Coworker: "I'm not worried: We can always volunteer to feed the poor and elderly"

[Go2Peace]

My Tea Party coworker, who is emboldened by their power and feels like he is saving the country said this to me today.

He believes that Social Security must be done away with....

But don't worry: We will feed them in soup kitchens!

Are people getting it yet? Isn't it time we directly confronted this?

[Gman]

1. How old is he? 26?

Watch him like a hawk. He'll step on anyone to get what he wants.

[Warpy]

2. No shit, he's immortal, selfish and incredibly stupid

and all that adds up to ruthlessness.

[Zephie]

36. I really hope you ment immoral... Tea party vampires would be horrible.

:scared:

[Warpy]

54. No, I meant immortal

It's a common delusion among the young.

He probably considers himself highly moral because he avoids sexual kink that doesn't appeal to him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Brown shirts are regardess of coutry

and they are a danger to the country.

[KansDem]

4. Sure, he'll feed them in soup kitchens...

...until the next Big Game. Then he'll pop a brew and plop down on the couch.

"Do I have to feed them now??? The Big Game is just coming on!!!"

[Divernan]

70. Tea party kitchens = Soylent Green Soup

50 seniors go in, 10 gallons of soup come out.

[krispos42]

5. "can", yes. "will"? maybe.

I hope your coworker is feeling generous when his parents have to move in with him because a) Wall Street destroyed their retirement savings and b) Tea Partiers destroyed their pension.


I'm sure that taking care of two elderly people will be MUCH cheaper than the maximum $6,621.60 a year he would be paying in SSA taxes.

[patrice]

6. "Yeah, give 'em a fish, maybe, but the fishing-pole is MINE!!!"

[flor-de-jasmim]

7. Oh, yeah? People are getting ARRESTED for feeding the poor!

[FLAprogressive]

10. +1

[GreenPartyVoter]

47. Thank you for bringing that up.

[Kablooie]

8. What a kind hearted person he must be.

Oops, did I say "kind"?

I meant "cold".

[phantom power]

9. I've seen this with education.

People who complain bitterly about funding education with (gasp) taxes, are completely fine with donating school supplies. It's a head scratcher to me. Why not just fund them with taxes instead of unpredictable, unreliable and inefficient "private donations" system?

[indurancevile]

17. what's the head scratcher about that? school supplies are a hell of a lot cheaper

than funding salaries, building/maintenance, & everything else that goes into creating a school. especially in september, when places like walmart "generously" lower prices & run phony donation schemes.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. The key word in what he's saying.. . "volunteer." He speaks with the crusted dead lips of Ayn Rand.

When he says "we can volunteer" what he means is he's pretty sure somebody will volunteer but it is absolutely outside of his understanding of morality to actually ask him to ask him to contribute a single thin dime to the effort.

[lapislzi]

44. I may have to steal that.

"Crusted dead lips of Ayn Rand." Perfect.

[Maru Kitteh]

74. glad to lend it :-)

[Selatius]

12. I want to see how he fucking feels if he is 65, physically unable to work, with no Social Security.

Good luck keeping a roof over his head or even food on his plate. He will go down like so many did during the Great Depression: Starving to death.

[Liberalynn]

63. +1 Million

[Posteritatis]

69. Or 35 and recently struck by a car. (nt)

[amborin]

13. Social Sec recipients paid into the fund all their working lives; it's THEIR money, not a handout

[dkf]

14. It's not their money. Their money went to someone who came before them.

They are entitled to receive whatever the legislation says they are entitled to receive.

[amborin]

15. don't distort the facts or the intent; it's THEIR money; they paid into the fund; it's not a handout

[indurancevile]

18. a continuing font of anti-social-security disinformation.

April 6, 1992 – “The new siren is a frank and gloomy assessment that the national trust fund that pays hospital bills for 34 million Americans on Medicare will be broke in 10 years.” George H.W. Bush telling us that Medicare would be broke in 2002.

January 9, 1984 – “Some adjustments are needed to head off bankruptcy in the Medicare system. The trust fund that helps pay doctor and hospital bills for 29 million Americans will run out of money by 1990 if nothing is done” - Reagan saying that Medicare would be broke by 1990.

