New Milestone: Nearly Half of All American Households Receive A Government Benefit

[MSbklawyer]

From the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791804575439732358241708.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Obstacle to Deficit Cutting: A Nation on Entitlements
By SARA MURRAY

Efforts to tame America's ballooning budget deficit could soon confront a daunting reality: Nearly half of all Americans live in a household in which someone receives government benefits, more than at any time in history.

Doesn't bode well for a politician running on a fiscal austerity platform, does it?

[keepinitreal]

I'm in that 45%, for receiving unemployment compensation.

[chrisdfw]

The problem with government largess is that it is self-perpetuating. The people not recieving benefits are paying for them, so they
want it, then its 52%... and then the minority feels left out and get on the dole, 56%, at some point we all end up broke as a country.

Its our fault for electing politicians that give out free handouts, not the people who take them, they are acting rationally and in their
own self interest. We need to end this shit and soon. Its bad for the country, bad for the recipients. We need to do what our great grandparents
did during hard times, tighten the belt and lower our living standards until good times return. Grow a garden, fix your clothes, eat some rice
and beans (enough for a family of 4 for a month, under $100). ditch the cell phone, air conditioning, 3 bedroom houses and take care of
our own shit.

[tod183]

The problem with government largess is that it is self-perpetuating. The people not recieving benefits are paying for them, so they
want it, then its 52%... and then the minority feels left out and get on the dole, 56%, at some point we all end up broke as a country.

Its our fault for electing politicians that give out free handouts, not the people who take them, they are acting rationally and in their
own self interest. We need to end this shit and soon. Its bad for the country, bad for the recipients. We need to do what our great grandparents
did during hard times, tighten the belt and lower our living standards until good times return. Grow a garden, fix your clothes, eat some rice
and beans (enough for a family of 4 for a month, under $100). ditch the cell phone, air conditioning, 3 bedroom houses and take care of
our own shit.

You're right. I don't like it, but you're right...

[msm859]

The problem with government largess is that it is self-perpetuating. The people not recieving benefits are paying for them, so they
want it, then its 52%... and then the minority feels left out and get on the dole, 56%, at some point we all end up broke as a country.

Its our fault for electing politicians that give out free handouts, not the people who take them, they are acting rationally and in their
own self interest. We need to end this shit and soon. Its bad for the country, bad for the recipients. We need to do what our great grandparents
did during hard times, tighten the belt and lower our living standards until good times return. Grow a garden, fix your clothes, eat some rice
and beans (enough for a family of 4 for a month, under $100). ditch the cell phone, air conditioning, 3 bedroom houses and take care of
our own shit.

Partially true. However, another contributing factor is the great migration of wealth to the select few. The middle class is being destroyed and getting poorer while the rich is getting richer. This is forcing more people to receive some type of benefits. It is also skewing the "tax statistics" that say so few are paying federal "income" tax. That is because it is only so few that are actually increasing their wealth while the rest see there earning power continue to fall. What this country needs is its own French Revolution. Someday maybe people will understand "trickle down" is the modern equivalent of "let them eat cake".

[ryan]

The problem with government largess is that it is self-perpetuating. The people not recieving benefits are paying for them, so they want it, then its 52%... and then the minority feels left out and get on the dole, 56%, at some point we all end up broke as a country. .

I will always remember this quote: "When You Promise to Take From Paul and Give To Peter....You Will ALWAYS Have the Support of Peter".