I guess there are both kinds. Those who live lazy on welfare, and those who are not lazy at all and still don't get a chance for any better, to feed their family or whatever. Of course you can always do something. But you don't always have the propper ideas where to start, so you are tempted more and more to take the easy way to have something to feed your family on: crime, and I guess we both agree that this is plain false.
I also think that those images of people taking advantage of the welfare are mostly too stereotype to give a real insight in things, and I know at least that our media pushed the issue up again and again because it sells to report of people who don't work and get all the support from the state... that will be read more in newspapers (or better tabloids) and TV shows than documentaries about people who struggle with the system. So this is what we are made to see, at least this is what I guess. I do not know where you have your experiences with the lazy group of welfare supported people from. I know the media is said to be liberal in the USA (maybe it is to your standards), I just wonder if it also serves, like in Germany, the lower instincts by accusing certain groups of people of following a certain pattern, I don't know...
Oh, well. I think it's been said about this enough, I guess. There's corruption and misuse everywhere, America and Europe, and finally we do want all people to have a good life, don't we? We only have some differences in how to set the conditions so all have their chance and no one's left behind.
We are not giving people money for them to become lazy, we are giving them money not to end up in the street living in a carton box or under a bridge and detoriate so much that they will never ever get a job again...
Capitalism or socialism, both our countries are democracies.
You can call my people socialists. Fine. However, I do not understand how that could possibly affect you as an american, since your president was not put by european socialists into the White House. It were the americans and americans only who voted him there.
I feel that fears and insecurity about the developments in his country made SirJames scream out some things and while doing so, he casually mentioned some severe inaccuracies about the Netherlands... no harm done!
Let us leave this unfortunate incident behind us and move on. We have far more important matters to discuss.
I guess we'll have to disagree. You think you're helping people...I think these programs hurt the people they're trying to help...at least more often then not. All I'm saying is that hard work is what builds character and strength. Social programs seem to feed "social decay"...and I guess what I was trying to point out was that while the bible advocates helping people...the bible also points out that hard work is a must. I just believe social programs compound the problems that society has...and I think the way America rose to it's position is proof of the "right way". Freedom, responsibility, and hard work. Not saying America is perfect...just saying the principles that it was built on work a lot better. There was no government holding them up or holding them back, they had to take care of themselves...and the result was a strong and rich nation.
