Sure I’ll take a side of Socialist Rhethoric with my Holiday Ham

(4PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

Aren’t Holidays with the Family a hoot —

especially when “Fans of Fox News” see it as an Opportunity,

to test out their latest Socialism Fear tactics?

Parroting Winger Talking Points is one thing —

But claiming every Govt program is actually a dangerous Socialist Plot,

is really verging on the edge of lunacy …

Responding with civility and common sense — in between helpings of three-bean-casserole, and slices of ham —

can be Challenging to say the least …  

Here was one of my common sense replies, that kind of put the ‘Govt Takeover’ hysteria to rest (for a few minutes):

So let me ask you something. Do you think citizens have a right to an Education?  Well that’s a ‘Socialist’ Program!  How about Roads, and Water, and Police and Fire Depts?  Well, they are some more ‘Socialist’ Programs that the Govt must fund with OUR Taxes!  What about Medicare, and VA Benefits, and College Assistance, and Unemployment Checks?  Guess what those are examples of “Govt take overs” — that Private Enterprise could actually being doing.

and the relatives, each benefiting from one of these Commie Plots, had to stop and think,

“Well, I don’t want to give up MY Perks … maybe the Govt can do somethings Right?”

This Newspaper reader, summarized my argument rather concisely:

Socialism? So what?

Salt Lake Tribune, Public Forum Letter — 04/02/2010

They lambast socialism as inherently evil, while not understanding that the post office, public schools, fire department, police department, government-run infrastructure (like roads), Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public parks, etc., are all socialist programs.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/…

Still these Socialism alarmist Parrots, had a second, and even third act:

The infamous ‘Welfare Cheat’ — “What about them?  If you give them help, they will turn it into a Business Scam!”

Peg in Middletown, expresses this recycled sentiment, quite well:

READER REACTION: What do you think of the passage of the health care bill?

March 24, 2010

We are already dealing with 4th and 5th generation welfare cheats who feel they are entitled to get even more.

http://www.recordonline.com/ap…

My common sense reply to this worrisome strawman?

OK, granted some folks will ‘Cheat the System’, given the opportunity — just like some people will Shoplift, given a Store!  But that a small percentage — probably only 10% of shoppers shoplift;  and probably only 10% of ‘those in need’ are really trying to commit Fraud on Social Programs.

But the answer is NOT to end all Social Programs, to stop Fraud — just like the answer is NOT to Close all Wal-marts, to stop Shoplifting.  The better answer in each of these cases, is to enforce the existing Law, and arrest the Cheaters!

That was a good answer, I thought, which silenced the HCR critics. But I was kind of bothered by pulling that “faux statistic” 10% out of the air. Even now, after a little followup research I’ve yet to find any “hard numbers” on what segments of society, are actually Shoplifters or Fraud-committers. (Anyone with some hard facts here let me know.)

Follow-up with a Question, “Should People just Die — if they can’t afford Insurance?”  … and when they inevitably say “No”  — “Well, there you go, now you know why we need Health Insurance Reform!”

Even Wall Street Journal Editors do their best to fuel the Socialist Rhetoric too. Here’s some of the ‘kindling’ they handed their audience, to keep those Social Fires burning:

ObamaCare and Immigration Reform

You can’t have open borders and a generous welfare state.

JASON L. RILEY, Wall Street Journal editorial board — March 27, 2010

The U.S.-Europe welfare disparity to a large extent reflects different attitudes and preferences. Europeans tend to view the poor as hard-luck cases who aren’t personally responsible for their situation, while Americans perceive welfare recipients as shiftless cheats. A 2005 World Values Survey found that 71% of Americans see poverty as a condition that can be overcome by dint of hard work, while only 40% of Europeans share that viewpoint.

[…]

While there’s no evidence that immigrants come here for public assistance, that could change as the U.S. welfare state grows.

http://online.wsj.com/article/…

Luckily for me, my “Holiday Relatives” don’t read the Wall Street Journal — or else my ‘common sense’ comebacks — may have to of been more Fact-based, lol.

If I actually had to stop, to Google some stats, I never would have gotten through the Main Course at dinner, between the many helping of Carbo-loaded “side comments”.

If you had some similar Festivus Holiday Rhetoric at the table, and came up with some Witty Replies — please share.

and Happy Festivus, folks!

7 comments

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    • jamess on April 6, 2010 at 19:51
      Author

    You know, in all those ‘Socialist’ European countries, everyone has Health Care, an Education, and a decent living — and they usually get a 4-week vacation, to boot!

    Democratic Socialism?  Maybe they’re onto something, eh?

    Employee-owned Businesses, is probably the place to start, here though.

  1. I don’t typically celebrate minor Christian holidays such as Easter.

    What interests me is the total cost of the so-called “welfare state” in this country is less than the yearly amount of waste and fraud in only one governmental organization — the Pentagon — all by itself.

    There is no welfare state in America.  And if there was a health care reform bill, it has escaped my notice, unless you meant the Health Insurance Company Fraud Bonanza.

    If our ideological non-wealthy family and friends on the right were concerned about fraud, the place to start would be in corporate fraud, which I believe dwarfs all sources of individual “welfare cheating” by several orders of magnitude.

    But they aren’t concerned about welfare cheats and frauds.  They are concerned when people don’t suffer enough, whether that’s economically or sexually or whatever.  Not enough suffering means there is evil among them.

  2. The Illuminati Plan to Destroy America talks during happy family occasions.  The kids want the illusion of a future I know is not there for them.  If they ask about stuff in the lamestream media I try to help them out, you know deprogramming from the propaganda.

    The in-laws parents are both on happy pills, Ma is loosing coherence, my teeth are falling out and the tumor on my leg is getting bigger but I still love knowing what I know, being who I am.

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