John Stossel, "Freeloaders"

[Michael Hardner]

Watch the videos, I'm sure they won't hurt you. Or, feel free to continue to posting irrelevant tangents without watching the videos. Perhaps after fifty random posts you may accidentally stumble on a perspective that actually was a part of the videos.

Sigh.

Ok, I'll watch them.

Videos are such an efficient way to make a point. I could read many many pages of good argument in 20 minutes.

[Michael Hardner]

There's that side of your argument, and the other side is the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?

"The War On Poverty" was a specific programme by the Johnson administration, and it was successful.

[Michael Hardner]

He believes he has heard all the arguments and his mind is made up.

We are only making him feel helpful. A trait only extant in liberals and measurable in fiat dollars.

Not at all - we've been discussing this for awhile now, and I'm still looking for some evidence that libertarianism works.

[Bob]

Sigh.

Ok, I'll watch them.

Videos are such an efficient way to make a point. I could read many many pages of good argument in 20 minutes.

In all seriousness, I think you'll enjoy and agree with a lot of the suggestions and themes of these videos.

[Michael Hardner]

Ok - I watched 20 minutes.

A girl beggar is fake.

Lots of America's beggars are not needy.

City Journal writers says beggars today are hustlers.

Heather McDonald "Manhattan Institute" gives her opinion:

"Every big city has food kitchens galore"

"Overwhelmingly drugs and alcohol"

People are scamming a legal settlement on farming.

There's a Florida lady who doesn't pay her mortgage ever.

There's a company called youwalkaway.com - a company that encourages people to not pay their mortgages.

...

So there's a lot of shock there but... Are these problems big ? Small ?

In the end, what does it add up to ? Nothing - it's just entertainment without any facts outside some opinions and isolated incidents. If they don't provide context, it's useless.

[Pliny]

In the end, what does it add up to ? Nothing - it's just entertainment without any facts outside some opinions and isolated incidents. If they don't provide context, it's useless.

It adds up to a big problem, Michael. A lot of the people getting aid from government are not the poor and needy but people who don't need aid or are getting their paycheques from government. I guess you missed the part about corporate welfare.

There is never a shortage of people waiting to capitalize on the regulations and largesse of government often to the detriment of those in real need.

You don't see lawyers making millions from a farm plan or, for that matter, the farm plan itself, as being a problem?

Your argument is contradictory. If I bring up the war on poverty as an indicator of failure because the poor are getting poorer. You claim it was a success. Which is it? The poor getting poorer or the war on poverty was a success? Point me to all the successful housing projects for the poor? You know those empty inner city apartment buildings most of which are long gone or do you see something different?

I told you why, and you agreed with me why, beggars are on the streets. Because they have already been "helped" and they already know you aren't going to help them. They would prefer you or the government just give them a handout and leave them alone.