[quote=jstoesz]Seriously…permabear, it is really that simple? What about the unintended consequences? What about people like ucg’s brother? Isn’t it possible that it is just one more step to mass irresponsibility? I guess we already have that, so what is one more government teet to suckle![/quote]
jstoesz,
In any society, all throughout history, there has always been a bell curve WRT the productive vs. the lazy. These people will exist, no matter what we do. Even if we were to kill them all off tomorrow, within ten years (or less), we’d have a whole new batch of them.
Welfare is not for the poor, it’s for the rich. Without a social safety net that keeps people’s heads above water and allows them to survive, these people would turn on the wealthy and steal what they need/want, and they would be willing to kill and injure in order to do so. Look around, and think about societies that have existed all throughout history where there was such a wide disparity of wealth (including access to healthcare). How has that worked out for them? Any long-term success stories?
Welfare keeps the “least productive” placated, so that the productive people can go about their business. Also, it doesn’t serve anyone’s interests to have a bunch of sick, contagious people walking around spreading diseases. We ALL benefit when we provide healthcare to all of our citizens.
