Some think it is the governments job to take from those that have worked hard for a living and give it to those that do not in order to make people "equal". That does not sound equal to me.
Originally Posted by The2Dogs
I agree. The only equality the government should guarantee is our equal access to freedom. The rest of it depends on innate smarts, education, work ethic, and hustle.
That assumes that the poor and disabled got to be that way because they didn't work hard.
I'm sure EVERY poor person wants to be poor. Every disabled person WANTS to be unemployable. Every chronically I'll person WANTS to be sick.
That argument smacks of Mitt Romney talking points. Please come up with another.
Originally Posted by Yssup Rider
Yssup your contention seems to be that anyone who "wants to be rich" or "wants to be employable" or "wants to be healthy", but for whatever reason fails to achieve it should have the government step in and re-distribute to make it so?
The problem is this sense of entitlement. The fact is, people earn what they are worth in a free market. If they can't hold a job, or can't hold a job that pays a living wage, is that society's fault? No, each individual must take personal responsibility -- because we have already seen that we cannot possibly afford the price of collective responsibility.
Not every poor person may want to be poor but many of the motherfuckers deserve to be - if they are lazy, shiftless assholes who refuse to work.
Originally Posted by Jewish Lawyer
JL, the profanities and racial innuendo aside, I can't agree with you. I have worked in workforce development, and the problem isn't "wanting to work". The problem is a lifetime of failing to prepare themselves to be productive at a level much beyond minimum wage.
I mean, ANYBODY who takes a year to learn how to weld, or to drive a truck, can be making $60,000 per year plus right now in South Texas. There are a lot of people who have wasted their life, failing to put themselves in a position to even be able to commit to (let alone complete) a vocational training program. And they have done so precisely because of well-meaning but foolish liberals who want to eliminate the link between performance and rewards.
Liberals think all persons should be entitled to a "living wage". They have a right to be paid, let's say, $15.00 an hour at a minimum because, I don't know, because they have mouths to feed at home?
WRONG. You can only earn $15.00 per hour if your skills and talents make you WORTH $15.00 per hour to an employer. If we would just let our free market system work, and reward productivity instead of entitlement, we'd be light years ahead.