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redqueen

(115,096 posts)
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 12:18 PM Jul 2012

Rules for the poor (courtesy of Jane Devin)

Last edited Sun Jul 29, 2012, 01:12 PM - Edit history (2)

If you want to see a good portion of the middle-class get truly incensed, don’t show them the tax returns of companies raking in billions of dollars in profits while paying nothing—zero—in taxes. Don’t show them a 20-something trust-fund beneficiary who sleeps until noon and parties all night. No, show them a Walmart greeter with a missing front tooth paying for food with an EBT card and then shelling out $6 in cash for beer. Show them a harried working mother of two on food stamps who has the audacity—the nerve—to splurge on an $11 manicure once a month. These are the things that truly invoke the wrath of The People.

There’s a judgmental moral code for the poor which has no parallel in the land of the rich.

1) The poor should never be lazy, even if sick or underfed. They are to work hard, persevere, and overcome any and all obstacles that come their way, no matter how few or absent their resources.

2) The poor should always keep in mind that they are poor, and therefore undeserving of enjoyment, frivolity, or the keeping any bad habits (no weekend six-packs or potato chips).

...



re: correction - saw this misattributed on facebook, here's the original source http://janedevin.com/2012/07/19/walmart-greeter-condemned/
41 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Rules for the poor (courtesy of Jane Devin) (Original Post) redqueen Jul 2012 OP
The poor must be given less and less or they'll lose their incentive to work. Scuba Jul 2012 #1
I love the way you put that. Ruby the Liberal Jul 2012 #6
nice! fishwax Jul 2012 #7
+1 HiPointDem Jul 2012 #20
Well that's spot on, isn't it? AllyCat Jul 2012 #33
It's simple, isn't it? Gormy Cuss Jul 2012 #2
K&R for the satire - n/t coalition_unwilling Jul 2012 #3
I'm pretty sure this isn't satire.... nt riderinthestorm Aug 2012 #39
Unfortunately, the powers that be like feudalism, y'see. PDJane Jul 2012 #4
yep heaven05 Jul 2012 #15
I think that came from this blog.... Klukie Jul 2012 #5
Thanks! redqueen Jul 2012 #9
no problem.. Klukie Jul 2012 #11
The poor should not be seen or heard lunatica Jul 2012 #8
And, their pain chervilant Jul 2012 #10
It always amazes Democrats how republican people don't seem to mind large companies... BlueJazz Jul 2012 #12
The results of years of mental programming of the populace. NT Trillo Jul 2012 #13
I was about to post that exact article here... backscatter712 Jul 2012 #14
I want to know xxenderwigginxx Jul 2012 #16
Walgrens Vanje Aug 2012 #41
That is A Spot-On Piece, Ma'am The Magistrate Jul 2012 #17
like a leech loves bare skin. Ken Burch Jul 2012 #25
Self delete truedelphi Jul 2012 #18
So much of what you say is true: truedelphi Jul 2012 #19
Bookmarked felix_numinous Jul 2012 #21
When people say you shouldn't give money to "bums" because they just spend it on booze, progressoid Jul 2012 #22
I always say it's my job to give. knitter4democracy Jul 2012 #23
Exactly my position Scootaloo Jul 2012 #26
I used to think that way until I volunteered first in a program for street kids and then Lydia Leftcoast Aug 2012 #35
"Are There No Workhouses?" Ken Burch Jul 2012 #24
K&R We could make poverty a rarity so easily and so cheaply. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #27
I shut mr right wing brother in law up DonCoquixote Jul 2012 #28
I had a friend who's pet peeve was people on food stamps that would buy one cheap item brewens Jul 2012 #29
This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Jul 2012 #30
I like how in the last part of the article Hydra Jul 2012 #31
I have to laugh about a pair of people (that I like) that I know who post lots of anti-Obama/Liberal zbdent Jul 2012 #32
kick redqueen Aug 2012 #34
Du rec. Nt xchrom Aug 2012 #36
Kick and rec! hifiguy Aug 2012 #37
Most of the rich are destroying the climate & the lives of those to come. raouldukelives Aug 2012 #38
Poor laws have a LOOONNNNGGGG tradition in the British nadinbrzezinski Aug 2012 #40
 

Scuba

(53,475 posts)
1. The poor must be given less and less or they'll lose their incentive to work.
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 12:21 PM
Jul 2012

The wealthy must be given more and more or they'll lose their incentive to work.

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)
2. It's simple, isn't it?
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 12:22 PM
Jul 2012

Someone should explain it to the poor, but the poor won't understand it because they're really just irresponsible children. If they made better choices they wouldn't be poor.

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
9. Thanks!
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 12:53 PM
Jul 2012

Ms. Morrison contacted me at almost the same time you posted this, to let me know where it was from and share the link.

Synchronicity!

Klukie

(2,237 posts)
11. no problem..
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 01:35 PM
Jul 2012

I hope this stays on here for a while because it is so accurate and needs to be read by everyone. This is a discussion that needs to take place on a national level.

 

BlueJazz

(25,348 posts)
12. It always amazes Democrats how republican people don't seem to mind large companies...
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 02:24 PM
Jul 2012

...screwing the hell out of them or War-Machines (companies) charging and over-charging by the millions but
have some poor bastard buy a box of ice cream with food stamps and the same repugs think the national debt is going to explode now.

truedelphi

(32,324 posts)
19. So much of what you say is true:
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 03:26 PM
Jul 2012

I notice how the grocery store clerks will roll their eyes when someone with food stamps is their customer.

But the fact is, for many of the smaller groceries that take Food Stamps, if the program didn't exist, neither would those stores. And so the grocery clerks would be on unemployment, because now that the the DOJ shut down most of the med marijuana shops, the only employment venue for most people around here is their own business, a job in a tatt parlor, working in the sun at the pear packing plant or working in a thrift store.


And here is a graph that shows what our Federal government does in terms of its spending and the military, Homeland Security etc:



progressoid

(49,827 posts)
22. When people say you shouldn't give money to "bums" because they just spend it on booze,
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 06:25 PM
Jul 2012

I say fine. If I were homeless, I would want a drink too.

knitter4democracy

(14,350 posts)
23. I always say it's my job to give.
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:02 PM
Jul 2012

It's not my job to tell them how to spend it. That choice (free will issue) is theirs and theirs alone. My job is to give out of my extra and even out of my need, period.

You know, I've heard that about manicures, and while I don't get them myself because of the cost, many jobs pretty much require them without actually requiring them. Same with nicer clothes, fancy hair, nice shoes, etc. Those with fancy phones often only have that phone. The really fancy athletic shoes are a status thing, and I can't really begrudge them that.

We all are so quick to judge those less fortunate, and that makes no sense to me--their road is long, hard, and difficult to navigate. Why add to their burden?

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
26. Exactly my position
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:12 PM
Jul 2012

I hand someone five bucks or whatever... what, are they going to run to the bank and put it into a secure savings account to let ir appreciate so they can eventually buy a house? Is that what's "expected"?

No, fuck that, I give 'em five bucks and they can do whatever the fuck they want with it. I've been there. Sometimes a dollar given was for food. other times the dollar was so I could pass some damn time playing an arcade game or something.

Lydia Leftcoast

(48,217 posts)
35. I used to think that way until I volunteered first in a program for street kids and then
Wed Aug 1, 2012, 10:38 AM
Aug 2012

in Mississippi after Katrina.

In the program for street kids, they told us, "Give or don't give, but always treat the person with respect. They get crap all day long from all sides, and the least you can do is treat them with dignity."

In the volunteer center in Mississippi, the priest who ran it said, "You can either judge people or serve them. You don't know their circumstances or why they're doing what they do."

