Done.

Done, 4 guesses

Diane, why? Why is someone destitute in this country of opportunity?

zero guesses - just an endgame known as BUG

Done

done

KnightTime, the answer to your question is obvious to those who are no bound by the leftist hive groupthink - they are lazy, scared or both. They would rather subscribe to some leftist victimology than go out work hard, possibly fail and have to restart, and earn their own way. Statistically, our welfare class enjoys a higher standard of living than most of the world who labor for their livelihoods. I mean come on, these are the same people who think McDs should pay $15/hr and internet is a basic human right. LOL

Ol' EZPZ

"This country of opportunity" applies if you've been born with something, if you live in a great school district, if your parents are educated, if there are jobs in your area. If you don't have these things going for you, unless you are an extraordinary individual (and, to be sure, there are those who are extraordinary), opportunity is elusive.

kaosangel, on what planet are you living????

Yet his point still remains. Our welfare class still lives better than the vast majority of the world. The poorest welfare recipient in this country is in the top 20% of earners in the world, adjusted for local cost of goods. You're so concerned about that CEO making $50 million a year, but he isn't keeping someone from having running water or eating by being rich. Welfare in this country will keep someone sheltered, fed, and comfortable, and there isn't a citizen that isn't "entitled" to it. Beyond that, as kaosangel said, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, no matter how hard it may be, or be content in your plight.

Tuco, " believe that trickle down economics works" it your belief that economies flat slope north, forever? Of course, not. So what ever comments you made about Bush were diverting the conversation the subject off of what happened with Clinton, completely irrelevant. Clinton, 100% fact, rode into and out of office with an economic engine which he, nor his policies had 1nano ounce of impact. Second, point unless a person believes in pure socialism, which presumes all me are created equal AND all should have EQUAL salaries, then there will ALWAYS be a gap...just like there was in ALL of the failed Soc. system models of E.Europe between 1875 and 1980. It is a failed premise. Which means there is always going to be a "gap" and whatever that GAP is, will always result in someone, not gettin sump'thin "they deserve"...I am not a hold of this view. I do not believe anyone deserves ANYTHING. I do believe that every person, regardless of circumstances who is physically able, CAN transform their personal resources (talents and gifts) into a revenue producing asset FOR THEIR WELL BEING. So, I am a ok with the gap...it's exactly how life works. Complaining about it, only makes it worse. Doing something changes an individuals circumstances. The 'gap' is one of the last 500 or 900 things which Government should have any concern or spend any money attemptingto correct..

lk911: What people deserve is not to live with constant hunger, not to die of treatable illness, and to get an education sufficient to become a useful member of society. Too many of the GOP policies labeled at removing abuse are strictly to increase the coffers of the already-rich.
If you want someone to work, can the state/fed provide child care? Supplemental education to train workers for jobs that didn't exist when they were in school?
I don't think we'll ever hit the marxist ideal of "from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs", but we need to fulfill the needs.

and RandLS: perhaps our welfare recipients live better than sub-saharan Africa or rural India, but they are miserable compared to the bottom 10% of other civilized western nations, and that's unacceptable. Our infant mortality rate is behind Lebanon (Washington Post, 2014). Our math literacy is below the average of countries surveyed. Those things shouldn't happen, and aren't solved by paying teachers less at for-profit charter schools.

Diane, I am not a victim. Neither of my parents graduated high school. In 3rd grade I lived in a house with no running water, later we improved to a mobile home. I was born with nothing, my parents both died with nothing. I do not think of myself as extraordinary, but I was willing to do what it took to succeed and not be a leach on society. I managed to earn my way through a BS and an MIS degree. So don't pull that victim baloney on me. Yes some people are born into difficult circumstances, but if you want to succeed you can.

Also, I have never been on welfare, my father was too proud to apply, never had food stamps, never had an unemployment check. I worked absolutely crap jobs while in school so that I did not have to live the way I lived growing up.

So, I do no believe you.

spellacked, education in this country is provided by the government. vaccinations are provided, even condoms are provided. Even in podunk Tucson where I have lived for the past 40+ years, there are soup kitchens and "safe" havens, and places to sleep at night. There is every kind of program you can think of to provide a way out. So, whether a person deserves it or not it is available. And what has all of this produced? A victim mentality. An entitlement mentality. People with the idea that government is supposed to take care of them.

KnightTime: Regarding education, there's definitely problems with the current systems -- part of which is determined by individual states -- but adding a profit skimmed off the top is not the way to go. Regarding health though, vaccinations aren't enough: the leading cause of bankruptcy is health care -- something which happens almost nowhere else in the world. And lastly, government IS supposed to take care of them. It's in the constitution: "promote the general welfare."

I guess I'm a chump. Instead of working hard and paying taxes and putting myself and my two kids through college, I should have gotten in line and got Uncle Sugar's money.

Yeah, you're a chump if your hard work doesn't improve all Americans' lot in life. A Universal Basic Income wouldn't give you Cristal and bling, but would give you a chance to get education, develop a business and get off the dole. Try being a single parent and paying for cihldcare on minimum wage (not me, but some of my friends), and you'll see how that cycle is hard to break, generation after generation when you can't move to where higher taxes pay for local education.

KnightTime: looking at your other notes here: did you go to public university? Receive scholarship or government-guaranteed loans? An FHA home loan? Drive on a freeway or take public transportation? You received government assistance. It's everywhere, just by degrees, and it's unbalanced where the money is spent.

go

spellacked: "promote the general welfare" does not mean "take care of everyone". It means (and this is easily researchable in legal precedence), that where the Constitution provides the federal government authority, they are allowed to spend to enforce/use that authority. If the Constitution doesn't specifically give them authority, that power is left to the states (the Tenth Amendment). To your later comment, public universities aren't funded federally, FHA home loans were a phenomenal failure in 2008, public transit is again a state funded resource not federal. Highways are the only thing in your list that are actually partially federally funded and a success. Federal funding is not a panacea, nor should they be spending our money as they currently do. A universal wage will only make things worse by raising taxes on workers, while also raising all prices accordingly. Just look what has happened with higher education because of cheap and easy government loan programs. College is more expensive than ever, it's nearly impossible to work your way through school in anything resembling a reasonable amount of time, and student loan debt is through the roof and nearing the next bubble to burst. All because the federal government got involved.

spellacked, when I said the education system was funded by the government I was speaking about school 1-12 not college. And the funding is technically by the government it is from taxapayer money usually property tax. I benefited from it and pay taxes that support my district even though my children are grown. As far as my degrees they were from private colleges that I paid the tuition myself. It was a good investment because I work in an industry that pays very well. Yes the owners are rich and I am glad they are, they deserve it. And their willingness to take a risk and start a business means that I am gainfully employed. Not because of my background, my race, my sex, or my looks but because I provide knowledge, ability, and experience that helps them remain profitable. The amount of taxes I pay is ridiculous - easily more than some people make, but instead of whining and throwing a victim fit, I keep plugging along.

ding