Is it possible to help poor people and keep our liberty?

1. 59

   Daniel J. Neumannposted 13 years ago

   Is it possible to help poor people and keep our liberty?
   
   I'm sorry; I guess I'm confused again. I never thought these two things were mutually exclusive. Why aren't there more Marxist Libertarians or Conservative Liberals out there? I guess I want to eat my cake when I have it.

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2. 60

   Sterling Carterposted 13 years ago

   The fall of Rome was the adding of poor people. As far as I know they had the first welfare system as well as retirement plan.
   
   The only problem with helping out the poor is the way in which the system is run. If you loose your job and need to get on food stamps till you can get another job, you must first be eligible.
   
   No problem with that. But....
   
   If your family happens to have  2 cars, or if your cars are of good quality and have value. You first must sell your car.
   
   If you have a nice boat... same thing. What if you use the boat to fish and provide some food for the family?
   
   They, the elected officials want you to become completely dependent upon them. This way they can be re-elected easier.
   
   Don't believe me?  Here in Tennessee we have had incumbents tell their constituents that their benefits will be threatened and they could lose their aid.
   
   This leads to more people getting caught up and then it can be difficult to get out of the quick sand. It is all planned and the tax payer foots the entire bill.
   
   I have no problem with people needing aid. I have been there myself and needed it. I refused to sell my hard worked for goods just for a loaf of bread. But many fall into that situation.
   
   The help needs to be just that a helping hand. don't penalize people for having had when they have befallen hard times.
   
   But also don't make it where people lose the desire or need to work.

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3. 84

   SEO IT!posted 13 years ago

   I think tax money would be better served by using incentives to keep jobs in the U.S., raising minimum wage, and by putting more into the educational system - from elementary through college.
   
   It doesn't help anyone's liberty when the welfare system is set up to where people have a hard time getting OFF welfare.

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4. 61

   KFlippinposted 13 years ago

   We've been helping the poor and keeping our liberty since this country was founded.  Unfortunately, the past 20 years has seen that 'help' increasingly become permanent support, big, big difference -- and yes, now, it is viewed by many as a threat to future liberty, as there is no grand plan to 'stop' permanently supporting every family that expects Uncle Sam to pick up the tab.
   
   Don't you think our elderly have raised quite a few kids, several generations of them in fact, and yet they should suffer now?  Not have their cake, not even a bag of M&M's?
   
   My you have an excellent vocabulary and grasp of political concepts rarely found in a child!  Your elders must be proud.

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5. 61

   John T.posted 13 years ago

   America is the most generous nation when it comes to donating money to charities.  I think the churches are a great place to give aid to the needy.  Including places like YMCA.  Shelters are also good if the individuals there are required to look for a job and show proof of their job seeking.

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6. 61

   dabeanerposted 13 years ago

   If you feed the starving (sob, sniffle) children, they just grow up to drop litters of more starving children.
   
   That is what has happened in Africa, the Middle East, India ...
   
   The stupidity of the human race is no more profoundly illustrated by the belief of those starving peoples that having a bunch of children will ensure someone to take care of them.
   
   The other stupidity is that all "we" need to do is enrich them, as better-off people have fewer children.  Yeah, and more live.  And being richer means consuming more resources.  Which, in case you look around, you will observe are diminishing due to the huge numbers people already.
   
   Frankly, if everyone in the world were as wealthy as those in the western world, that would last a few years, then EVERYONE will be back in the stone age.
   
   If you want to be stupid, help the starving Ethiopians, whatever, but with your dime.  Not mine.  Forcing me to "do good" (in your -- speaking figuratively -- eyes) is not freedom.

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7. 59

   KKalmesposted 13 years ago

   helping the poor is morally and spiritually right... it is in the best interest of all the best life and liberty have to offer... giving is a quality characteristic that comes directly from God.

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8. 79

   Wayne Brownposted 13 years ago

   Helping the poor is not necessarily a deterent to liberty if it is done in the correct manner.  Americans are the most generous people on earth financially...that said, why are there still poor people.  In the end you have to really ask yourself "How much can you really help people in general?"  You can give them money but they just spend...maybe that's how they became poor in the first place, their inability to manage finances.  There are mindsets at work that are far more complex than just being poor. It's a mindset that says, "why should I work or contribute if I can get it free?"  There are plenty people roaming around who think just this way and they will take every handout and beg for more and still be no better off than when the whole process started.  This is about ignorance to some degree and money does not necessarily fix ignorance.  Money does not fix education either as we have seen our tax dollars poured into education by the billions and billions and look where we are...we still need to spend money on education.  Those who are in the poor sector are also the ones who can be led in any direction by those who want to manipulate them....give me your vote and I'll get you something free. We have to break that disconnect and then politicians will spend less time attempting to manipulate the poor in our society.  The real threat to our liberty lies in Washington in our elected officials and our apathy as a public in that regard. We need to wake up and start paying attention in class.  WB

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9. 83

   Jason R. Manningposted 13 years ago

   It is absolutely possible to keep our liberty while helping the poor.  First off we need to get back to a smaller government that does not act like it can play God.  A large government is very expensive and least capable of funneling money to the needy appropriately.  Why? The politician’s in government want to keep their jobs, they must recruit adherents and ply special interests with promises of grants or contracts, thus bartering with tax payer money.  It’s the church’s and citizens who let down the poor.  Some by choice, others because of cost of living, if “we the people” went back to neighborhood outreach programs, training and employing the needy, we could in essence keep our liberty and take care of the poor.

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10. 77

    Goodpalposted 12 years ago

    "Poverty is due to laziness" is only partly true. I quote Peter Townshend here:
    
    "Poverty is not something people impose on themselves for want of effort and community organization. It is constructed by divisive and discriminatory laws, inflexible organisations, acquisitive ideologies of wealth, a deeply rooted class system and policies which serve privilege in the short term and destroy society in the long term."
    
    Empowering the poor with skills so that they can get "gainfully" employed, is perhaps the best way to get rid of poverty. Rather than secluding them or looking down upon them as "surviving on charity", they need to be included into the mainstream economy.
    
    You might also like to read this hub:
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Usefulness-of-Poverty

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11. 59

    geiser093posted 12 years ago

    NO. I am a contractor I work my butt off sometimes 7-14 days in a row for 12 or more hours. I pay taxes and look around and what do I see? I see my government taking my money and giving to people to support them. Cash, Foodstamps, medical, Housing, etc. while I continue to work to support my family.
    
    HOW can an incentive that grows with each decision to have another child you cannot support discourage people from stealing my liberty through wasting of tax dollars.
    
    I am not an ogre. I genuinely care about people. So I do not want to see a single mother with four kids walking to the grocery store. I would gladly pay more in taxes to help offset the long term problem if the individuals were focused on getting an education and a job and becoming self sufficient.
    
    In the end it is a trade off how much liberty will I have to sacrifice to support those who have accepted poverty and dysfunction over a productive life.

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