 

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
24. "Are There No Workhouses?"
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:07 PM
Jul 2012


Let's face it...some people want us to go all the way back to those days(and WITHOUT Oliver getting saved by Mr. Brownlow).
 

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)
27. K&R We could make poverty a rarity so easily and so cheaply.
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:12 PM
Jul 2012

Hiding the true costs of poverty makes it possible.

DonCoquixote

(13,615 posts)
28. I shut mr right wing brother in law up
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:39 PM
Jul 2012

Who works for a VERY big drug store chain. I pointed out without medicare and Social security, those stores would have a LOT less customers.

brewens

(13,400 posts)
29. I had a friend who's pet peeve was people on food stamps that would buy one cheap item
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:40 PM
Jul 2012

to get change repeatedly and then buy alcohol or cigarettes. Fairly common when we had actual paper food stamps. He never could keep a job. He was basically a lazy ass with a pissy attitude about work. He never liked the physical work in the grocery business and was always a checker/courtesy clerk. He never got over the attitude, didn't get along with co-workers and drew complaints from customers.

After losing his last real job almost 15 years ago, he played the depression card to get sympathy from his parents and hasn't worked full-time since. This at about age 35. I think he may have finally qualified for disability of some sort. I heard he has a paper route to get himself some cash to stay supplied with weed.

He's 50 now and is doing pretty much what he hated other people for.

Response to redqueen (Original post)

Hydra

(14,459 posts)
31. I like how in the last part of the article
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:53 PM
Jul 2012

The author points out that it's a form of envy- that the people railing against the poor think they've worked too hard and think the people at the bottom have it too easy.

I've tried every gov't program I can find to help me and the disabled relative I'm taking care of. I qualify for nothing- I "make too much." I wonder how many other people "make too much."

The quote that's often been on my mind applies here as well: "The Poor want everyone to be equal, the middle class want to be rich, and the rich want to keep what they have and keep everyone else out."

The middle class...doesn't seem to want to be what they are. So much for counting one's blessings.

zbdent

(35,392 posts)
32. I have to laugh about a pair of people (that I like) that I know who post lots of anti-Obama/Liberal
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 09:36 PM
Jul 2012

BS ...

Not sure if they're management level or not, but it's a local gas station (and, if I believe correctly, their oil comes from Chavez, too!).

They're all in arms about Obama and the "liberals" who are likely holding them down.

Every morning, as I pass them by to go to work in my tech job, I see them out in front of the gas station ... literally burning money ... sitting there, smoking cigarettes. Go figure. And they drink, too.

(Latest posting is about you're a liberal if you hold a fast food place to a higher standard than "your" president; Hey, at least we're holding corporations to standards ... you gonna go with the guys who stand with pedophile priests, Ted the Ped Nugent, felonious James Traficant, coke-head Beck, pill-poppin "Rush" Limbaugh, a fitting nickname if I ever heard one, etc???)

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
34. kick
Wed Aug 1, 2012, 10:31 AM
Aug 2012

Just read that racist trash about denying the poor the right to vote.

So I'm kicking this for any lurking morons who think that kind of crap actually makes sense. Not that any of them would read this and actually learn anything, but one can dream.

raouldukelives

(5,178 posts)
38. Most of the rich are destroying the climate & the lives of those to come.
Wed Aug 1, 2012, 12:10 PM
Aug 2012

Investing massive amounts of money into corporations leading to higher levels of exploitation. Jet setting around the globe, burning massive amounts of fuel in convoys of SUV's & limousines, destroying thousands of acres of old growth Redwood forests & wetlands for vineyards & golf courses. The world is their playground and they have this idea that we all want what they have.
I really don't. I just want you to stop making it worse for every human, every sea creature & every furry thing that lives in this beautiful world. A world we should want to make better for the next poor asshole who gets born here. Not to be sucked dry and left a wasteland so every Coca-Cola slurping asshole in the northern hemisphere can smack their lips and say they have visited every country & historical site on the planet.
"I saw them pyramides in Egypts! They were hugh!"

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