I'm curious to see if there is an example that does not include the Govt enabling "the rich" to steal from the poor. -burn8
Strauss Kahn and Mike Tyson. I suppose that's a pretty good example of theft. Theft of something much more valuable than money. And then of course there's still Goldman Sachs, which is a private corporation of very rich people.
As I said earlier, we have plenty of social programs. We have the fattest, most entertained group of "dirt poor" people the world has ever known.
You're right. The TBTF financial institutions, Monsanto, etc., are all enabled by the gov't. I wouldn't say they "steal" from lower/middle classes, but there's little competition for some of their goods/services (thanks to them pushing out smaller competition via regs & other means from the gov't).
If you see someone truly poor in the United States chances are it is a substance abuse problem and a personal accountability issue. Entitlements and public assistance are provided to the point that the recipients will not take jobs; indeed - there are single parent families with generations ( literally ) who are provided housing, food, vouchers, medical care, education, transportation, and cash payments. There are volumes of empirical studies dating back from the 60's that shows that the level of financial assistance provided does NOT correlate to reductions in income gaps and poverty rates. The real issue is not the rich, the issue is personal accountability and substance abuse - which is not the exclusive domain of the poor and intransigent.
Sadly so true, when small businesses are losing money gov't doesnt' care, but when GE has a bad quarter suddenly we're in a recession and we need to borrow a boat load of money to save GE!!! Bullshit, the gov't is to blame for the growing gap. Anytime the rich make bad investment bets the gov't rushes in to bail them out but when middle class or lower class people make bad investment bets there's no TARP or stimulus packages. Perfect opportunity for wealth to be redistributed the way it should while the market was tanking and in came the gov't to bail out the rich. Vote them all out.
Sounds like someone just came up with a excellent example of the rich indirectly stealing actual money from the poor. And my God...don't get me started on Monsanto. That company could single-handedly wipe out life on earth -- literally!
Dude, I know you've heard of the quality and quantity of the books in the inner city schools in Chicago. There is no hope for those poor children to get out of the ghetto. I would agree with all your other points however. Folks are buying Surf and Turf with their SNAP card. Phuck! Why work.