June 20, 1980 – “Unless Congress acts, the Social Security fund will run out of money to pay retirement and survivors’ benefits by late 1981 or early 1982, the funds government trustees reported Thursday.”

May 6, 1978 – “The social security trust funds that pay benefits to retired and disabled workers will be in good shape for several more decades but the fund that pays hospital insurance under Medicare will go broke by 1990, the trustees told Congress today.” Carter again with a “go broke date of 1990.

August 30, 1960 – “That the bill passed was totally uninformed and almost totally irrational made no difference; the Democratic Presidential candidate can cry that he wanted to do more the old folks and the Republican candidate can say that the Congress might have done less if he hadn’t been so busy…We said that he bill was total uninformed, and it is…Nobody knows what it is right to do about medical aid to the aged because nobody has determined how many need help….Moreover, the political promoters have not had the courage to declare bluntly that everybody at age 65 receive a government health stipend, regardless of need…”

Oct. 8, 1940 – Republican Presidential candidate Wendell Willkie addressed social security – “…I want to say this in connection with social security that unless there is a change in administration those people who are presently paying into social security fund will never get any benefit there from…If it continues down the present path it will eventually bankrupt this country. We are bound to have either bankruptcy or inflation, and I say it very solemnly that those who are paying in on their social security will never get the principal of the social security when they need it in their old age…”

Social Security has been going bankrupt for over 70 years!

(From a daily kos post: sorry i lost the link but i don't want to pretend i found the quotes)

[dkf]

43. Of course...it's a pay as you go system which needs to be updated

Obviously a fixed tax rate will not always perfectly fit benefits paid out based on previous income.

It needs to be adjusted as the demographics and ratios change.

But there is no constitutional right to social security. It's whatever is in law at the time.

[indurancevile]

55. adjustments in rates are different from "going bankrupt!"

[spooky3]

72. Your statements are incorrect and you could benefit from doing research.

Start with the SS amendments of 1983.

[dixiegrrrrl]

71. that is very eye opening

and I hope you get the occasion to post those quotes again in some related thread. Needs to be seen a LOT.

[WinkyDink]

32. "Their" and "them"? Are you American? I'm asking seriously, since you post as though somehow SS is

not part of your knowledge-base.

[dkf]

38. I've never thought the money I put into social security was my money.

I always knew it was going to someone else. It would be my money if it was in a privatized account but since it isn't, it's not mine.

I don't think people know how social security works and it drives me crazy.

[GillesDeleuze]

42. why does a pooled account and in the form of TBills reduce ownership

its collective ownership, and we, the workers, paid in all our life. Its like an annuity. Yes, the current money i send my life insurance company pays out to current recipients, by there is a promise and a security backing it.

That security is supposed to be the US govt.

[WinkyDink]

49. It goes to: retirees; minor-aged orphans; the disabled; widows. Do you plan to be NONE of them?

[LanternWaste]

64. Much like the money I put into my credit union is not my money...

Much like the money I put into my credit union is not my money as it's used to fund and finance projects irrelevant to me or my household, and the money I receive comes from people, investments and organizations I have zero relations with.

I mean, if we're going to parse sentence structure, syntax and technical writing until the meaning is lost and original intent is forgotten, let's simply admit that's what we're doing. :shrug:

"I don't think people know how context works and it drives me crazy..."

[indurancevile]

77. and i think your schtick is wearisome.

[Doctor_J]

73. Same with the pensions that Repukes are stealing

no one ever says that

[cutlassmama]

16. what this smart ass fails to understand is that the "soup kitchens" are

barely able to exist. They are now turning people away because demand is so high and donations are so low. Let's see him or his parents go days without food because the food pantry or soup kitchen was bare. Then he'll see.

[indurancevile]

19. i assume he's not already doing that, then. why would he start doing it when millions of retirees

are on the streets?

[Go2Peace]

20. excellent point. And how does he know he won't be affected?

Because he is superior? That seems to be a common thread amongst those espousing these views?

