OT: Jibjab, Politics, the Big Bang and more!

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Graeme Dice:
Your statement here is a textbook slippery slope fallacy.

You say that, but it's still true: Every time some politician tacks some more crap onto your tax bill, they're hoping you won't notice, or will shrug it off as minor. It never ends. The fact of the matter remains is that everytime something like this is added, yet more of your money is siphoned away, not to support a public service that everyone can benefit from, like roads, the army, or libraries, but to support some worthless slacker who can't be bothered to support his own bloated carcass: Somebody who everyone would be better off without.

What's wrong with it is that whether the person is lazy or not is irrelevant. They still deserve a standard of living that is better than the poverty line. They deserve this because they are _human_.

What are you, a Communist? Nobody *DESERVES* anything. If you want something, you have to *EARN* it. There's no free lunch, pal. If you can't afford something, you get a nice lesson in "learning to do without". I mean, hell, look at me: I spent many years living out of a used Army-surplus jeep. Why? Because houses cost money! I didn't HAVE that money yet, so guess what? I LEARNED TO DO WITHOUT. When I couldn't afford an extended hospital bill and stay to treat an injury incurred in the field, I patched it with duct tape! It's all about LEARNING TO DO WITHOUT. If you can't afford it, that's what you gotta do, not go piss and moan a handout from total strangers. Can't you at least panhandle honestly, rather than try to get the government to do your panhandling for you? Sheesh.

Today, I have lots of money. I can now afford things. So when I feel like I really want them, I do so. I have no pity for somebody who expects a free handout because they CAN'T AFFORD IT. Cry me a river. Boo frickety hoo.

You ALSO forget that trying to give everyone a standard of living ABOVE the poverty line simply redefines the poverty line! No matter what you do, there will always be people who are sufficiently "below average" to constitute poverty.

The U.S. is hardly overpopulated.

I disagree with this assertion. You merely need to try to go through a supermarket checkout to see that there are clearly too many people.

Like I said, you are willing to throw up any amount of red herrings and smokescreens to disguise the fact that you don't care about those people simply because you don't personally know them.

Disguise? Where have I tried to disguise this?

I think the only thing to say here is: May you live in interesting times.

Amen. Boredom is a horrible way to die.

[ July 28, 2004, 21:11: Message edited by: Norfleet ]