1.5 trillion out of so few folks...you can do it once and get about 1 trillion....not sure what you do next year....

    We are a train wreck and its going to be the little guys and gals that take it on the chin. They will be in the streets rioting and eating out of trash cans and the vaulted Democrats where will they be????? playing golf or on another vacation blaiming the Republicans......

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  15. I watched the Mississippi video sponsored by the odious Bill Maher too, Blogginator, and spotted it immediately as transparently tendentious.

    The man with most of his teeth missing was a bit much, but most of the others were not so bad. As far as I know it's still not illegal to dislike someone and say so in public. Yes, a lot of the terminology was crude and boorish, but at least -- unlike the crap we get from our politicians -- it was HONEST.

    A couple of the men made great good sense.

    If people like being who they are, and they're not insisting -- as Liberals always seem wont to do -- that everyone else ought to be just like them, why shouldn't they continue to steep themselves in the culture with which they feel comfortable?

    Is some of what they said moronic?

    YES, of COURSE! But certainly no more so than the edicts, pronouncements and fatuous frou frou coming out of Washington, DC.

    And if you want to see IDIOCY on full dress parade just watch "contemporary" TV. It's enough to make pigs vomit and strong men weep.

    As The Stage Manager observed (in Thornton Wilder's classic American play "Our Town"):

    "Wherever you find human beings you'll find nonsense -- layers and layers of nonsense!"

    An' ain' DAT de troof?

    ~ FreeThinke

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  16. Frrethinke

    Said more succintly than I. Both are group biased but only one New York group wants your money and the folks in the Miss group are aware of their bias.

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  17. From yesterday's WaPo article entitled "Social Security disability trust fund projected to run out of cash by 2016":

    ...Part of the reason for the burgeoning costs is that the 77 million baby boomers projected to swamp federal retirement plans will reach the disability program first. That’s because almost all boomers are at least 50 years old, the age at which someone is most likely to become disabled.

    The growing costs are also a result of the economy’s troubles. When people can’t find work and run through their jobless benefits, many turn to disability benefits for assistance.

    “They’re desperate,” said Ken Nibali, a retired associate commissioner of the program. “Some who are marginal and struggling to have a low-paying job now literally have no options.” So, he said, “they figure, ‘I do have trouble working, and I’m going to apply and see if I’m eligible.’ ”

    Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), said he has tried to interest fellow lawmakers in the issue, without much luck. “Nobody wants to touch things where they can be criticized,” Coburn said, adding, “the fund is going bankrupt” and “then what are we going to do?”

    Applications to the disability program have risen more than 30 percent since 2007 — the last recession started in December that year — and the number of Americans receiving disability benefits is up 23 percent.

    [...]

    People whose benefit applications are rejected can appeal to administrative-law judges, and statistics show some judges are far more likely to approve benefits than others. One reason is that the program, which once focused largely on people who suffered from strokes, cancer and heart attacks, increasingly supports those with depression, back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and other comparatively subjective conditions....


    In my husband's case, he clearly is completely disabled and will never work again because of a devastating stroke at age 59. That said, I know NUMEROUS people who are drawing Social Security Disability who clearly CAN work -- at least, part time. And, of course, we all know how the system is scammed; for example, in D.C., drug dealers are running all over the place on scooters paid for by our tax dollars, often via Medicare.

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  18. I finally had a chance to watch the video filmed in Mississippi.

    Let me tell you something....

    For YEARS, ever since the 2005 car accident of which I was the victim, I have continued to work. I certainly cannot work full time now -- the injury to my back is THAT severe. But I haven't lined up for public assistance of any kind. Period. Why? Because I'm getting by -- certainly not along the lines of the lifestyle I had before, but I AM getting by.

    Furthermore, when Mr. AOW had brain surgery in 1993 and forever lost the career he had as a direct result of the ensuing disability that was inevitable because of the kind of surgery involved, he did not line up for Social Security Disability. When he did apply after his devastating stroke in 2009, I remember verbatim what the Social Security clerk said to me: "Your husband could have applied back in 1994. Why didn't he?"

    My reply: "Because he COULD work at SOMETHING."

    Clerk: "But you had to live on less than 1/3 of what your family was bringing in before!"

    My reply: "But we COULD get by. And we DID. We scaled back."

    Clerk: "And you still didn't apply when your husband lost his primary job in January 2008? How did you manage to get by THEN, when your already-low income was cut by more than half?"

    My reply: "We managed. We didn't have a mortgage or a car payment. We had no credit card debt. My husband found a part time job [$10/hour]. And I found some extra work too."

    Clerk: "But what about health insurance? You lost your health insurance when your husband lost that last job."

    My reply: "We managed to find health insurance. It has a high deductible. But we manage."

    The clerk shook his head -- in amazement at our work ethic or in amazement of our, in his view, stupidity, I couldn't tell which.

    Clerk: "Well, approval for Social Security Disability NOW is a no-brainer. You should re-file for retroactive benefits."

    We didn't re-file.

    So, I understand some of the work-ethic pride being expressed in that Mississippi video.

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  19. As you can tell from my comment above, I have ZERO SYMPATHY for the able-bodied on the government dole.

    In fact, I think that I DESPISE such people. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do -- no doubt because of the way Mr. AOW and I have sacrificed and sacrificed so as to stay off the government dole.

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  20. blogginator said... "I do agree voting Republican has not really worked all the time but voting Democrat does because you get a Communist every time.'

    Yeah, you got a clue. Care to point out with some facts instead of Fox News rhetoric?

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  21. I appreciate the challenge liberlmann but the facts are already all around you. I think instead I will rip off Freethinke and offer a paraphrase of a quote from a wise book....

    Do not throw pearls to swine for they will only trample them...

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  22. I almost forgot...

    Wrong again Liberlmann, I can not possibly be quoting Foxnews because I do not watch or listen to Foxnews. There is no cable or satellite service currently being supplied to my house. We decided most programming was not only not suitable for children but also adults. So again you jump to an erroneous conclusion because of your bias.

    The reason some folks on Foxnews may be repeating something similiar to what I have said is because we are using the same construct which rests on private property rights, freedom of expression, and the right of all persons to life, liberty and the pursuit happiness.

    The construct you are using is based on collectivism, suppression of individual liberty, and servitude to the State. Adherence to this model requires followers to consume the same material and repeat it without critical analysis. Still down one day and look at the articles from several "different" news sources and then listen to the Demos speak and you will notice they all say almost exactly the same thing sometimes verbatim....

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  23. Well, either way, you're parroting this 'communist' baloney from some idiot. Unless you care to explain in detail how Obama is a communist. Seems your the one with bias. And your cynical and vague 'construct' analysis can be easily applied to the corporate right. It's warmed over tea bagger rhetoric.

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  24. Wow! Another important post! I linked you here: http://bobagard.blogspot.com/2012/06/im-here-for-obama-bucks.html

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  25. I dont see how since businesses do not have the power to make laws governing me...ok indirectly through Dmeos they do but ideally no...

    Prove Mr. Obama isnt a communist.

    Explain his association with Bill Ayeers and van Johns
    Take over of part of the auto industry
    Comments by Mr. Obama himself regarding collectism and that the COnstitution is wrong

    Statements by hos opwn cabinet quoting Mao

    attempted take over of health care

    straggling of energy production

    and the list goes on and on and on

    but this as far as I willbite for debating you on this point is a friutless endeavor because you are convinced and no amount of prove will disuade you even using Obama own words

    as I said

    Do not throw pearls to swine

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