Comment Re:Welcome to Capitalism (Score 1) 611
So that's fine, use it. And keep complaining about said benefits existence, it's a valid argument. But by taking those benefits, you can no longer argue that those who do take advantage of said benefits are a drain on our society without being a drain yourself.
No thats not true at all.
The government has no "benefits" at all that it can give, the government has only that which it takes from the people through taxation. Medicare, Social Security etc are things which the government forces you to pay for but which doesn't assure you that you'll be able to access it at all. By taking the benefits all you do is take back the tax dollars you've already spent.
Imagine if McDonalds forced everybody to pay them $10 a day, but in exchange there was a conditional promise of food. The store manager decides who gets what, so some people get a 50 cent ice cream cone, and some people get three Big Mac Meals (>$10 value). Does that seem fair? no, of course it isn't fair. FAIR is that YOU get what YOU pay for, which is what you get from a Free Market system. Socialist systems have a Robin Hood style attitude - they rob from the rich in order to give to the poor, but thats absurd, because:
a) the rich didn't make the poor become poor.
b) the rich *use less* of the government's services (for example, a rich person won't be using public health care, they'll have their own insurance, and they may not be sending their kids to public school).
c) the rich aren't responsible for anybody but themself (and conversely, the poor aren't responsible for anybody but themself). "I am not my brother's keeper" as they say.
There will always be a divide in our society based on income - some people will be born with a gift of intelligence, or a tenacity that helps them succeed, some will be lucky, some will be born in to wealth etc. That isn't a bad thing. We the wealthy need to stop feeling guilty for what we have and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH with socialism and the welfare state. Unfortunately welfare consumers out number those who aren't, and as a result in a democracy the wealthy actually carry less power to influence decision making in this area.
