gbaji wrote:
Of course they aren't. But government is not the same as what is referred to as "big government". When the government engages in providing benefits based on a lack of success,
What is the alternative?
If someone is unsuccessful in providing for themselves, is it more productive to let then wilt away on the street or provide assistance to help them succeed?
Entitlement programs as they exist in our government, while they may be ripe for abuse, are not 'give-aways'. How much productivity are you going to get out of a kid that may survive to adulthood but has done so without proper nutrition, education or healthcare?
Im sure you'll counter the argument that entitlements have gotten this kid into this predicament to begin with, but I don't buy it.
If you want to completely eliminate gov assistance, and still ensure a fair, healthy, productive human resource pool, it can only mean severely restricting freedom of choice.
No more sex for folks unless they meet the financial criteria for raising a child and sign a contract that, in the event of conception, they agree to do so. No more risky jobs or leisure activities because you may jeopardize your ability to be productive.
If we want a society that encourages free-thinking, new ideas, and innovation - one that pushes the limits to keep expanding our choices, don't you think it prudent to have a 'safety net' for those that try and fail?
How many people are going to invest their life savings in a new business if they know that failure means moving the family into a cardboard box in the back alley and dining at the dumpster?
Again, you fail at looking away from your limited view and confining definitions of capitalism and socialism in the context of todays mega-society.
Your examples are absurd. What if your one of your two children was a bit of a risk-taker and broke his arm while doing a stunt on his bike, while the other child, a bookworm, has two good arms. It's time for their daily chore - washing the dishes. Uh oh, the broken arm kid can't get his cast wet. Oh, my what shall we do? Will you withhold his dinner, his allowance because, atm, he can't 'earn' them? Will you punish the risktaker and reward the bookworm?
EDIT for hat posterity.
My childsize face makes hats look absurd on me. But I dig headbands.
I one of each of these:
Edited, Sep 13th 2009 4:56pm by Elinda