americans

[Binkie]

Let's also not forget the Soviet Union's track record of attacks against Finland, the invasion of the Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan, the milking of the old republics for essentially all of their money to build a nuclear arsenal (ultimately leading to the collapse), or China's program of eugenics in regions like Xinjiang and Tibet (which, Sternn, you said you support), modern day Russia's political stanglehold over it's neighbors like Ukraine (which fell apart recently) and internal grasp of Chechnya, Morocco's firm grip on the Western Sahara, Iran's stated desire to become a regional power coupled with it's major influence and political power in countries like Lebanon and Sudan, as well as Venezuela's (or should I say Hugo Chavez's) recent attempts to rein in a socalist movement not only in South America following his leadership, but across the world where he can exploit fake populist support in volatile regions.

I'm of course leaving out many other fine examples, but again, competent people get the point.

So no, it's not "only [the American government]" that asserts influence in the world. I understand and realize you don't seem to be well tuned on knowing much about global politics, Sternn, as you fail to discuss and seemingly know absolutely nothing about, anything other than American "issues."

I'd also like to state that there's a difference between the people and the government. You've obviously had a hard time separating the two in... well, ever since you've posted here, Sternn. But FYI, not everyone supports Bush or the nation's foreign policy. Likewise not everyone supports a dead end isolationist policy that has already failed this country and left it weak and vunerable in the past. So in heeding your own advise, stick to the topic, which is about American people and not the government.

Save these little rants for the new topic you post tomorrow... wait, topic? I mean headline. I almost made it sound like you create threads based on knowledge rather than articles you read on yahoo news.

[CptSternn]

OK, then back to the fact the us is the only country that doesn't take care of its citizens. Answer me this...

In the UK, Australia, Ireland, and most of the rest of Europe, as mentioned before, we have the Dolé. We get paid if we are not working. Not 'food stamps' but actual money.

We also get housing allowance. This means if we cannot afford a house, the government pays our rent (or up to 95% of it if we are working). They also cover heating/electric/water.

We get medical cards if we cannot afford the hospital. We also get free healthcare if we cannot afford it - not some cheap healthcare, but the same others who can afford it pay for.

If we get the grade to go to college, the government pays for it. If w choose not to go, we have 5 years an then if we change our minds we are allowed another opporunity to attend and the government pays for it.

If we are out of work and on the Dolé and wish to change professions, the government will pay for training and/or college for us to regain a working stature in our community.

So answer me this - why doesn't america do this? Every other first world country does? Most all of Europe does. All communist contries have this. So why doesn't america? Why does it not care enough about its own people to help them? Why is it that america has no safety nets for its citizens? I mean, we have almost no homeless people here - the only ones in Ireland who are homeless are illegal immigrants. Same with the UK/Australia. In america you have homeless people everywhere, and only 1 in 8 have insuance/access to healthcare.

So if america is so great, then why does it allow its own people to live in such horrible conditions?

[Binkie]

I have a friend who's currently milking the US system right now in Penn. Another friend and myself had to constantly drive him and feed him because he refused to work. Suddenly he decides to get on welfare and now he's getting 200 dollars a month. He bought himself a car and buys himself a whole bunch of bullshit. Give me a day and I'll figure out what benefits he's recieving. I don't support that though. There's no incentive to get off the way PA has it set up either, so if you like the systems that are even more generous, awesome.

I remember watching a program about social welfare in places like Germany where people from different countries that moved there, had two kids, and just milked the system and never worked. Not because they couldn't find work, but because the system provided so that they wouldn't have to.

There's also government housing in the US, the government issues grants and scholarships, so I don't know what you're arguing about there.

America is not the country you want to live in if you want a "free ride" you're whole life. Besides, the government's incentives on saving you money are based on selflessness. This may be why the US is ranked as being the most charitble nation in the world.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

We get paid if we are not working.

