My point is that we have to have a hybrid because there's surely not enough "real Christian" people to take care of all the needy. Efficient or not, our government serves a major function in providing care for needy people.

I had a Tea Party guy tell me once that charitable organizations and churches should be put in charge of taking care of the needy and we could cut our tax bill in half. I asked how he new if the people running the charitable orgs and churches were honest. That conversation ended at that point.

The problem with our government is that they spend too much money on the military and Farm bill and not enough domestically and on infrastructure.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

So you are saying that those who work for the "charitable parts" of government (social services, foreign aid, disaster relief, national guard, etc.) in are in a significant way less dishonest, corrupt, venal, self-interested, than those who work for private charities and churches?

I know they are in the habit of saying they are. But what empirical evidence do we have that their actions match their claims?

I'm not claiming that private charities/churches are all noble and good people. I don't think anyone save the charlatans among them makes such a claim. But I just don't understand why otherwise intelligent people continue to believe those who work for state/federal/local agencies are somehow more noble and good people by virtue of where they work.

The existence of bad people does not constitute evidence that other people are good.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

At what point in our country's existence did we wage war on poor people? We pay a lower percentage of income tax in decades, but because ass clown republicans whip out the word socialism, apparently that's what we have going on now.

Wade, I think very few people are noble and good. I certainly don't want to even think of differentiating between government employees and employees of charitable orgs and churches. We have to take care of our poor, and not just say fuck em like our House Republicans do. Behner, Cantor, Ryan should all be stripped of everything they have, injected with heroin so they become addicts, dropped off in a ghetto, and then see how they fend for themselves.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

And the truth is, taxes should be lowered for ALL American citizens. If our government would try to live within it's means, you know, like REAL people have to do, they would find ways to cut all the wasted spending and the country could get back to the strong country it once was.

But there's no incentive for these bums in the government to care what they spend. There's no accountability.
Walker is trying to do that in Wisconsin, and had the liberals throw a hissy fit that cost tax payers MILLIONS of dollars that could have been used for MUCH better use.
Now it's pissed away for nothing.

Originally Posted by: Cheesey 

Where do you make the cuts, Cheesey? Are you willing to see cuts in defense spending? What about cutting Medicare and Medicaid? How about social security? You want to the government to spend like a real family, but are willing to touch meat and potatoes of our budget?

Originally Posted by: porky88 

Cuts have to come from the military - it's the lions share of the budget anyway. There's been enough blood money paid out in dividends to the stockholders of the weapons corporations for centuries of wealth. Time to take care of our fucked up society now. The first step will be to remove Cantor, Behnor, and Ryan. Castration and beheadings is too good for those asstards.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

Why does the Department of Agriculture pump out all those billions of dollars on food stamps and then tell everyone that visits a National Forest (Forest Service) "Do not feed the animals" as they become overly dependent on the handouts from humans?

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 

So that the bears don't come eat you in your tent when you leave a half open bag of chips next to your sleeping bag. Also, don't take a menstruating woman hiking.

Yes the war on losers accepting handouts versus wealthy thieves continues to be waged among the hard working people that actually run this country. Too bad we're too fricken stupid to find better candidates.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

Personally, if given the opportunity to choose if my taxpayer dollars go towards feeding the bears and the deeries vs. feeding the avg. food stamp recipient...

Well, let's just say it would be a good day for the financial portfolios of Bambie and Smokie, lol


I KNOW the bear would have a tough go of it trying to show up for his job in winter, he has hibernation issues. That is a legitimate handicap and should be recognized. The welfare guy/gal-- I bet more than half are b.s'ing society as regards the ability to perform an actual yob.

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 

Yes, but once again you spend all your attention on one thing you take issue with personally, while ignoring every other aspect of the problem. Yes, defense cuts need to be made. No, we can't simply slice the DoD in half and call it a day, or even eliminate it altogether and be solvent long-term. The long-term problems that literally will break us have nothing to do with defense (not that excess defense spending helps the issue). We need more people on both sides of the aisles willing to slash spending across the board AND tackle the issues nobody has the balls to touch (Social security, medicare) or we're screwed no matter how much we cut elsewhere.

Originally Posted by: Porforis 

Where do you make the cuts, Cheesey? Are you willing to see cuts in defense spending? What about cutting Medicare and Medicaid? How about social security? You want to the government to spend like a real family, but are willing to touch meat and potatoes of our budget?

Originally Posted by: porky88 

It wouldn't be that hard.
First, stop sending money to all the foreign lands to prop them up. We are not their "father and mother" where we should have to pay for them. TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN POOR FIRST.
Then as i have said, have some accountability. As it is now, if they want to buy say, a hammer for a government worker, they don't shop around for the best deal. They just spend whatever and don't have to answer to anyone. Plus the politicians fill their own pockets FIRST with benefits and lifetime "retirement" funds that make them NEVER have to worry about how they are going to pay rent or buy food. Make them live as "one of us" and see how much the pissing away of money would stop.
If they had accountbility, waste would stop. But as long as no one is watching them, what incentive is there for them to give a damn on who/what they spend on?
Government waste. THAT'S the biggest problem.

Originally Posted by: Cheesey 

Cut, cut, cut, cut - you know what, fuck that! You guys never discuss the other end of the spectrum - making the wealthy pay more than their fair share - or just make them repatriate all their tax evasion. They all got wealthy off the sweat of other men's brows or stealing it somehow - TAX their fucken asses. What the hell is the difference between living off someone else's wealth or other people's labors.

Our plutocracy sucks ass.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT