social safety nets
Give a man a welfare check, a free cell phone, free internet, cash for his clunker, food stamps, section 8 housing, Medicaid, ninety-nine weeks of free unemployment, and he will vote Democrat the rest of his life and even after he is dead.
The daily feast of benevolent Christian delights that flows from a recently discovered blog, Quiner’s Diner, has me wincing with horror on a regular basis. Why do I follow it? Because I think it’s important to keep abreast of mainstream opinions in the world’s most influential nation.
This ‘witticism’ has my blood boiling for a number of reasons.
- Healthcare. I’m from a country with universal free healthcare. The system is not perfect but I’m not aware of anyone who has died from lack of access to medical attention. It is estimated that 45,000 people a year die in the USA because they don’t have healthcare insurance.
- Welfare. The myth of the ‘welfare trap’ is considered in detail in this post, and points out for all US citizens unaware of global realities that “countries with the most generous benefits (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands) have some of the lowest levels of unemployment”
- Housing. I’m living in a country that can’t afford social housing for the poorest in its society. The painful to view result is acres of dangerously built slums, many with no electricity, water or sewerage systems, surrounding every town and city.
I’m not a Christian, but I am familiar with the commonly understood themes that people extract from the New Testament – little things like looking out for the poorest in society. I expect most Christians who distribute and giggle at little quotes like the one above are white and middle class, and effortlessly travel from their million dollar church to their gated neighbourhood home without having to see the homeless people on the streets, the people with mental health problems on the Greyhound buses, or interact with anyone disgusting enough to use food stamps.
To reduce the necessities of a social safety net that catches the most vulnerable in society to a cheap political gag, and undermine the importance of support in these areas, is repulsive enough, but when it comes from people who follow the teachings of the Jesus character, and who laud the amazing qualities of their new Pope’s desire to improve the lives of the poor, the bigoted ignorance is almost laughable.
Bill Maher said it just the other night: “For such a religious country we sure don’t exercise much compassion.”
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I replied to this already but my reply has disappeared AND I found another reply I made on my own post in my Spam Tin. I’ve been Arked!! Anyway, true words, there’s something about the lack of security that forces people to become self-centred. A very inward looking society because the outside is full terrifying pits.
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The energy from an implosion doesn’t just disappear.
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Odd isn’t it… the wealthiest country in history, no great (insurmountable) internal trouble, no tribes (so to speak)… and yet they feel so insecure. Such greatness married to such pettiness.
So, you’ve been Arked! Would appear the Matrix is real and our South African friend is some kind of Agent Smith
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That is indeed the type of quote that give me the shakes.
SUCH a cheap trick. Make the middle-class blame the poor for their problems, so they don’t notice what their wealthy masters are doing.
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Oh, I love a good conspiracy theory!
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I actually thought the quote was pro-democrat. I mean, if government provided free housing, phone, Internet, car, unemployment benefits and healthcare I’d be pretty happy. Crap, I’d vote that party over and over! How’s that a bad thing?
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Ah, here comes a Republican saboteur! 🙂 They think it’s a bad thing (I’ll just pretend you don’t know) because they believe it makes people dependent on the government and unable to do things for themselves. What they refuse to recognise is that people get a sense of satisfaction and self-worth through working and it is the route most people would choose. Welfare provision exists for the most vulnerable in society and helps people through temporary bad patches. In countries with no provision, people suffer and die. The richest country in the world has no excuse for not providing the basics for all its citizens.
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I used to work in the centre of Johannesburg and one morning I passed a Rolls Royce parked outside the 5 star Carlton Hotel. It had a bumper sticker that said. Fuck The Poor.
I kid you not….
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Maybe I’ll get one of those for Mr and Mrs Quiner. Of the diner.
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Yes, popped over…not my cup of tea, t’be honest.
Switched religions in mid – salvation. Hmmm. What made him think that his god was gonna show up this time.
Silly Person.
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I like this new “silly person” crusade. It’s very endearing. I haven’t actually read much about them, just get the endless run of offensive posts popping up in my reader. It’s good to know what the dark side is thinking.
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Yyyyeah right. They think they are missionaries in the suburban jungle
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I think together we can de-convert them. 🙂
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I’ll join you on that endeavour!
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I was just having it out with Karen a bit on the safety net meme
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Who’s Karen?
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Karen Quiner. The wife.
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Ooohh, ehhhhhhhhhhh… she’s nuts
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I know. I might as well be taking a tinkle into the wind off of the roof of my shoe factory 🙂
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But remember, she might get splashed by some of it and think the holy spirit is trying to give her a message about people who don’t have a roof over their head.
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Oooh, you think?? I’ll take it.
I don’t think she would take the post down though, eh?
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This woman … should I feel sorry for her? I haven’t decided yet.
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Absolutely not! She’s perfectly free to be smarter… she has, however, chosen DUMB.
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Just in case she doesn’t approve this sucker, wanted to share 🙂
Good for Bob Vance. He’s being too nice, and I’m guessing he is either personally associated with you OR has something to gain by being nice in the face of this nonsense? Even if that gain is just maintaining his public persona.
You seem to be missing the fact that you have posted an obnoxious meme. There is nothing objective nor insightful about this meme. You have every right to be obnoxious. You have every right to cause a fuss — but don’t be in denial about the content.
I intentionally post obnoxious stuff all the time with a specific purpose, and I welcome anyone to come and tell me I’m going to hell for it.
“Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its only sure defense.”
– Mark Twain
Now quit being a baby and own up to what you have done. You have posted a meme which MOCKS POOR PEOPLE.
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waiting with bated breath …
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Nice. Give me the link… I might just pop over between articles.
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http://quinersdiner.com/2013/03/25/why-democrats-dont-want-to-teach-a-man-to-fish/#comment-8614
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Hey, can you lend me a hand here. i really can’t work out this Whisky fella, and Captain Catholic just jumped in. Last comment thread. It’d kinda weird, started last night
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em, quote of the week from the Captain! “I absolutely loathe the practice many Christians use of propping up their viewpoint by tossing scripture passages around.”
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Yeah, i had to do a double take on that, too! 🙂
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I just got some genuine lols at both of your comments for Karen Quiner.
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Go Chris! I hadn’t seen that. You definitely made a dent!! She’ll be an agnostic centrist-Republican by the end of the week. 🙂
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Yyyeah, right. I shouldn’t be wasting my time. But, I got fired up.
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