I'll let Binkie get into detail in this. I'll just point it out. Common sense will allow anyone to see the wrongness in this government "help", something you seem to take pride in.

[Binkie]

Originally Posted by Binkie

Suddenly he decides to get on welfare and now he's getting 200 dollars a month.

Typo here... that was actually supposed to read: "$2,000 a month."

As far as Europe's system or Ireland's welfare programs; in all honesty I just don't care. If they like having regular working individuals pay high taxes to feed and clothe a growing number of moochers, that's great. Not my problem.

[CptSternn]

Binkie - I'll say it, your full of shite on that one. You have given us genralisations - show me where any states gives you free money. Having lived there for many years, seen all the homeless people, seen the people out of work, having known people who have collected unemployment, and having collected it myself in a few states - I can tell you that you make statements there with little or no evidence.

Thats the typical right-wing reposnse 'america has too much welfare'

Can you explain then in detail. Your say 'your friend is running a $2000 a month scam on the government'. What kind of scam?

I worked with many organisations while there. My nightclub had multiple benfits gigs we did for nothing. From a Living Wage to various AIDs groups to Immigrant Law Reform groups, we hosted them all.

I can tell you just saying that america has a welfar system is not enough. Please EXPALIN to us how it works - I laid out the details of the Dole system - you should do the same.

The fact is, you CAN'T. There ISN'T anything even compariable in america.

Your unemployment only pays up to $300 every two weeks, and thats IF you worked for 5 years previous and made over $45k a year. Even then the meger $150 a week you get is far below your weekly salary which was over doulbe that - and there is NO rent allowance or anything to cover bills, lighting, water, etc - you pay that out of the same wee bit they give you.

Oh yeah, it lasts 3 months, six if you get an extension which is VERY rare, and then its over. Also, when you get your first job after that they take back all the money they gave you - a little at a time through each paycheck. So they never 'give' you anything.

Second - what about those who can't work? The us government HAS disability, but only in EXTREME cases and once again we are talking under $200 a week, with NO money for other bills or medical expenses.

Also, I have lost many friends to AIDs. I know many people who still have it. They get disability, but by no means $2000 a month we are talking a little over a hundred a week. And since they get the maximum amount, I find it hard to believe your 'friend' gets $2000 a month through some loophole.

As far as america bing 'selfless' lets look at stastics. They give fuck-all to most charities. Even this year when bush raised the amount of money they give to Africa for AIDs research, at the same time he took away the same amount from efforts to spot malaria and other diseases ni the same area - so they get nothing 'more'. Please show us where the us was ranked most charitable. I find it VERY hard to believe - esepcially since Ireland raised more money IN PUBS - a millions - to send to the Tsunami victims - twice what bush sent from the us government. And that was IN PUBS - NOT WHAT our government sent.

So I'll say it again, your full of shite. Please show us where you found any of that tripe your selling.

And finally, I must quote you on this...

As far as Europe's system or Ireland's welfare programs; in all honesty I just don't care. If they like having regular working individuals pay high taxes to feed and clothe a growing number of moochers, that's great. Not my problem.

'Moochers'. Thats an american concept. Here, we help the less fortunate, and do not make them feel any less accepted. What we don't do is claim we are doing God's work invading nations, we actually do it by helping the poor in our own country. We have elimniated poverty - something your country will never do.

I mentioned the Dole system. Once aspect I left out is that if you make less than the national average, you also get a weekly cheque, to balance out your wages. If I make say €40 less than the nation average, I get a €40 a week cheque. This way EVERYONE is equal. So if you work at a chipper or job that might not pay as much as somewhere else, you get money fromt he government so everyone is EQUAL. I thought americans understood equality - but you don't seem to grasp the concept.

Also as I stated before, our COMPANIES pay the tax unless the individual makes enough to pay it themselves. Let the multi-billion dollar companies foot the bill instead of the man working all day to feed
his family of four. Another concept you are against - but hey, your that kind of person we know.