[indurancevile]

21. yes. those people never think it can happen to them or theirs. only to inferior people.

[Thav]

30. He'll see lines like this and go "I have mine, why should I care about these people?"

[Raine]

22. and what happens when he needs food? He'd better not

be too smug just because he's working now. Anyway "we" usually means "you" not "me". I bet he has never given a dime to anyone else.

[Maru Kitteh]

23. Those types believe with every fiber of their being that THEY will never be in need.

See Ayn Rand.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raven]

25. He'll only feed his own, believe me. I know the type. n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

27. That's it right there. n/t

[WinkyDink]

33. Yes, if by "his own" you mean "himself, period."

[eShirl]

26. feed them with what? where's the food going to come from?

[Vinca]

28. Ask the coworker how many old folks he's willing to put up in his home.

Soup kitchens are nice, but those pesky elderly will need a place to sleep.

[BiggJawn]

29. We have a Teabagger in a club I belong to.

Retired guy, wealthy. he comes to our meetings and spends his time spouting off about Obama or praising the Tea Party.
I can't wait till the next meeting, I'll stick my finger in his face and say "Listen, you traitorous bastard, your precious Tea Party almost DESTROYED this nation. Shut the Fuck up!"

[WinkyDink]

31. "Please, sir, I want some more."

[Yavin4]

34. Don't Worry An Indian or Chinese Worker or Technology Will Take His Job

And we'll volunteer to feed him.

[lapislzi]

35. Well, I sincerely hope he practices what he preaches.

He's volunteering a few hours a week at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter? He's doing diaper drives for women's shelters? He takes Meals on Wheels to the elderly? Right?

Physician, heal thyself.

[Township75]

37. Who has time for volunteering when we have to make posts on DU?

And watch TV??

[WorseBeforeBetter]

66. Do those snide comments against DUers make you feel...

better about yourself? Explain the psychology to us.

[indurancevile]

78. ironic, coming from someone posting on du. heal thyself, physician.

[pipi_k]

39. Oh cool!!!

I bet he'll probably be one of the first to volunteer for putting out the cardboard boxes under bridges and along rivers for the elderly to live in.

And every so often he can drive by with heaps of rags for the elderly to wear. No need to stop, either...just heave them out the windows.

It's so nice to know there are people willing to help their fellow man...


:eyes:

[OneGrassRoot]

40. What If?

(Mods, I wrote this, so I'm copying the full content of blog post)



A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

Martin Luther King, Jr.


What if you're someone who disagrees with governmental social safety nets and instead believes only "charity" should help those in need; are you confident the majority (and there are MANY in the US and around the world today) would be helped by Good Samaritans in an unconditional way, or only those deemed worthy?

What if you consider yourself a kind, compassionate person inclined to be "charitable"; when you see someone asking for help -- in the form of panhandling, for example -- are you likely to assess that person before helping, to judge if they are deserving of your assistance? If they don't "look" a certain way or answer your questions a certain way, a way you're most comfortable with, are you likely to help?

What if you prefer to instead instruct and impart wisdom, so that people can help themselves rather than provide assistance directly, yet no one seems as though they could benefit from your wisdom (maybe they're too young, too old, too infirm, too something)?

What if you judge others to be something they aren't, and you pass them by, but they would have indeed been worthy of your help, by your estimation, but you didn't give them a chance?

What if you may not be the best judge of what others need? After all, we each have our own opinions and perceptions based on our individual life experiences.

What if one day you have no one to help you when you most desperately need it because your life has taken a turn you never anticipated? And what if you're in the exact same position one day -- at the mercy of strangers -- and others judge you as something you're not?

What if you're no longer here but loved ones have fallen on hard times and are at the mercy of strangers, and they're judged to be something they're not, so they are left to struggle, and perhaps die, alone?

What if there are so many in need that they outnumber Good Samaritans, because not everyone will act as an unconditionally compassionate Good Samaritan?

What if we decided to work together as a compassionate, productive community, creating a society that doesn't reward greedy, selfish behavior but instead works to create systems and institutions which truly reflect something beneficial for the masses?

