In defense of Clang , et al

[Donovan]

It occurs to me here and elsewhere that, in the act of vilifying anyone poorer, less financially astute, and/or browner than ourselves, the argument of more beliggerent conservatives always drifts back toward "my tax dollars blablabla". And once those magic words are uttered, assholes and minds slam shut tighter than Cynical Ninja's spending allowance. More virulent jackasses (coughSallycough) view people on public assistance as persons directly robbing their bank account to party it up on the taxpayer's dime.

First: allow me to correct a glaring error in the assumption that ANY tax dollars are "yours." They aren't. They are your duty as a citizen of this country and you don't get to decide how it gets spent, at least not directly. Don't believe me? Take your w-2 down to the IRS and tell them you don't approve and would like it all back. Then time how long they laugh. Bring a calendar.

Second: let's examine the basic fallacy of "drains on society" like Clang. For argument's sake, let's put his average monthly government handout at $1,000. That's a grand of Sally's hard earned husband's money via the goddamn liberal treehuggers in Washington.

Except:

A thousand ain't much to live on, even at his mom's. Practically a given that Clang has no savings to speak of. His credit without a job is shit, which means he's strictly cash-and-carry, which limits his purchase power to local business. And all his allotment goes right back into his community: for food, lodging, gas, medicine...Clang and every other welfare case pumps a thousand buck guaranteed cash DIRECTLY into his or her local economy, and right back into the hands of hardworking taxpayers and business owner s like Sally, who actually has the nerve to bitch that he's spending government money to ensure her continued success as an entrepreneur.

Ungrateful bitch.

In short: when complaining about people's spending habits, instead of worrying about where their money came from take a minute to consider where it's going: landlords, doctors, stores, grocers, and eventually right back into your paychecks.

Meanwhile, corporate welfare cases and huge bank buyouts and subsidies on subsidies on subsidies: where is THAT money going? Not to you, angry taxpayer. Maybe that's the point of conservative media whipping up frenzy against "welfare handouts" to the poor: so we forget to be enraged at the ones really ripping us off.

/end commentary.

Firsy

[Cynical Ninja]

Apart from the rather insipid and tiresome reference to “cynical ninjas spending allowance” (yes yes we all know you think a “real man” tells his wife to “go fuck herself” before leaving the house to blow fuck knows how much on a 22ct gold ass scratcher) I am much in agreement with your sentiments.

Benefit recipients do inject money into the local economy, in the UK some local businesses are worried about the government crackdown on benefits because the less claimants have in their pockets the less they spend.

At the same time though I don't think the benefits system should be such that some claimants are better off claiming than they are working. Claimants with lots of kids are often better off not being in employment and that's creating a benefit culture and that can't be right.

[username]

I don't think it should be an either/or proposition. I think welfare abuse and entitlement reform ought to be considered along with corporate tax/subsidy reform.

Everybody panders to some special interest though. Until we fix campaign financing, we're fucked.

[Cynical Ninja]

Everybody panders to some special interest though.

I think that's increasingly true the world over on all sides of the political spectrum. All political parties seem to have special interest groups they have to keep sweet and placated at all times.

David Cameron is in trouble right now because he hasn't been keeping the tory bankbenchers sweet on issues like gay marriage and Europe and he's being urged to steer the goverment more to the right.

Ed Milliband is increasingly under pressure from the unions to move Labour more to the left.

And Nick Clegg is struggling to keep the lib dems happy while they are in bed with the tories in the coalition.

[sally]

Are you referring to the comment I made about sporting prime rib and lobster for Clang? That was a joke, Donovan. I'm well aware of the corporate welfare cases and know I'm getting fucked in the ass, but it doesn't make it any less annoying that Clang is an able bodied man getting welfare when they deny other people who aren't able bodied and do need it. Like you said $1000 per month isn't that much money, he could easily find a job making at least that and still continue to contribute to the economy. But why should he or anyone else do that when welfare is easier.

[Duchess]

I just want to go on record as saying I've never slammed Clang about the welfare bs. I'm fond of Clang & I doubt I'd post anything that I thought might hurt his feelings.