Can you say 'sour grapes'?

[Binkie]

Aww... you didn't milk the Cash Assistance program when you stole taxpayer money, Sternn? That's too bad. I feel so bad that you weren't able to get that new playstation 2 while you were masturbating to Jenny Craige commercials while everyone else was out working to provide for themselves and even others (including your fat ass by extention). You're another reason I don't support welfare programs. You're just some middle class fuckwad that tried to steal like every other mooch. You're a pathetic piece of shit and I thank the powers above that I wasn't paying taxes in the state you were mooching off of at the time.

Oh, please tell me now that you were poor and all these lies and how you don't (claim to) own seven plus vehicles, many of which are priced at being over $20,000 a piece, provided you weren't lying about it in the first place. Yes, you sound like a welfare qualified person alright. College education and you can't get a job? I belive that one. No, you just didn't want to work "those lowly" jobs so you mooched off of the government.

Next time it'd be best to go have a look see at what benefits you can actually collect:

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us

[Darkbender423]

This thread seems to have started as a discussion on weight and turned into a disscussion on the welfare system, so I will comment on both. First of all there are a lot of overweight people in this country but there are also many fit people. I myself am 6' and weight 150 lbs. I work out 4-5 days a week and I eat properly. I think that our fast food culture has a lot to do with the problem of weight. People don't take enough time to consider what they are putting into their body and they fail to take steps to control their metabolism. People here tend to over eat and let themselves go. If that is the life they choose then it is their right and I don't hold it against them. I for one don't judge people by the way they look. There are millions of Americans that are in great physical condition, who exercise regularly and take steps to maintain optimum health. I teach martial arts and I work with some people who are overweight and it is great to see the transformations that they make and the changes they make in their lives. We take many indulgences in this country and some loose sight of their health until they either get frustrated by their weight or have medical issues. It is sad to see how this happens to people.

As far as the welfare system is concerned we have many in this country who have abused the system for many years. I've met single women who have child after child just to increase the amount that they can get. I've seen people who are capable of working draw benifits simply because they don't want to work. We have a great number of homeless who parade their signs on the street corner begging for help, most of whom are perfectly capable of finding employment. These are people who have seriously hurt the assistance program in this country. Taking funds that sould go to people who are in serious need. A lot of the homeless are people with drinking or chemical dependency problems, or some mental defect. I think that we do care about these people but you cannot help those who rafuse to help themselves.

Our country is in need of walefare reform very badly. There are people here who are in serious need of help. The real problem lies with the people who are simply trying to get over on the system, they are a drain on our society and there are a lot of them. There is work here, I've never had a problem making it on my own, I always find a way to make it. The problem with many is that they are simply too lazy to get out and hustle, to use their minds and creativity to change thier situation in life. These are individual personal problems that have become a major social issue.

I have sympathy for those who are truely unable to work, who have problems that make it impossible for them to make money to survive. There are some areas of our country where there is no work and we need to take steps to correct that problem in those areas. There are services in place to assist those who are in serious need. I know the actual dollar amount that is recieved is not that much and it is difficult for people on disability to make it. As for food stamps, it is much better than giving food stamps than giving cash because many people will use cash to buy drugs or alcohol to support their habit instead of their nutritional needs.

I had not realized until this thread that Sterrn is actually an American, you should be ashamed of yourself for your attitude. Why do you hate this country so much? There are a lot of good things about the US. I will not argue that we need to make some changes and I believe that we are working toward that, but it takes the effort of everyone and we simply have too much internal conflict on the direction we should take as a nation.

As far as equality, I can agree that everyone is not equal in every since. We have equal rights. However it has a lot to do with how much money you make as to the type of life you are allowed to led here and that is a sad thing. The very rich enjoy a greater freedom than those who struggle. A lot of it does depend on the personal choices that each of us make on our path in life. The opportunity is there for each of us if we are strong enough and focused enough to succeed and make it work in our favor. Some simply do not have the drive to go out and push themselves to make it work. Again, it falls to personal choices. A person who wishes to party their way through school is going find it more difficult than a person who is focused. You have to decide at a very early age what kind of life you want to live in this country. Then you have to remain focused on that. The opportunity is there, but you have to make it happen. Reality is subjective to how you view it. You can shape it to your will and desire. If you truely want to do something then you will. If you live believing that you are being oppressed and held back then you will. The choice lies with each of us.

[unedifying]

If this was already answered, I'm sorry.

In the UK, Australia, Ireland, and most of the rest of Europe, as mentioned before, we have the Dolé. We get paid if we are not working. Not 'food stamps' but actual money.

I trhink the problem is that in the USA, a lot of the people who have welfare are lazy pieces of shit. They get their money and/or foodstamps and decide never to work again. (Of course I assume there are people like that in other countries, but just more concentrated in the USA.) I think that, because of this problem, our government has been trying to set up different limits to your ability to get welfare, trying to reduce this problem.

It's obviously not working.

[Crying_Crimson_Tears]

A lot of people who do get welfare are just sucking off the government. But the other problem with welfare is, is that if you get paid so much you can't get welfare anymore. But the amount they set isn't enough to live off either. Welfare you can't really live off and the wage they set for you, you can't live off of either. I think that givernment officials need to take a better look at the welfare issues in America. I believe welfare could work. It can be useful for some people. I've seen my step sister struggle on her own with a baby this year. I mean yeah she shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place, but still. It can be hard.

[unedifying]

Yeah. Fucking leeches. And the people who just keep welfare are the ones that live in ghetto places.


Your sister could have (a) gotten an abortion or (b) gave the kid up for adoption. She doesn't need to struggle.

[Crying_Crimson_Tears]

It's harder than that. You have a child and you feel like you need to be there. She really does love her little girl. I mean besides the fact it would have torn my step mother apart. If my step sister had tried to give my niece up for adoption or had an abortion (which goes against their religion) my step mother would have been torn to pieces. We've helped all we can. Now she's got a job though and has a boyfriend and things are well. She didn't like to be on welfare, so she did was she could to find herself a job. But for when it's those in between times and you can't find a job and you're really stuck in a rut welfare can be good. But it's almost nothing to live on. Well here in VT anyway.

[Spectral Despondence]

Originally Posted by unedifying

Yeah. Fucking leeches. And the people who just keep welfare are the ones that live in ghetto places.


Your sister could have (a) gotten an abortion or (b) gave the kid up for adoption. She doesn't need to struggle.

wtf? *gives unedifying a bottle of Haterade*You know some people left in this world actually have the honor and character to live up to their responsibilities - even when its not in their best interest. Although i suppose i shouldn't expect you to understand since youve just made it obvious your shallower than a kiddie pool

[Loy]

Reading through this thread makes my fucking head hurt from all the hateful, ignorant comments coming from all sides of political beliefs. However, I have to say this-

Unedifying-please, for the sake of humanity, take a gun, put it to your temple, and pull the trigger. Your covert racism is fucking sick and needs to be removed from the genepool.

"People on welfare are lazy pieces of shit". Really? Is your gandma and grandpa, who get benefits (such as medicaid, social security, etc) lazy pieces of shit? Is your big brother or sister who might be able to go to college with a government grant or loan a lazy piece of shit? Are YOU a lazy piece of shit for going to a public school (FYI, the same funding for welfare also covers public schools in most states. We can go into debate about how lacking this is at another time).

You're using the "lazy piece of shit" statement as an excuse to hate people who are on welfare, no matter what the consequences are. As loathsome and ignorant as this stance is, you don't shut up. You keep going to the next link in every piece of white-trash's chain of thought. "And the people who just keep welfare are the ones that live in ghetto places".

