Big Government For Me, Not For Thee

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_09/025926.php

BIG GOVERNMENT FOR ME, NOT FOR THEE.... We've seen plenty of these anecdotes before, but I have to admit, I continue to find them endlessly entertaining. In this case, Matt Taibbi checked in with some of the folks attending a recent Tea Party rally.

"I'm anti-spending and anti-government," crows David, as scooter-bound Janice looks on. "The welfare state is out of control."

"OK," I say. "And what do you do for a living?"

"Me?" he says proudly. "Oh, I'm a property appraiser. Have been my whole life." I frown. "Are either of you on Medicare?"

Silence: Then Janice, a nice enough woman, it seems, slowly raises her hand, offering a faint smile, as if to say, You got me!

"Let me get this straight," I say to David. "You've been picking up a check from the government for decades, as a tax assessor, and your wife is on Medicare. How can you complain about the welfare state?"

"Well," he says, "there's a lot of people on welfare who don't deserve it. Too many people are living off the government."

"But," I protest, "you live off the government. And have been your whole life!"

If it seems like stories like these are common, it's because they are. There's the anti-government candidate who loved to accept federal farm subsidies. Or the guy who is active with Tea Party politics because he wants the government to spend less and get rid of public programs, but he loves Social Security, and when he lost his job, one of his first steps was contacting his congressman about available programs that might give him access to government health care.

Then there's the woman who's considered a "star" right-wing activist in her efforts against government programs, but who loves the socialized medicine that comes with Medicare. And the activist who considers himself a hard-line libertarian, but his main source of income is taxpayer-financed disability checks sent to him every month by the federal government.

Even one of this year's most breathtakingly ridiculous Senate candidates, Nevada's Sharron Angle, gets by on government-subsidized health care and a taxpayer-financed pension.

The hypocrisy is obvious, as is the impressive cognitive dissonance. But I think Paul Waldman is right that the key here is understanding who benefits from government generosity: "Medicare? Well, that's for people like David and Janice, and their friends, so that's good. 'Welfare'? Well that's for shiftless, undeserving people -- not people like them. Chances are that most Tea Partiers have no idea exactly what the stimulus is paying for, but given their preconceptions about Barack Obama, they're pretty sure it's benefiting people who don't deserve it -- people who are not like them.... Being the beneficiary of government benefits doesn't seem to change some people's view about what sort of person gets government benefits.

—Steve Benen

[Drale]

1. They dont care about anyone else but themselves

They want everything handed to them, but they wanted it taken out of the pockets of everyone else.

[bluethruandthru]

2. They hate the government and don't want to pay any taxes...

but they'll be the first ones bitching when services are cut. They complain that there aren't enough police to keep their neighborhood safe, the roads are full of potholes, they got sick from something they ate a restaurant and "someone" should shut the place down, the lines at the DMV are too long, they can't get a live person on the line at the social security office, etc., etc.
They will say that these things show that the government can't do anything right...but I can't figure out how they think these problems will be fixed by spending less money on them.

[bullwinkle428]

3. Racism is at the very root of this movement - they're totally fine

with "entitlements" for themselves, but damned if those "dirty brown people" ever lay claim to them.

[Divine Discontent]

4. k&r - this is a very important issue - they are ALL for their wallets being fattened by the teet of

gov't, but they think anything associated with President O is unworthy of THEIR money because it's going to people who are lazy, probably a different skin color, and scamming the taxpayers... SURELY, it's not them that the money's going to!


Nauseating. And seeing people who live off the govt for life, as you stated, complain about it is embarrassing for him.

[zbdent]

5. In Northeast Ohio, you have an invited guest speaker at at least one Tea Party gathering ...

convicted felon (for corruption/bribery/etc.) Jim Traficant ... and he got a cushy radio gig at Clear(ly Republican) Channel radio station WTAM 1100 ...

Gee, I thought that the Tea Party was all against corrupt politicians ... if the trend stays true, then Russo & Dimora in Cleveland will be speaking at Tea Party rallies before long ...

[unkachuck]

6. I break down....

....this years voting malcontents into two categories, 1) the lunatic right-wing fringe (as per above) and 2) regular folks abused and dissatisfied with our corpo-cratic government and economy (the majority)....

....both political parties are capitalist-based and are not willing to bring forth any new ideas or blueprints for eliminating corporate dominance over our government, economy and lives....

....most people in this country would be happy to embrace new left-of-center ideas if it meant maintaining their desired lifestyle....yet many find themselves suffering from political and economic impotence as they watch their lifestyle and future decline....

....understanding voter anger and dissatisfaction with Democrats and Republicans is only confusing if you believe this country is more conservative than it is....

[Pirate Smile]

7. K & R

[Scurrilous]

8. K & R

:thumbsup: