What's wrong with this picture....

[ns3]

Mind-boggling clip of a woman on welfare calling in to a radio talk-show to defend her sense of morality.

Her attitude paraphrased....

"If someone offered you a million dollars for free wouldn't you take it? So how can you feel morally superior to me just because you go to work every day?"


(The talk-show host's rejoinder was great - if you know somebody that wants to give me a million dollars for free please have them call me).

The most comical thing was the ladies attitude towards illegal immigrants. She obviously sees them honing in on her territory and doesn't like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... _r_v9cYBPY

[Mountaineer]

I am at a loss for words!  We are indeed doomed. 

[Kriegsspiel]

95% probability that's a fake.

[Libertarian666]

Mind-boggling clip of a woman on welfare calling in to a radio talk-show to defend her sense of morality.

Her attitude paraphrased....

"If someone offered you a million dollars for free wouldn't you take it? So how can you feel morally superior to me just because you go to work every day?"


(The talk-show host's rejoinder was great - if you know somebody that wants to give me a million dollars for free please have them call me).

The most comical thing was the ladies attitude towards illegal immigrants. She obviously sees them honing in on her territory and doesn't like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... _r_v9cYBPY

At a 3% safe withdrawal rate, $1 million will only yield $30K/year (taxable), so she's probably underestimating the value of her welfare entitlements.

And of course she doesn't want any illegal immigrants horning in on her racket; they might overload the system enough so that there would be actual reductions.

[Kshartle]

I listened to her a couple weeks ago. I think she made a lot of sense and is a lot more intelligent about the issue than the talk-show hosts. They are blabbing about guilt or whatever and she's talking about the reality of her situation. She's choosing what she sees as her best option and really.....it probably is.

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

She might be a lazy worthless leaching lump.....but hey, you can't really beat her reasoning.

Plus she loves her kids. She only wants them to work if it's doing something they really enjoy. Otherwise.....have someone else do the work and send you a check.

This is the rule not the exception.

[dragoncar]

I listened to her a couple weeks ago. I think she made a lot of sense and is a lot more intelligent about the issue than the talk-show hosts. They are blabbing about guilt or whatever and she's talking about the reality of her situation. She's choosing what she sees as her best option and really.....it probably is.

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

She might be a lazy worthless leaching lump.....but hey, you can't really beat her reasoning.

Plus she loves her kids. She only wants them to work if it's doing something they really enjoy. Otherwise.....have someone else do the work and send you a check.

This is the rule not the exception.

I don't know if she's more intelligent -- I couldn't listen to the whole thing.  But you are right that she gets to the heart of the issue: people in general are going to maximize their utility regardless of moral arguments.  You have to change the system if you want behavior to change...

[Kshartle]

I listened to her a couple weeks ago. I think she made a lot of sense and is a lot more intelligent about the issue than the talk-show hosts. They are blabbing about guilt or whatever and she's talking about the reality of her situation. She's choosing what she sees as her best option and really.....it probably is.

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

She might be a lazy worthless leaching lump.....but hey, you can't really beat her reasoning.

Plus she loves her kids. She only wants them to work if it's doing something they really enjoy. Otherwise.....have someone else do the work and send you a check.

This is the rule not the exception.

I don't know if she's more intelligent -- I couldn't listen to the whole thing.  But you are right that she gets to the heart of the issue: people in general are going to maximize their utility regardless of moral arguments.  You have to change the system if you want behavior to change...

Yes I just meant she was more intelligent about the issue. She understands it better as a recipiant than these guys do. She understands the reality for people choosing it.

She said she would maybe work if she were offered a career I think, but she does not want a job. Well........I can't totally blame her. I never assume someone on welfare is either dumb or lazy. They value lesuire and are content with the lifestyle so they are just doing what they think is best.

I am certain there are millions of people working hard for 50k per year who's lives would improve if they just went on welfare.

[flyingpylon]

Do what you love, the government money will follow...

[ns3]

I listened to her a couple weeks ago. I think she made a lot of sense and is a lot more intelligent about the issue than the talk-show hosts. They are blabbing about guilt or whatever and she's talking about the reality of her situation. She's choosing what she sees as her best option and really.....it probably is.

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

She might be a lazy worthless leaching lump.....but hey, you can't really beat her reasoning.

Plus she loves her kids. She only wants them to work if it's doing something they really enjoy. Otherwise.....have someone else do the work and send you a check.

This is the rule not the exception.

I don't know if she's more intelligent -- I couldn't listen to the whole thing.  But you are right that she gets to the heart of the issue: people in general are going to maximize their utility regardless of moral arguments.  You have to change the system if you want behavior to change...

Yes I just meant she was more intelligent about the issue. She understands it better as a recipiant than these guys do. She understands the reality for people choosing it.

She said she would maybe work if she were offered a career I think, but she does not want a job. Well........I can't totally blame her. I never assume someone on welfare is either dumb or lazy. They value lesuire and are content with the lifestyle so they are just doing what they think is best.

I am certain there are millions of people working hard for 50k per year who's lives would improve if they just went on welfare.

Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors

Proverbs 26:16

[ns3]

Would that the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs were like the foreign wars in the last half-century (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan).

In the latter we eventually realize the un-winnable situation we have gotten into and we recognize that the politicians who got us into these messes sold us a bill of goods and so we do the best we can to mitigate our mistakes and move on.

An end to the War on Drugs might actually be in sight but does anybody here see an end of the war on Poverty in their lifetime? I don't. The enemy is deeply entrenched, as the video in the OP reveals.

[Jan Van]

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

So why didn't you keep on doing that?

[Kshartle]

I collected unemployment after leaving the Army and then spent a couple years just going to school and getting the Army college fund. Didn't work for years and had enough for food, shelter and recreation. It was awesome.

So why didn't you keep on doing that?

Unemployment ran out.

I guess I could have applied for food stamps and everything else but it never even occured to me. I just finished up school and landed a fantastic position at a massive company, well above the pay I would have accepted.

If you mean why didn't I pursue a life of sloth? I guess I had/have dreams of something much better that I can only get through work.

[clarara]

Ah people like that exist everywhere, it's nothing new.

[ns3]

If you mean why didn't I pursue a life of sloth? I guess I had/have dreams of something much better that I can only get through work.

Interesting attitude since you seem to be a staunch libertarian.

As a libertarian don't you believe that taxation is theft?

So are you saying theft is okay unless you have dreams of something bigger that theft can't provide?

[Kshartle]

If you mean why didn't I pursue a life of sloth? I guess I had/have dreams of something much better that I can only get through work.

Interesting attitude since you seem to be a staunch libertarian.

As a libertarian don't you believe that taxation is theft?

So are you saying theft is okay unless you have dreams of something bigger that theft can't provide?

Yes I'm totally opposed to theft.

At that time in my life, 10 years ago I didn't have the same moral convictions or understanding of what goverment is and secular ethics, human self-ownership etc. I had volunteered for the Army for $#cks sake .

I don't believe welfare recipiants are stealing though. They just get some of the stolen loot. I don't consider them lazy or dumb. There is no doubt some of them are. Some are also intelligent and active, they are just doing what they think is best for themselves.