Though you're too fucking cowardly to even say "them damned n i g g e r s and wetbacks are leeching off welfare", that's exactly what you meant. Hell, you're not even woman enough to say what you mean, you fucking pussy! (I guess I shouldn't expect anything else from somebody who has a picture of Marylin Manson as their avatar). Even though facts point to your stereotype as being wrong (the great majority of welfare actually goes to corporations. As for "welfare" as you're talking about, sorry, but white folks, or "crackers" in the old southern vernacular, are by far the number 1 recipients), you're still gonna rely on it for your arguments.

In my past, I would have tried to reason with you, but fuck it. I'm old, crotchety, and just had to say goodbye to a dying ******. I have neither the time nor the patience for tact. You're well past the state where reading up on a subject would help you grow as a human, and you're not somebody I care to spend any real time with, so just go off and either die or get your tubes tied. Your ignorant, racist bullshit is something the human race can do without. Fucktard.

[CptSternn]

Loy -

Scary. Thats two posts where we agree on some things.

Bender -

I'm Irish. My parents were Irish, but I was bond while they were in America so I have citzenship there. I consider myself Irish, but the posts you read are binkie trying to claim I'm american. Yes, I have a passport, but I also have an Irish one. I only use the yank one when visiting there (which is not that often). It's a fact I too am ashamed of - america is a disgrace these days.

Binkie - so no details? Guess once again your just making shit up. I know your country doesn't have any support for the poor, which is why you have so many homeless and a high crime rate - things we have almost eliminated in Europe.

Also, you claimed you were denied entry into the us military because of a mental defect. Today, the AP reports the us military is going to reach its recruiting goal since they have allowed crazys, grandmothers, and felons to join in the past year.

http://news.**********/s/bw/20060921...BhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

And you were denied? Guess you really must be bat shit crazy to be denied when they are letting felons , grandmothers, and other crazys in.

And a few articles for you...

http://news.**********/s/bw/20060921...BhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

U.S. Health-Care System Gets a "D"

The U.S. health-care system is doing poorly by virtually every measure. That's the conclusion of a national report card on the U.S. health-care system, released Sept. 20. Although there are pockets of excellence, the report, commissioned by the non-profit and non-partisan Commonwealth Fund, gave the U.S. system low grades on outcomes, quality of care, access to care, and efficiency, compared to other industrialized nations or generally accepted standards of care. Bottom line: U.S. health care barely passes with an overall grade of 66 out of 100.

*snip*

And my favourite today from the front of USA Today...

http://news.**********/s/usatoday/20...A2BHNlYwM3NDI-

Even in sports, the world has caught us

Once upon a time, our jocks were the superstuds of world sports. When U.S. teams competed internationally, the ending was almost certain - billboard-sized Americans flags waving, chants of "USA! USA!" and "We're No. 1," fountains of champagne spewing.

Not any more. We've sunk from dominance to doormat. In this millennium, the sports superpower has become a super disappointment. Every time a U.S. team tumbles - whether in basketball, baseball, golf, hockey or soccer - there's an angry, baffled outcry. Are our athletes too spoiled, selfish, soft? Are they overpaid and overhyped phonies? Face it, you can't separate sports from nationalism. It didn't end with Adolf Hitler's Nazifest at the 1936 Olympics. When the U.S. hockey Olympians upset Russia amid Cold War tensions in 1980, people who didn't know a puck from a potato felt a rush of patriotic joy.

Now the glow's gone. As U.S. teams are regularly embarrassed by the world, there's shocked resentment: "What happened? How could they?" Losing hurts. It's not much fun chanting, "We're No. 6." Or "Go for the Bronze."

*snip*

That about sums it up. America - #6!

Oh yeah, the articled also mentions the Ryder Cup. Ireland just whipped the pants of ye yanks. Again.

