Sometimes people ask rhetorical questions that make no sense

[conuly]

Like 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.

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Word. This reminds me of the story of The Farmer and the Money-Lender (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/steel/punjab/punjab-26.html) - except, of course, the farmer had personal reasons for hating the money-lender, who'd stolen his conch and forced him into the bargain. Even so, he blinded himself in one eye for the sake of his hate.

Suppose the farmer had asked for spiritual wealth instead: "O Ram, I wish my heart to be filled with such love and generosity that I don't begrudge the money-lender".... ha! The money-lender would have gotten twice as much, so he would probably have given all his wealth to the poor and become a wandering saint. Problem solved, no one blinded, no one dead. And Ram would have been delighted.

Selfishness, envy and petty malice are human emotions, and appealing to them works quite well on a lot of people. That's what those questions are about.

I'd do whatever it took to feed my child, up to and including slitting throats in a dark alley, and that is definitely not my skill-set (but I think I could learn if I had to.) If my neighbor couldn't feed her kids, I'd feed them, and her too, and if she was too proud to accept 'charity', I'd find work for her hands so she needn't feel beholden. And if she wouldn't take even that, I'd feed her kids on the sly, because keeping children fed is the Prime Directive, and to hell with stupid adult pride.

At this phase of my life, having no children at home, and living where I do, I don't think I'd leave even if conditions got miserable. I'd sign up with whatever group was helping people, do what I could, and stand my ground. This is my land; if it burns, I will burn with it.

However, I might think differently if it was burning, with green Canada just 20 miles away, in clear view across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On the other hand, drowning in icy water isn't a very appealing fate either, and I don't have the skill to get any kind of boat across that wild tidal channel. But the question is moot, because if the Olympic Peninsula was doomed, Victoria B.C. would be equally doomed; there'd be no point trying to get there.

Here's an appeal to human emotion fit to shame a Randroid:

[conuly]

I don't think I'd go so far as to slit throats unless they were the sort of throats that adamantly deserved it.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Well, naturally one would much prefer not to have to slit any throats at all. But I think I'd be a lot better at slitting throats than I would be at turning tricks.

[conuly]

I suppose you could double up, slit the throats of those who leave a poor tip.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Ah, no - it wouldn't be cost-effective; I'm well past the age when I could have made good tips in that line of work. Not worth the risk either; even with a knife I might not win a face-to-face fight. Therefore the classic 'death from behind' method would be my best option.

I should, of course, endeavor to target evil-doers with no children, both on moral principles, and because they're more likely to have money.