I need to be tarred & feathered and run out of town on a rail.

[Cynical Ninja]

[size=medium][i]
I doubt I'd post anything that I thought might hurt his feelings.

That statement has left me dazed and confused.

Does...not...compute!

[Duchess]

That statement has left me dazed and confused.

Does...not...compute!

I'm fucked in the head, completely fucked.

[sally]

In short: when complaining about people's spending habits, instead of worrying about where their money came from take a minute to consider where it's going: doctors,

Clang doesn't pay for doctor visits, Medicaid pays for it even though he has no serious illness. Meanwhile thousands of people that do work go without seeing a doctor because they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford insurance.

[username]

IIRC, Georgia cracked down on illegal immigrants working at farms. Subsequently (and maybe still), farmers couldn't find American citizens to fill those jobs (picking peaches or whatever).

The jobs are good enough for illegal immigrants but not welfare recipients? That shit pisses me off.

[sally]

I just want to go on record as saying I've never slammed Clang about the welfare bs. I'm fond of Clang & I doubt I'd post anything that I thought might hurt his feelings.

I need to be tarred & feathered and run out of town on a rail.

Clang is not a fucking infant Duchess. He's a fat, potato headed welfare leach.

[Donovan]

First, any shots I take at Sally or Ninja or anyone else are jokes and meant to be taken with a wink and a smile.

Second, medicaid still pays local doctors and pays lousy, so nobody is getting rich but poor people are getting medical care and who would begrudge them that?

My overall point is that all the people who are upset about tax dollars for the poor, REGARDLESS of whether or not they deserve or qualify for it, are ignoring the fact that that money is put directly into their very own economy and eventually their own pockets. You're getting your tax dollars right back and then some, in the form of a breathing commerce system.

[username]

Well, if we didn't pay so damn much in taxes, I'd probably buy that million dollar home I want.

[sally]

poor people are getting medical care and who would begrudge them that?

Probably other poor and middle class people who can't get Medicaid because they work for a living, but still cant afford insurance for their family because all their extra money goes to fucking taxes.

[Duchess]

Clang is not a fucking infant Duchess. He's a fat, potato headed welfare leach.

I know. I KNOW! I have moments of temporary insanity when I worry about some of these people. I don't like feeling it any more than you like reading it. I am so ashamed. I am. I'm going to go find a hole to crawl into now.

[Eat Shit And Die]

you can't begrudge poor people their health.

[sally]

Just as an example, I could see how a single mother that makes just over the poverty level and can barely afford insurance for her kids much less herself would begrudge Clang.

[Midwest Spy]

Just as an example, I could see how a single mother that makes just over the poverty level and can barely afford insurance for her kids much less herself would begrudge Clang.

Let's put it this way:

If Clang's existence depended on him finding a job in order to eat, he'd find one.

I do not begrudge anyone who is physically incapable of working. I'm glad we're there for them. And our seniors and veterans.

But I feel that a physically fit, able-bodied man, should work for a living.

[FAHQTOO]

Clang is not a fucking infant Duchess. He's a fat, potato headed welfare leach.

I know. I KNOW! I have moments of temporary insanity when I worry about some of these people. I don't like feeling it any more than you like reading it. I am so ashamed. I am. I'm going to go find a hole to crawl into now.

Unless Clang is blind, I'm pretty sure he already knows how you really feel about fat lazy bastards/bastardettes taking welfare. Pretty much the same as most of us, except the bleeding hearts.

[FAHQTOO]

Clang and his brother are fat, lazy bastards. The fact that he pretty much gets on here and brags about all the shit he gets makes me think he wants a hand out, not a hand up.

People have givin him all kinds of advice, christ, Rams even tells him who's hiring in their area when she sees something. Something Clang probably doesn't even see...because he's not fucking LOOKING!! If he is looking, he's not looking hard enough.

He has one excuse after another. He says he can't get fresh food...well heres a novel idea...go out in the back yard and grow your own. I'm sure he doesn't have a back yard though, convenient for him.

At this point, it isn't even about the money. How the fuck can he or his brother feel like real men. Jesus Christ, no wonder they can't find a woman.