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Entitlements

TheLonelySquire

Vice Admiral
I'm wondering what you folks believe about the following. This is specifically for the USA residents.

Every person is entitled to government assured:

(Yes or no answers are fine)

1. Health care from cradle to grave.

2. Day care.

3. College education

4. Place to live.

5. Food.

6. Transportation.

7. Retirement income.

8. Burial plot.


Thanks.
 
I don't think I'm entitled to a free-ride on any of those. I think my government could give me a hand up here and there, when I need it.

I haven't yet, but you never know.

And I don't mind helping others with my tax money. Better to have the government doling it out than have the people knocking on my fucking door, like during the Depression.

Joe, shut-in
 
Joe, that is a measured answer that realistically addresses the grey areas that exist in any society.

Stop confusing the issue.
 
TheLonelySquire:

Do you mind if I start a new thread with a similar opening post, in the interest of comparing the answers between US and non-US residents? I'm especially interested in the answers of residents of countries who already have something in place concerning welfare and such; are they happy with it, or does it not work?
 
I don't think I'm entitled to a free-ride on any of those. I think my government could give me a hand up here and there, when I need it.

I haven't yet, but you never know.

And I don't mind helping others with my tax money. Better to have the government doling it out than have the people knocking on my fucking door, like during the Depression.

Joe, shut-in

I agree with you Joe. If you see my post in the socialism thread you will note my belief in social safety nets. In fact, I used the exact words "hand up". Just not "hand out".

I also realize taxes are a necessary thing. But I don't think government being responsible for our lives and happiness is a good thing at all. Thanks for your reply.
 
TheLonelySquire:

Do you mind if I start a new thread with a similar opening post, in the interest of comparing the answers between US and non-US residents? I'm especially interested in the answers of residents of countries who already have something in place concerning welfare and such; are they happy with it, or does it not work?

I certainly do not mind. However, the US has a unique position in the world and each country is different regardless. Some things may work in some places and not in others. Go for it!
 
Surely every country has a "unique" position in the world?

I agree. However, our country has been long symbolized by immigrants coming here from all over the world to forge their own future with limited interference by the government. Moreso than any other country in this regard.
 
Don't forget about the UK. That's just as much an immigration haven as the USA is.
 
Don't forget about the UK. That's just as much an immigration haven as the USA is.

Don't forget the Netherlands. If I didn't know any better, I'd believe every Marrocan, Turkish, Polish and Chinese in this world seem to try and find a save haven here.
 
Aside from municipalities keeping an eye on public transit, I don't think the government should be involved in any of those things. At the very least, such things should be left to the states as the Constitution does not grant the feds any such powers.
 
Health Care is about the only thing I believe people should be entitled to, but not necessarily free from the government. I rather believe that all employers should be required to provide minimal health insurance.

As for the rest, I really only think that help should be provided for food, shelter, and transportation (assuming a person is using said transportation to go to work). I don't think that these should be free for anyone, but food stamps and the like should still be made available.

The others I didn't mention might suck to pay for, but they have much more to do with selfish needs than survival needs. You want a nice retirement? You have to work hard during your life to earn it. You want to go to college? Awesome, but you gotta pay for it (and work really hard to get scholarships and probably apply for loans). Burial plot? Sorry, but there are plenty of other things we can do with your body. It does not deserve a place in the ground.
 
TheLonelySquire wrote:
1. Health care from cradle to grave.
Yes because healthcare is unafforable in the US unless you are Bill Gates or Ted Turner.
TheLonelySquire wrote:
2. Day care.
No
TheLonelySquire wrote:
3. College education
Yes but not in the sense that it is 100% free for someone, you still have to pay tuition, I like the idea of state run schools and universities like what we have now instead of an all private system.
TheLonelySquire wrote:
4. Place to live.
No
TheLonelySquire wrote:
5. Food.
We have that now in the form of food stamps.
TheLonelySquire wrote:
6. Transportation.
I think there should be some decent public transit as an alternative to having a car to get everywhere.
TheLonelySquire wrote:
7. Retirement income.
We have that now in the form of social security.
TheLonelySquire wrote:
8. Burial plot.
No

Notice the majority of these things the US has in some form except health care which I point out is unaffordable unless you are super rich. There are countries with a lot less and the government is nothing but a really strong army and those places tend be in the third world.
 
Health Care is about the only thing I believe people should be entitled to, but not necessarily free from the government. I rather believe that all employers should be required to provide minimal health insurance.

As for the rest, I really only think that help should be provided for food, shelter, and transportation (assuming a person is using said transportation to go to work). I don't think that these should be free for anyone, but food stamps and the like should still be made available.

The others I didn't mention might suck to pay for, but they have much more to do with selfish needs than survival needs. You want a nice retirement? You have to work hard during your life to earn it. You want to go to college? Awesome, but you gotta pay for it (and work really hard to get scholarships and probably apply for loans). Burial plot? Sorry, but there are plenty of other things we can do with your body. It does not deserve a place in the ground.

I agree RoJo. Hand up...not hand out.

I mean there's gotta be a way to have private health care that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Something not run by the government.
 
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