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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

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ORIGINAL: Level

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ORIGINAL: Padriag

Anyone can lose their job and their home... but anyone can also try to rebuild and start over... and keep trying.  I expect that much of people at least.

Good post, Padriag.

I disagree. It's not a good post, it's me me me post. Perhaps Padriag didn't sink low enough that his compassion button got hit. I wish for nobody to found themselves without a roof over their head; and I'm happy to pay for the miserable portion of tax revenue that is spent on welfare, ie. fuck all.

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Why is having an expectation for someone on public assistance to work to get off said assistance uncompassionate?

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ORIGINAL: KatyLied

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Why is having an expectation for someone on public assistance to work to get off said assistance uncompassionate?

It isn't uncompassionate.  There are some for whom work will not happen (children, disabled, elderly), they need assistance and I hope it is always there for them.  But for the others, I don't have much toleration for able-bodied people and their goals of remaining on public assistance/working the welfare system.  For some families it is an ingrained generation to generation thing.

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ORIGINAL: Level

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

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ORIGINAL: Level

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ORIGINAL: Padriag
Anyone can lose their job and their home... but anyone can also try to rebuild and start over... and keep trying.  I expect that much of people at least.

Good post, Padriag.

I disagree. It's not a good post, it's me me me post. Perhaps Padriag didn't sink low enough that his compassion button got hit. I wish for nobody to found themselves without a roof over their head; and I'm happy to pay for the miserable portion of tax revenue that is spent on welfare, ie. fuck all.

Why is having an expectation for someone on public assistance to work to get off said assistance uncompassionate?

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ORIGINAL: SL4V3M4YB3

Some people just can't compete in the jobs market with the skills they have. If society makes people give up on trying because it fails to give the helpless hope then that is a problem with society not individuals. When people look at you and see a bludger instead of someone down on their luck, tell me then how that inspires the person to better themselves when all they are ever told is they can't.

I'm not sure society does "make" people give up.  Do we not control our lives?

*Googles "bludger*

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That film "The Pursuit of Happiness" could have so easily gone a differant way. People need more than determination, they need the odd lucky break or two; you know that moment someone looks at you and sees someone more than you currently are. 

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(This post should only be read in conjunction with "The wind beneath my wings" by Bette Midler playing in the background) 

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ORIGINAL: MissMorrigan

Even when these people DO qualify for assistance they cannot get paid, why? They do not have an abode as they cannot afford the overheads of having one. It becomes a vicious circle, one in which sees them quickly on the streets and doing what they do best - surviving. I pay my taxes, I have never begrudged people the right to have financial assistance where it's needed.

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ORIGINAL: MissMorrigan

I read a study/saw stats some y ears ago regarding the homeless and ex military were among the highest in those figures. So, good post? Hardly, especially when these people have served their country and then find themselves back on Civvy Street without any, or certainly limited, support, without specific skills they can utilise and no means of supporting themselves, coupled with various issues stemming from the traumas of their term in the services. Even when these people DO qualify for assistance they cannot get paid, why? They do not have an abode as they cannot afford the overheads of having one. It becomes a vicious circle, one in which sees them quickly on the streets and doing what they do best - surviving. I pay my taxes, I have never begrudged people the right to have financial assistance where it's needed. I do begrudge a flawed system that allows people to abuse it. There are millions of benefits each year which are NOT being claimed by people entitled to it, why? Often it's a case of ignorance insofar as people not realising they are entitled to those benefits, other times, it's stigma b/c they do not want people looking down at them from their ivory towers and pointing the finger, "Have more self respect, you shouldn't be claiming assistance, get some skills under your belt and don't expect handouts."

Hi Morrigan  Anyone serving in the military deserves assistance getting back on their feet, if needed. Certainly, if they have been traumatized by being exposed to warfare. I wasn't speaking about them (and I'm not at all sure Padriag was, either, but obviously, he can speak for himself).

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

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ORIGINAL: MissMorrigan

Even when these people DO qualify for assistance they cannot get paid, why? They do not have an abode as they cannot afford the overheads of having one. It becomes a vicious circle, one in which sees them quickly on the streets and doing what they do best - surviving. I pay my taxes, I have never begrudged people the right to have financial assistance where it's needed.

Quite.

Another reason why people don't claim the benefits they're entitled to is because the sytem deliberately makes information obscure and difficult to get. It's perverse. Nothing easier than to crush somebody's who's fallen down... Whack them one so they stay under water - they call it 'the milk of human kindness'  .

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

If someone is unable to help themselves, I think it's a pretty good indicator that there's something wrong, and that they should get help.

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Errare humanum est  .

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ORIGINAL: mnottertail

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Errare humanum est  .

Hmmmmmmmmm.... no habla englaise, huh?  Can get you a job chopping cabbage, best we can do for you right now.

Ron

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

But Level, who are these people unwilling to help themselves? Where are they? How many of them do you know? I never came across any of them, so I must be lucky. Yet I hear about these supposed lazy sods all the time, a phenomenon particularly cherished by Fox news and its ilk.

Who will judge whether someone is "unwilling" or "unable"? Where is the line? You show it to me, I'm curious to see it.

I have a feeling it isn't luck that's prevented you from meeting any, but a soft heart, and an eye not critical enough.  Part of that was actually meant as a compliment, by the way.