[Crying_Crimson_Tears]

America isn't all bad. There's still a lot of wonderful things left here. You still have people who work for a living, who still try to support our troops, people who are still patriotic when it's tough to be that right now. America is still beautiful, there are still places in America that are beautiful to visit. We have our flaws, but America isn't made up of them all.

[Darkbender423]

I don't think it is America that is a discrace, we have been the victim of poor leadership over the last many years. I think of the elections and the candidates that we are given to choose from. Are these the best and brightest our country has to offer? I blame the Bi-partisan system. It is not designed to give all candidates a equal chance to be heard on a public forum. I'm sure there are people out there who would do a fine job running things. We just haven't seen or heard from these people.

The American people in general are kind, caring and generous. There are so many things about this country that are good. Yet we find ourselves painted into a corner by things we can not so easily fix. The welfare system is in serious need of reform, there is no doubting that. People who can do for themselves should no matter what color their skin or what country they come from. I personally only believe in one race and that is the human race and I've said it before. There will always be those who are trying to get over on the system and we just need to weed those people out and keep them from receiving benifits that are meant for those who really need them. We also need to increase the benefits for those people that are in serious need so that they can live in comfort and not left to struggle. Why is it so difficult to get everyone to work together for the common good of all? What do any of you think we can do to get everyone on the same page? Everyone always offers up all their little bitches and complaints, let's hear some solutions to the problems.

[unedifying]

"People on welfare are lazy pieces of shit". Really? Is your gandma and grandpa, who get benefits (such as medicaid, social security, etc) lazy pieces of shit? Is your big brother or sister who might be able to go to college with a government grant or loan a lazy piece of shit? Are YOU a lazy piece of shit for going to a public school (FYI, the same funding for welfare also covers public schools in most states. We can go into debate about how lacking this is at another time).

If you were so fucking impulsive to immediately jump to a response, simply to rant at someone, maybe you should put a gun to your own head.


I said that there were people who kept welfare without every getting a job because they were lazy pieces of shit. Not every single one of them, and in fact, not even half; but still enough to make a problem. I never meant n igg ers. I meant anyone who misuses welfare. (Who tend to be a lot of white trash, anyway.)

If I meant n igg ers, I would have said n igg ers.


Now. If you're going to continue jumping to conclusions like that, you should just staple your fucking mouth shut so we don't have to listen to your petty, misinformed ranting.

[Binkie]

Actually it's taken me a while to get ahold of this guy, Sternn, as he's a real person and I have to actually get an answer from him. I'm not like you. I don't just make everything up instantly using make-believe friends.

At any rate I do have the info for you now, which is why I've held the post off until this afternoon when I got an email back from him. Ususally he answers emails in an instant cause he's on the computer all day (since he has no job) but right now he's in the process of moving (since his house was forclosed a LONG time ago). But here's what he fired back with:

He was recieving annual energy assistance (despite the fact that he continually heated his house with an electric oven), which pays a little less than half of what I make in a year, he was on cash assistance, foodstamps, and recieved disability pay as a veteran because somehow (he never explained how) he lost one of his testicles durring his service.

If you're interested in knowing where most of that money went; part went to food obviously, part to purchasing a new vehicle (his license was revoked for a year after he was found to be driving without insurance - this lead him to sell his other vehicle back in 2005), and the rest went to buying several different guns, which were quite expensive, and load bearing gear as well as other military items.

[nuksaa]

Originally Posted by CaptSternn

Today, the AP reports the us military is going to reach its recruiting goal since they have allowed crazys, grandmothers, and felons to join in the past year.

Oh really. Since your link, once again, doesn't work, I am going to lean towards throwing the bullshit flag.

Originally Posted by CaptSternn

show me where any states gives you free money...and having collected it myself in a few states -

So you collected an unemployment check without having a job in several states? I think you would answer your own question if you gave a list of state you collected said unemployment.

Originally Posted by CaptSternn

a high crime rate - things we have almost eliminated in Europe.

