Friday, March 27, 2009

The American "Poor"


This was sent to me by a friend and undoubtedly is floating around but it is too good to pass up. My understanding is that this is Michelle Obama serving up chow at a homeless shelter and that she brought along some of the things from the White House Staff kitchen.


Couple points here.

#1 - Mushroom Risotto??? What the ^%&# ... at a homeless shelter? And they say they are poor and helpless.


#2 - That cell phone ... yeah, taking the government handout but ya got yourself a cell phone. How the hell do you pay for that? I know exactly how you pay for it - you take money robbed from me to pay for stuff that you should be paying for on your own, and thus you have spare change to buy cell phones. I bet 10 bucks you have a color TV too .. out there in your homeless shelter.


#3 - Where do they send that phone bill to if you are so homeless. (spare me the comments about prepaid cell phones - this is a blog and being used to make a point)

#4 - This is the "American Poor" - the richest poor in the world.

3 comments:

RKL said...

As I mentioned in previous comments, my wife is a reforming liberal due to the fact that she is married to RKL. When we first got married our political arguments were like WW3. But since RKL rubs off on those around him, sometimes now she spouts such great ideas I think she must be Ronald Reagan's long lost daughter. But occasionally she still reverts to the liberal view. The other night we were debating crime and she said "well if we were starving you'd steal for us wouldn't you?" I said if we ever were truly starving I'd beg for our food, I'm not above that for my family. But there is a difference there. I'd rather die that steal, but I will beg for mercy. Contrast that to those people who aren't embarrassed to use their food stamp credit cards at Wal Mart. Maybe such a distinction is not worth the consideration.

RKL

Jon said...

There are a million steps between being in need and choosing between stealing and begging.
I remember in the mid 90's I was trying to start a business (which ultimately didn't work but sometimes you take risks) and we needed money. I took a paper route in the middle of the night (while working the other job in the day) and paid all the bills except the mortgage and my wife babysat a child, which covered the mortgage.
We could do this because we weren't burdened with debt already and lived within our means.
Ultimately, it led to an incredible career in a very strange way, but it taught me that there is no reason in America for people to be poor. There is always something you can do if you are willing.

Publius said...

Jon, I sure agree. You were doing one of those jobs that "no American wants to do". I have done a lot of those jobs in my lifetime too.

RKL - It really chaps me that they stared issuing those "credit cards". IN the old times the bums had to go through the ignominious process of presenting all those vouchers at the checkout line and that did 2 things.

#1 Give those of us that these people are feeding off of some degree of satisfaction that perhaps because of the stigma of a public display of using their brother's money to pay for their handout would at least give them some discomfort. I mean, I am uncomfortable having money stolen from me so as to pay for others misfortune so why should the taker (demander of MY money) not feel some discomfort also.

#2 That having that discomfort that they may be spurred to get a freaking job... and maybe lay off the cigarettes.

And RKL - I do no think that you would beg for food. I think that when it came down to it you would offer to exchange something for the food. THAT, trade of value-for-value, it seems to me, is threaded through your posts.