The Welfare State

[Peter1469]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art...id_116129.html

If you doubt there's an American welfare state, you should read the new study by demographer Nicholas Eberstadt, whose blizzard of numbers demonstrates otherwise. A welfare state transfers income from some people to other people to improve the recipients' well-being. In 1935, these transfers were less than 3 percent of the economy; now they're almost 20 percent. That's $7,200 a year for every American, calculates Eberstadt. He says that nearly 40 percent of these transfers aim to relieve poverty (through Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance and the like), while most of the rest goes to the elderly (mainly through Social Security and Medicare).

Can we afford it?

[Chris]

No, we cannot. As the article points out, raising taxes and deep cuts in military and other discretionary spending will not be enough.

[Carygrant]

Nice to see America becoming more Christian and civilised . The question to ask is not whether it is affordable , but , and rather , can we be pleased with ourselves if we deny it .
Let's hope such subtlety is not lost on the Hilly Billy people here .

[Chris]

Nice to see America becoming more Christian and civilised . The question to ask is not whether it is affordable , but , and rather , can we be pleased with ourselves if we deny it .
Let's hope such subtlety is not lost on the Hilly Billy people here .

Typical liberal irrational emotionalism. Explain to us, rationally, cary, how, if the US goes broke, it can help anyone? Tell us, by analogy, how, if I do not generate some wealth, or if I do and it's all sucked away, can I feed my family? Simple basic economics says it's impossible.

[patrickt]

The politicians have created a monster and they can't stop it now. It has to grow and grow and grow. The Romans had "bread and circuses" to keep the masses calm and we have food stamps and cable television. We add cash so the deadbeats can buy liquor. It's the same principle though. And, what will happen when healthy deadbeats are told to get a job? By healthy, I'm giving the "permanent emotional disabilities" their full due.

[Peter1469]

Nice to see America becoming more Christian and civilised . The question to ask is not whether it is affordable , but , and rather , can we be pleased with ourselves if we deny it .
Let's hope such subtlety is not lost on the Hilly Billy people here .

Cary stop, that is not the question. Liberals are so eager to spend other people's money regardless of the effectiveness and sustainability of the programs. We can't afford our current level of welfare spending. And it has failed in its goals. Two strikes.

[Cigar]

Nice to see America becoming more Christian and civilised . The question to ask is not whether it is affordable , but , and rather , can we be pleased with ourselves if we deny it .
Let's hope such subtlety is not lost on the Hilly Billy people here .

I bet if we started sending the 1% kids (like Mitt Romney's) to these useless Wars, they would have a change of heart.

It's ok for "you people" as Ann Romney puts it, to go fight for us, but God Forbid we help you when you, or if you, come back.

[patrickt]

Great shift, Cigar. Stupid, but great. Let's go from welfare to wars. Of course, liberals aren't in the military any more, are they? That's why the Democrats disenfranchise the military. It takes a draft to get them in the army. I wonder what would happen if the people on welfare had to go to work like Gov. Romney's children? I'd be willing to bet that Gov. Romney's kids will all work and their work won't involve sitting around writing incredibly stupid posts on a forum.

I wonder where Carygrunt would be without the military. Oh, right. Still sitting in a mental hospital but speaking German instead of English.

[Taxcutter]

"I bet if we started sending the 1% kids (like Mitt Romney's) to these useless Wars..."

Taxcutter says:
What does that have to do with welfare?

Trying to change the subject indicates you cannot defend welfare.

[Peter1469]

I bet if we started sending the 1% kids (like Mitt Romney's) to these useless Wars, they would have a change of heart.

It's ok for "you people" as Ann Romney puts it, to go fight for us, but God Forbid we help you when you, or if you, come back.

We are talking about Welfare. Regarding war, 10 years of it in Afghanistan and Iraq cost about as much as one of Obama's years of deficit spending.