'Screw the Market! Socialism to the Rescue' says London's Major

[TheStinger]

Welfare sepnding has I think risen more or less every year since the foundation of the welfare state.

Whether its spent in the right areas is another matter

[Cort Haus]

Am I right in saying that the French welfare system is better at maintaining cushy lifestyles for the middle class than actually helping poor people?

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Am I right in saying that the French welfare system is better at maintaining cushy lifestyles for the middle class than actually helping poor people?

There are no poor people in France only in evil anglo-saxon cultures are there such creatures

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Flubber
Chavez really should be trying to better the situation of his own people

Are you kidding or just spreading propaganda?

[Arrian]

Um, Kid, money spent on "helping the poor of London" is clearly money NOT spent on helping the poor of Venezuela.

If you want the commie take on why this is a good thing, see Che's post: Chavez is trying to buy international goodwill with this foreign aid. Hey, nations are entitled to give foreign aid and hope to that aid benifits them in some way, no problem there. What people are pointing out, and you are dismissing, however, is blindingly obvious: Chavez is the leader of a very poor country, and was elected on a socialist platform as a guy who would help the poor. He goes and takes money out of his country and gives it to the "poor" of the USA and UK. Those poor people are poor relative to many of their fellow Americans/Brits, but in comparison to the poor of Venezuela, they're rich (even once you adjust for cost of living differences).

So what it boils down to is Chavez is spending money on a publicity/foreign policy stunt instead of directly assisting Venezuela's poor (not that he isn't doing anything for them, but rather whatever these gifts to London and the US costs is money *not* going to assit the poor in his own country). The reasoning behind it is likely what Che's suggests: trying to buy goodwill in countries he's afraid will try and knock him off.

I don't think we (USA & friends - if we have any left, that is) will be bumping off Mr. Chavez. Further, to the extent our government decides its wants to, I do not think these aid programs would deter them. Therefore, I dismiss this stuff as silly publicity stunts, as do many of the other folks here at 'poly. YMMV.

-Arrian

[KrazyHorse]

^what he said

[lord of the mark]

so Hugo Chavez vs Steve Jobs - who's better at spending money on PR/publicity?

[Flubber]

what Arrian said

[Arrian]

I'm just the only one who felt like doing that much typing to explain the obvious.

-Arrian

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Arrian
I'm just the only one who felt like doing that much typing to explain the obvious.

-Arrian

Yes -- Thanks for that


But I'm sure that kid could explain to us that a member of a communist nation that has to eat roots and leaves for sustenance is better off than a capitalist worker dining on filet mignon due to the whole exploitation thing

[Arrian]

You would never get past the "capitalist worker eating fillet mignon." Capitalists don't work, remember? And if they do, they aren't eating fillet mignon. End.

-Arrian

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Arrian
You would never get past the "capitalist worker eating fillet mignon." Capitalists don't work, remember? And if they do, they aren't eating fillet mignon. End.

-Arrian

That would be a shock to the electricians, carpenters and welders that are served filet mignon at their camp ( some of the employers are going full out to try to ensure retention-- If your work site is in a frozen isolated location, really good food can help.)

[Arrian]

Shush, pigdog oppressor.

-Arrian

[Kidlicious]

Arrian,

I haven't missed any of what you are blaming me for. Some people are making this out to be taking money away from poor people in Venezuela, and that's just crap. Capitalist pigdogs like Flubber are the ones with the money. Check their bank accounts.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Flubber



That would be a shock to the electricians, carpenters and welders that are served filet mignon at their camp ( some of the employers are going full out to try to ensure retention-- If your work site is in a frozen isolated location, really good food can help.)

OMFG always with the ****ing rich ass workers that you know that have nothing to do with the whole picture one bit.