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conulyLike with the talk about the minimum wage recently. "How would you feel if you worked hard to earn this much money, and your neighbor suddenly started getting that for standing behind the register at McDonald's?" Um, I'd be glad that my hypothetical neighbor could put food on the table without having to go to the food bank every month?
And if I lost my house (looking less likely by the day) and my neighbor had a sudden bailout that allowed them to keep theirs, I'd be glad that they got to stay in their home. Seriously, do these people all hate their neighbors or something? Maybe they should move! (These people inevitably are the sort who say that "If I couldn't feed my child, I wouldn't beg my neighbors." They think they sound principled and proud, but really they just sound like bad parents. I'd turn tricks on the street if I couldn't feed my kids, and man, that is not my skillset. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to - I've given money to my neighbors when they needed it, and they've given cash to me. That's because the people on my block don't all hate each other, or if we do, we keep it to ourselves.)
Except they won't do that. "If I lived in one of those countries where conditions are miserable, I wouldn't try to sneak into another country!" Well, bully for you, because I would, and I wouldn't look back. Bombs are dropping, there's no food, the money I had saved to buy a house isn't enough to buy a dollhouse - yes, I'm getting me and the kids out of there just as fast as our little legs can carry us.
Seriously, I don't get it. There may be good arguments to be made, but this is one area where an appeal to emotion is not going to work, because these people seem to be devoid of all human emotions whatsoever.
And if I lost my house (looking less likely by the day) and my neighbor had a sudden bailout that allowed them to keep theirs, I'd be glad that they got to stay in their home. Seriously, do these people all hate their neighbors or something? Maybe they should move! (These people inevitably are the sort who say that "If I couldn't feed my child, I wouldn't beg my neighbors." They think they sound principled and proud, but really they just sound like bad parents. I'd turn tricks on the street if I couldn't feed my kids, and man, that is not my skillset. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to - I've given money to my neighbors when they needed it, and they've given cash to me. That's because the people on my block don't all hate each other, or if we do, we keep it to ourselves.)
Except they won't do that. "If I lived in one of those countries where conditions are miserable, I wouldn't try to sneak into another country!" Well, bully for you, because I would, and I wouldn't look back. Bombs are dropping, there's no food, the money I had saved to buy a house isn't enough to buy a dollhouse - yes, I'm getting me and the kids out of there just as fast as our little legs can carry us.
Seriously, I don't get it. There may be good arguments to be made, but this is one area where an appeal to emotion is not going to work, because these people seem to be devoid of all human emotions whatsoever.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-14 11:55 am (UTC)What the f*ck, people! You simply have no idea what it means to be bombed and to have no food for your family and to flee from war and terror and genocide and f*cking economic and environmental disasters - do NOT pretend as if you wouldn't be the first in line to get some shelter, food and promise on a better life.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-14 04:19 pm (UTC)Maybe they wouldn't be. Maybe they'd be, like, second in line.
(On a related note, they all go "When my ancestors came here, they learned the language!" No, your ancestors did not. Your ancestors lived, worked, and worshiped in ethnic enclaves and had no need to learn "the language", whether that language was English or Iroquois!)