herrjr

Yeah, read the article. He hasn't done anything illegal, so it is what it is under the current system, but apparently they're working on closing that lotto loophole.

mrjulius

Yes, that is exactly what I mean.

herrjr

Bear in mind this guy is coming from a position that is prevalent in a country that is about to go bankrupt, AGAIN.

Oh yeah, no more flags on this site.

mrjulius

Bear in mind this guy is coming from a position that is prevalent in a country that is about to go bankrupt, AGAIN.

Oh yeah, no more flags on this site.
[/quote]


Yuu mean Spain, right?

How about focusing on the countries in the European Union that all have unemployment rates lower than the US?

Like: Finland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, etc.

They all have social services that far exceed what pittance we throw to the poor.

Now what you should do instead of opening your piehole is do some goddamn research or have an original thought of your own. Stop regurgitating foolish catch phrases that mean nothing and have no thought behind them.

05TurboS2k

Have you been to finland or sweeden?

Are you big on being charged for EVERY little thing you consume? It's ridiculous. Here is one-ply napkin with your big Mac and one ketchup packet, you want more you'll have to purchase them. OHHHH GREAT!

I'll take my one-ply toilet paper and wipe my ass on the way out the door. Bargain!

Sure we can employee ALL of our nation at $1/hr. Now we're just trading the same dollars around lowering our standards then. No good.

I have a friend from Finland, long story short he prefers America hands down.

mrjulius

Yes, I have been to Sweden. It is wonderful. Yes, it's more expensive and you're taxed more, but the advantages far outweigh the downsides. I can see a tangible return on my investment; health care coverage for all, excellent public transportation, a feeling of safety.

Your snippet about a Finnish friend makes you sound like a racist that says he has a lot of African-American friends. Your one experience means nothing, nor does mine.

mrjulius

I get why there is targeting and scapegoating of people on welfare or undocumented immigrants. I really do; they are easy to identify and easy to heap the blame on.

However, your position is one of disconnect; you think that you, alone, are wholly responsibl*e for your success, ignoring the fact that your opportunit*y came from the sacrifice, service, labor, and taxes of generation*s before you or people below you. I've noticed that people like you, who are convinced that personal responsibi*lity protects them from everything*, generally are just not equipped to deal with reality. They can't empathize with people who are less fortunate than them, because it's just too inconvenient to realize they might not be so different.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...051702053.html

Mr Dave

Good article

Greg will argue that, because the poor are unemployed, they have no reason to be lazy and shop at the 7-Eleven since they have ample time to walk to the grocery store and spend all day comparing prices.

Arguably, they should spend the least, especially when gas is so expensive.

Damn -- I'm getting good at this devil's advocate stuff.

mrjulius

Greg, I'm glad that you think you're personally responsible for all of your own success.

How many implied social services have you tapped into, though?

Just off the top of my head I can think of two; the much maligned public school system where you were laid out a framework of how to think and discipline yourself and parents who decided you were worth raising under a roof (or even if they didn't want to, they still had to, by law).

Those are two things you had to your advantage which some people do not.

How about the kid who grows up in a home with one or two crackhead parents? They didn't ask to be raised that way and probably don't understand why it's a terrible situation for them. Should these people have no societal safety net?

Empathy, man. Not everyone is white, skinny, and generally thought of as having conventional attractiveness. That's you, Greg.

There are barriers everywhere and to dismiss them is just being foolhardy.

whiteboyjoe2000

I was just bringing it up and thought it was funny. You dont have to be a dick. Oh, and stop crying about everything that gets posted here its kinda annoying