Senator Harkin(D): Problem is Misallocation of Wealth, Not Spending

I wish you were right, but you need to read the article. Harkin is clearing NOT talking about lack of efficency, he's talking about taking more money out the private sector and allowing government to "allocate" it.

 

What you are talking about is charity. The problem is, that's not what government does. Government takes money by force from one person and gives that money to another person. There's nothing compassionate about standing on the sidelines watching some other guy have his money taken from him and given to another.

Caring about one another? Oh please. Caring about one another is a personal decision followed up by actions one chooses to take. Government does nothing of the sort.

This "we" stuff from leftists simply does not add up. "We" almost always means one guy shoulders the load, another guy (usually an able, lazy bum who needs a kick in the ass) reaps the rewards- all while others stand on the sideline cheering the theft and puffing their chest out declaring how compassionate they are and how much they care.

 

If there is an extra dime to be made off the grocery baggers or car washers or even brain surgeons, the elites would be running to the congress/lobby complex to relieve them of that dime by sundown today.

 

Why don't you admit that your only purpose here is to troll? Why don't you attempt to debate the issue instead of stereotyping people into a group you don't care for?

 

Maybe Tom wants to donate some of his $22,918,001, those are 2010 numbers so I am sure he is worth a bit more now. To be sure though politicians are very generous with other peoples money, but tend to guard their own ferociously

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/CIDsummary.php?CID=N00004207&year=2010

 

Sure, Lets debate.

How can you tell if theyre not commies when everything they stand for is consistent with the communist manifesto?

 

Please elaborate your allegations. Giving valid examples would be of benefit.

 

Sounds really sincere, now define compassion.

Again, sounds very sincere, but the comparison to a parent protecting their child is ridiculous.

Again, define help, because if you believe "help" is just doling out free stuff you're way of base.

There is a huge gap between caring about each other and actually helping them. I care about my 30 yr old daughter, but I'm not going to support her unless for some reason she becomes unable to do it herself. Help her, yes. Anytime. Allow her to skate through life without taking any responsibility for herself, no. I've helped a few folks through tough times, but they didn't demand it or even expect it, but they needed it. For the most part those folks were just going through a tough time and are doing pretty well today. Heck, I've needed help myself, but I didn't make it a way of life. And that's my point, for many today, living off OPM is a way of life and they not only expect it, they demand it! It's wrong. It's like feeding a junkie more heroin just because they say they "need" it. It's a waste of life.

 

I still remember the eulogy and memorial for Paul Wellstone that he turned into a politicized high school type pep rally. That's Tom Harkin...a hoary old socialist who has never failed to stoop as low as possible.

For guys like Harkin, Obama, Durbin, etc. (basically most democrats) there will never be enough money! Never! And basically, since the sixties, the welfare state has been nurtured, grown, promoted and furthered (by both parties, but mostly democrats) and we have finally reached a point where
our limits have long since been reached...only Harkin refuses to admit it!

These dinosaurs must be put out of their misery, for our own good.

 

It was late and this response was not well thought out.

I guess my problem with people talking about these issues is the amount of inaccurate assumptions that are made about the poor. Or the inaccurate assumptions about the rich for that matter. Everyone wants pat answers, and they do not exist.

The conservatives have lost on the perception of "compassion". They have defined themselves in a way that leaves most Americans feeling cold. You cannot seem compassionate and say that starvation is good for people. You cannot say that the people in charge of business have our best interest in mind when people are losing wages and jobs and security.

As ineffective and stupid as government is made out to be by the right it is confusing to attribute them with such well thought out plans to destroy the economy, and to what purpose? (conspiracy theorist are encouraged to ignore me, Please)

People need respect and pity is a poor substitute for honest compassion. No one wants a handout from pity, but we want a boot in the face from someone that despises us even less. Compassion demands that we find a way to let people survive with their self respect intact. If we continue to define the poor as leaches we deserve what we get.

We are in the middle of a time when people are being defined by their differences and not what they have in common. It is pulling us apart in a way that benefits very few of us but the majority seem completely blind.

Please think about this. Those who are poor and struggling now, but are intelligent and driven, what kind of impression do you want to make on them? Some of them at least will succeed, and when they do what kind of compassion will they feel for you? What kind of connection will they feel for a country that deserts them in their times of need?

The poor are only more expensive now than in the past because their numbers are greater. The gap between the number of jobs to educated workers is growing and has been for over three decades, politics has nothing to do with this. There are professional welfare recipients, but they are an infinitesimally small population compared to the number of working poor today. Yet they receive a majority of the focus from conservative groups. No one talks about solutions, they talk about handouts and dependancy, they turn our perception of people in need into slobbering sucking mouths, they take the humanity out of the human condition.

Obviously the solutions will not come straight from the government. But as long as we are in this compassionless narrative of existence we reduce ourselves to what we assume of others.

 

I think it is cruel and heartless to lure weak minded people into a life of government dependency where they lose the ability to fend for themselves.

Bleeding heart libs are the worst enemy poor people ever had.

If conservatives had our way poor people would be forced to find jobs and they would be better off for it in the long run.

 

Yeah, but at least the gov't is working on behalf of the wealthy elites, eh?

 

Actually, he agreed with what I was saying in general, just took issue with some specifics, and then couldn't name a specific disagreement he had with Taibbi.

 

There is a huge class of people in the US with little education, no skills, and living in poverty except for govt. handouts. America is becoming relatively poorer. That sets up a zero sum game ripe for struggle and strife.