racist flip-flops
Yesterday i posted something on Facebook about how cynical you have to be as an American politician to cheer Hong Kong protestors fighting back against police brutality in their city, but call for "peace" when black protestors do the same in the United States
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Personally, i have only been on government support once in my life, and i felt terribly guilty the whole time. I was also raised to be frugal and self-sufficient. The only time my mother ever took a loan was for a house, everything else - including cars and international moves - she saved up and paid for with cash. I took that lesson onboard and live very much within my means, even when that meant living in a basement apartment with a broken heater in the middle of winter, flooded floors, mold and so on. I don't claim any tax breaks or deductions. I don't even claim insurance if i can afford the outright cost, which usually i can. I don't like depending on anyone, whether that is banks, insurance companies or the government.
However, i also see that as a privileged position. I have had many friends who literally lived paycheck-to-paycheck, who were constantly in debt, and (in America) ended up begging family and friends for money to afford basic healthcare. For people in that kind of situation, although i gladly bail them out when i can, i think it is really the role of the government to support them. I don't want to live in a society where my friends are one paycheck away from homelessness or starvation.
Thanks for sharing your experience on how things have improved. It's reassuring to get that perspective.
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