And this is why we need to teach logic at St. Olaf...

Sep 19, 2008 10:17

So, today in my Intro to American Politics class, some guy randomly went off about how people on welfare shouldn't be able to vote because "they don't have a stake in the government".  We were talking about civil rights and the Jim Crow South, specifically about poll taxes.  Then he said he knew people mooched off welfare because his mom was poor!  And knew people who did!  Because his one anecdote TOTALLY proves that all people on foodstamps or unemployment have enough money to own three cars and they ALL are cheating the system and STEALLING OUR TAX DOLLARS!!!!!!!  You see where I get annoyed.  He had no real evidence.  No statistics, no information from reputable sources demonstrating how many people who receive government assistance are squandering it (if any are) versus how many are not, or even how much we spend on government welfare.  Let me assure you, it is not very much.  If he's so concerned about his TAX DOLLARS!!!! being wasted, he ought to be complaining about our largely unnecessary military system, or the government bailing out privately-owned corporations who pay comparatively little in taxes.  The American people are getting fleeced, but it isn't by the poor.

idiocy, libertarianism, life, class, politics

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