sometimes it takes perspective to pull your head out of your ass and realize how great you have it. hopefully whatever news source you turn to has been presenting you with images of starving Somalian children. the media might then mention that hundreds of thousands of people starved in the early '90s and how - hold your breath - 18 soldiers died trying to deliver food, thus halting food relief efforts. there is chatter around the interweb from 'mericans who think instead of feeding people who are legitimately unable to overthrow their shitty government because they are too hungry, we should throw food at people who refuse to get jobs. i am all about helping the slightly mentally disabled veterans who beg for money on the streets, i think we should figure out how to get them the help they deserve. i am NOT an advocate of perfectly competent people sucking off the system that experience negative incentive to get jobs. the business of living off of government aid is too lucrative. i knew a girl, once, who used to have strong work ethic; and one day she discovered she didn't need to work. since she lost the will to contribute to society she has lived with food stamps, housing assistance, loans, grants, none of which she will pay back. she refuses to get a job because if she does, the government will take a percent of her money for housing. she said she would lose some of her food stamps. she might not qualify for WIC. why would she bother having a job when she would have to start paying taxes and putting back into the system? this type of 'merican makes me want to scream. it's funny, she also does not think 'merica should have international aid programs. gee, i wonder why.
i acknowledge there are a plethora of things going on in 'merica that we should address. however, that does not mean we shouldn't convince NATO, 'merica and it's allies that a little aided coup, implementation of schools, and the presence of International Organizations or Non-government Organizations could save a couple hundred thousand lives. the Somalian people have no resources. they live in the desert. they have no opportunity to thrive. they need education on how to sustain-ably live in the surroundings they are born into. i feel guilty even typing this in my temperate dwelling on my over-coveted apple gadget. my little family certainly could use a few of those thousands of dollars we are giving to system suckers. we would even try to contribute monetarily to a greater cause with the excess money we had. instead, thousands of children are starving, all while their shite government is still in power, and 'merican system suckers are living pretty and i am feeling awfully fucking guilty for ever feeling less than totally grateful for the situation i am in right now.
my current tonal amusement: besh o drom's album, can't make me
I agree with you about the system suckers. I have even been told, "If you quit your job, you'll make more off the goverment than you do now." Where's the American work ethic? Where's the desire to feel accomplished and to better yourself? It is truly frustrating because instead of getting ANY assistance, I get nothing because I do work. And those system suckers as you said will sit there watching their flat screen tv's eating their steak and lobster while I would likely have to cancel my cable subscription in order to support myself and my child.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard to not feel guilty for feeling less than grateful, but it's part of being human. The fact that you have regained that focus, that you and your family are lucky to not be starving or under the rule of a tyrannical government, is good. Keep that focus and that appreciation; and keep the passion to do some good in the world because every little bit helps.
I am so with you and Michelle on the govt handouts. The thing that most disturbs me is that welfare isn't the only broken social program. All of our programs need to be given a thorough look over and have changes made. I don't think enough emphasis is put on both job training and creation. Not enough time is placed on financial management. In fact if a person is unemployed and getting money from the government I think the government should be more strict on how that money is distributed and spent. This is coming from a guy who grew up poor and on welfare. In fact I was recently been unemployed longer than I cared to be but refused to take unemployment. I still get people that say I'm crazy for that but I'd rather make cut backs in my lifestyle before I start collecting money for nothing. The govt does have a responsibility to it's people but it becomes a detriment to the country as a whole when it's people start using social programs as crutches.
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