Been there before. Well except the lost the house part. That questionnaire doesn't provide enough options. My wife and I started out with a month's rent paid on a studio, and $600 in the bank. We both had lost our jobs the month before our wedding. It wasn't easy.
You have lost your job and your house, your down to your last $1,000. How will you make out at the end of the month?
by purplesofa 130 Replies latest jw friends
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corpusdei
It not theft if you worked for many years before needing to access certain benefits. My husband and I are not thieves.
I'm not going to make myself very popular for saying it, but every cent of taxpayer money that goes into federal social aid programs was taken, under the threat of force, from someone who earned it at the cost their time, their effort, and their lives to be given to someone who did not. Those who paid into social security for the whole of their working lives were no less stolen from when the federal government can't foot the bill. It makes me sick to look at the amount of money I'm losing to Social Security, but as far as I'm concerned, that money is lost. I can't, and won't, stake my future on the Federal thief promising that he'll pay me back.
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mrsjones5
I like I said before I paid my taxes too. I and my husband paid into the system. You're not only the only taxpayer here.
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littlerockguy
"I'm thinking primarily of the USA, as that's where I am, although I would extend it to any country that upholds an individuals right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. And again, as I said, I recognise that there are exceptions to my line of thinking - I have and will continue to participate in helping people who are going through extreme and unavoidable circumstances.
My core belief, through my personal experience, is that the individual is responsible for the outcome of their lives. I have a right to my life, my liberty, the property that I own, and the pursuit of happiness in my life. I do not have a right to happiness itself, only the pursuit of it. That's important. I don't have a right to a car, or internet, or a TV, or even a house. I have a right to pursue those things, but I have no right to automatically have them, and I have absolutely no right to make another person hand over their property so that I can advance that pursuit, or because I didn't do whatever it took to make and keep myself stable even when faced with unexpected circumstances. That's theft, any way you cut it, and it makes no difference to me if it's done in person at gunpoint or with the force of the federal governmant."
I concur
LRG
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mrsjones5
I love it when folk assume they know all about the circumstantial misfortunes of the poor and displaced.
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noni1974
Well, god forbid they ever have to find out what its really like to be poor Mrs. Jones. I've paid my taxes too. I worked full time ever since I was 16 years old, doing without an education, working low paying or dangerous jobs to support myself and pay my taxes. Now that I need a little help, I'm stealing. What happened to all that money I paid in??
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corpusdei
I like I said before I paid my taxes too. I and my husband paid into the system. You're not only the only taxpayer here.
I'm not disputing that fact. But Social Security has been a bad investment, a ponzi scheme, for as long as I can remember. The fact that so many people trusted in that, and only that, to secure their retirement is bad judgement, putting faith in an investment that you can't control, opt out of, or even withdraw without meeting arbitrary conditions set by the very people who've stolen the money. The fact that we're forced by the federal government to pay into it is a crime on their part, but more so a culpability on ours for allowing it to continue.
If I were to put all my money into one investment and that investment sinks, it doesn't give me the right to walk up to you, put a gun to your head, and expect you to give me even a fraction of the money I lost. It makes me in a bad place because I trusted in that investment. The fact that politicians are essentially saying "Welp, we spent all your money, but that's OK, if you vote for us instead of the other guy we'll give you the money that we took from someone else. Promise. Cross our hearts" doesn't make it any different, it just perpetuates the crime.
EDIT: Or a different example. If I were to be held at gunpoint and my life savings taken from me, I wouldn't have the right to expect you to pay my way simply because the same thief took some of your money, too.
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purplesofa
What if we had no government to support at all? No government to expect anything from? Would we really help each other out? Who would survive, who would make it? Who wouldn't make it?
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flipper
PURPS- Interesting game ! I made it through the month with $ 276.00 left. I had to rely on friends a lot. More than I do in real life financially for sure. I rarely turn to family or friends for financial help. At least I got the two trains coming from opposite directions question right! But this is a horrid economy we are in right now. Lots of people are suffering, some worse than others. Point is, we need to be here for one another and help out our close friends and family when we have it in our capability financially to do so. My older son helps me part time in my janitorail business- can't afford him full time, but fortunately he has other coals in the fire he is pursuing work wise as well , so he assists me with his labor , I assist him with some pay - it all works out as we help each other.
As times get harder- we all need to pull together and help each other
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mrsjones5
When all else failed I'm so glad there was something in place to help my family in our time of need. My husband is still sick but at least we're not out on the streets.
Oh and by the way, I'm at the public library right now with my two younger sons. :D