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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (90350)	10/16/2008 3:46:56 PM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541776

>>I don't think anyone has made them an entitlement. Say what? Try taking some government handout away and see if you don't see protest signs claiming you can't do that because people are entitled to it. Oh, I'm sure. But that's human nature, we're talking about governments here. For example, is everyone entitled to own a home? Some people think so. If they can't buy a home on their own, then the taxpayers should subsidize it. I thought you did? At least, IIRC mortgage interest up to a limit is tax-deductible in the US, isn't it (or is it just in certain states)? The UK removed that little subsidy maybe 20 years ago or more, at least I'm pretty sure I've never had it. I don't mind the actual distribution, it's the notion of automatic eligibility by reason of citizenship or simply being a human being. ... Somehow we have evolved to thinking that people have the right to all sorts of things. The notion of charity has been replaced by the notion of entitlement. I don't find that healthy. That's why I try to draw a line on entitlements. I have no objection to offering a charitable hand. Folks can have the handout. It's acceding to the notion of the right to the handout where I draw the line I think we're off-topic here. Obama mentioned 'spreading the wealth', but he said nothing about who was 'eligible' to receive it or in what form, still less 'entitled'. I've got no disagreement with anything else you say there. I agree many people do seem to feel that someone else owes them a living, without return, and I do resent it. But that's a discussion about the separation of "rights" from "responsibilities", or the decay of modern society perhaps. Or maybe you feel that no one should get state aid at any time, it's up to the individual to provide for themselves: or that only someone working full-time at the best job they can get might merit additional help: or maybe you feel that in a civilised country no one should be left to starve, regardless of whether they're what British law used to call "the undeserving poor"... but I don't think any of that follows automatically from what Obama said.

To: Lane3 who wrote (90350)	10/26/2008 7:04:58 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541776

Entitlements, part deux. Saw a commercial on TV last night for an outfit teaching human rights to kids. youthforhumanrights.org Here are some of the alleged human rights on the list. 20. Meet where you like. We all have the right to meet our friends and to work together in peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we don't want to. 21. The right to democracy. We all have the right to take part in the government of our country. Every grown-up should be allowed to choose their own leaders. 22. The right to social security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and child care, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old. 23. Workers' rights. Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to join a trade union. 24. The right to play. We all have the right to rest from work and to relax. 25. A bed and some food. We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for.