Oh really. Ireland has worst crime rates in EU

[Darkbender423]

Binkie, is that your actual photo? If so damn!!! Now that's one for America in my opinon!!!

[CptSternn]

Binkie -

Yer mans getting veterans benefits. The rest of the country doesn't get that option. Second, you say he heats his house with his electric oven? He must be 'living the good life' there.

Also note, food stamps only last one year from the date issued. After that, your back to providing for yourself unless you get full disability, and thats not easy. Even then, you get about $75 a week to feed yourself and your family. Additional children add another $20 a pop, but still do the math and calculate how much a family of four normally eats in a week.

Nukssa -

Heres the link again, since they are blocking Yahoo Dot Com when you type it for some reason and AP Dot Org.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...09-21-17-39-03

heres a quote for you...

Army recruiters are making more use of the Internet to attract young prospects, and the Army this year began allowing people as old as 42 to enter the service; the maximum age previously was 35.

The Army also has accepted a larger number of recruits whose score on a standardized aptitude test is at the lower end of the acceptable range, and it has granted waivers to permit the enlistment of people with criminal records that otherwise would disqualify them. The Army says it does not grant waivers if there is a pattern of criminal misconduct or for convictions of drug trafficking or any sexually violent crimes.

I know the asvab only requires a 50% to pass for the army, which means people taking it got less than 50% of a test that is easier than a GED exam.


Also, that the 'crime' refered to in the article is mainly assault and theft.

Despite the high levels of theft and assault, below-EU- average levels of hate crime, consumer fraud and corruption were reported.

As mentioned before, I've worked the door at a dozen pubs and clubs across Ireland. EVERY night in almost EVERY pub there is a fight. Didn't think that a couple of drunken tossers slugging it out in the parking lot after a dozen pints was considered a 'crime wave' by the EU.


Also today, we have these two articles I thought were brilliant...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...itiveness.html

The disappointing response to Hurricane Katrina, government corruption and a decreasing talent pool for employment due to immigration restrictions were other factors cited by the forum, which moved the United States to sixth in its "global competitiveness index".

USA! #6 in global economics now and dropping like a stone! Hell, Singapore faired better than ye!

[Binkie]

Ummm... 70% of what he recieved in payment was from the Pennsylvania welfare program, which accounted for "food stamps" and heating assistance. But since maybe that figure escapes you, the energy assistance alone pays nearly 15,000 dollars for a year's worth. The key noting here is that the government awards money for specific purposes; medical bills/exams for disabled vets, which went to buying guns, heating assistance, which went to buying guns and a car, cash assistance, which went towards buying dog accessories, and "food stamps," which aren't actually stamps anymore (and those just went towards food - there's not alot you can do outside of basic food purchases).

As for your assertions about "food stamps," you didn't even know about the cash assistance program despite being supposedly eligible for welfare. I have serious doubts you were ever on the system, at least in Pennsylvania, due to your great lack of knowledge on it's welfare program. There's no stated eligibility requirements involving a person NEEDING to obtain a job. Perhaps you have the Workfare program and the Welfare programs mixed up.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Sternn, why do you believe getting paid for doing nothing is right?
I would rather choose the Democrats than Republicans if you gave me those two options, but the Welfare program was a low blow from the Democrats to get the vote of low income classes.
But the welfare system has destroyed the value systems of hard work in America. One example of this: The hurricane Katrina.
America has now a whole generation that ignores the basic instinct of survival. People who were evacuated from New Orleans has been living out of the Welfare system, with only a fraction of them looking for jobs.
Because of the Welfare system, people have become overly dependant to a monopoly called the government.
No one should be paid for not doing anything.
You don't like that? Well, too bad. Welcome to the free enterprise.

[Crying_Crimson_Tears]

Wow, I must agree with Jillian on this one. It's very true that the hurricane victims should be looking for jobs or should be working. I mean yes they are victims, but still. They need to do something to help themselves.