What if we made choices that led our descendents to view us as kind, benevolent, wise stewards of the environment and one another...guardians of their future?

What if we were able to embrace phrases like "The Common Good" and "The Greater Good" as something admirable to work toward, rather than a reflection of weakness and some elusive "ism" that others have said are bad?

What if we at least talk about it, with an open mind and open heart?

What if you at least tried to believe this is possible, in our lifetime?

That's a choice that is within your power to make and act on.


http://www.wishadoo.org/wishadoo/blog/what-if/

[no_hypocrisy]

41. The OP reminds me of a similar insipient remark during the * years.

My friend teaches saxophone to kids of all ages. One of his tutorees was 17 years old, a son of corporate attorney. My friend and the kid were discussing the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. My friend expressed concern that there would have to be a draft in order to maintain military support in two different places and more concern that his son was eligible for the draft.

The kid just remarked, "I don't have to worry. My father will make a phonecall. I won't have to go." My friend reiterated he was afraid his son would die overseas fighting for an undeclared war. The kid "reassured" my friend that he wouldn't be in danger, not to worry.

[southernyankeebelle]

45. How old is your co worker? Wait til his parents get older and need a

place to live. Then he'll have to provide a roof over their heads and food and medical expenses. Believe me you will see have fast he'll become a liberal.

[hamsterjill]

46. What about when HE needs a soup kitchen?

THAT is the part that these idiots just don't get. It's going to be THEM that are starving, too.

[kenny blankenship]

48. By "we" he means you.

[undeterred]

50. Translate: "I'm not worried: We can always feed the poor to the elderly"

[Incitatus]

51. When was the last time your coworker volunteered to do anything?

Enough people are suffering now.

[EC]

52. Your coworker never heard of retiring with dignity?

People have forgotten what it was like before SS and Medicare.

On edit: Sounds like Scrooge in The Christmas Carol when he said he gives to the charities.

[MadinMo]

53. Gag

The righteousness of TeaNuts infuriates me.

[hifiguy]

56. I wish this shitheel a rapid job loss,

a debilitating illness - not enough to kill him outright - and a rapid journey to homelessness.

[Permanut]

57. The shelter I volunteer at is already maxed out...

The audacity, the ignorance, the ego, the greed, the selfishness of these bottom feeders is truly indescribable; there are no words.

[Contrary1]

58. My husband's brothers and sister are of the same mindset...

"We" of course, does not include themselves. Their idea of "the poor" does not even include another sister, 57 years old, who works whenever a temp agency can find a job for her. She has no health insurance, suffers from migraines and back problems, and hasn't been able to afford her meds for some time now.

In the past three years, she has had to move in with us twice. Money-wise, I figure we have probably given her around $5,000. toward food and rent.

Total financial assistance so far from the other 3 Repub "take care of your own" siblings? *$25.00* Of course, they have plenty to offer in the form of advice. "Get a job", "Apply for food stamps", "Maybe fellow church members can help".

:eyes:

[Donnachaidh]

59. soup kitchens funded by the federal government, run by RW religious groups

Already happening in Georgia. :shrug:

Tpartiers just want to be the new stealth welfare recipients.

[RebelOne]

60. Well, I hope he is contributing to a 401K

because when he retires, he is going to need it if social security is no longer in existence.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

65. Of course. And he's going to beat the market...

nothing is cyclical and nothing ever bursts.

[Blue_Tires]

61. Translation:

"My conscious is clear -- There's always someone, somewhere volunteering to feed the poor and elderly, so I'm not worried. I'm also too naive and arrogant to even consider being poor and/or elderly myself someday..."

[drokhole]

62. Ask him when his shift begins at the soup kitchen.

[bulloney]

67. When your coworker says "we," is he suggesting that HE will give time & money to said soup kitchens?

Or, is he your typical teabagger who thinks that these things just magically organize and fund themselves?

[MrsBrady]

68. ask them when their next volunteer apointment

is scheduled

[Brigid]

75. "Are there no workhouses?" -- Ebenezer Scrooge.

Charles Dickens has become relevant again. :(

[w4rma]

76. Sounds like Communism. (nt)