One of the best comments ever in the NYT

[kpete]

SUN SEP 18, 2011 AT 06:42 AM PDT
One of the best comments ever in the NYT
byhappenstance

The primary difference between liberals and conservatives, at least so far as social safety nets is concerned, has always seemed to be this:

For liberals, it is better to give a benefit to somebody who doesn't deserve it than risk somebody who really needs the benefit to fall through the cracks.

For conservatives, the most important thing is to make sure that nobody undeserving takes advantage of the system, even if it means some folks don't get the help they need.

Liberals would look at unemployment benefits and want to make sure everyone got help while conservatives screamed that some of those on unemployment were not accepting job offers, so better to cut everyone off at 99 weeks.

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/opinion/krugman-free-to-die.html?permid=2#comment2
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/18/1017944/-One-of-the-best-comments-ever-in-the-NYT?via=siderec

[Little Star]

1. Sums things up accurately! n/t

[lame54]

2. the repug response is just an excuse...

because in reality they don't want to help anybody(just like Jesus) but themselves.

but they try to word it so it sounds like they really care and those who abuse the system are ruining it for those who really need it

[Mojorabbit]

22. I think it is a mind set that one is born with

I have a family member who is as kind and giving as can be but she thinks this way. We have had this exact conversation.
It does not compute for me but it seems to make perfect sense to her. It isn't fair in her mind that she does not get something but someone undeserving does.

[elocs]

3. Even if a program legitimately helps 9 of 10, conservatives will hold up the 1

that wrongly took advantage of the program as a reason why the program does not work and should be abolished.

[Cant trust em]

5. That's fairly accurate, IMO

I was talking to someone about how much money would need to be spent on enforcement of his anti-welfare fraud ideas and he said that whatever it takes is worth it.

[Cant trust em]

4. I'd also say that liberals and conservatives differ in their definition of "need".

I think that a lot of conservatives don't think that you're poor if you're able to afford a television or a microwave or any other trivial piece of modern convenience. Their definition of poverty that necessitates the social safety net is a family of 8 living in a one bedroom apartment sharing a bed and reading by candlelight.

[myrna minx]

6. It's the same for the death penalty - they're perfectly fine with the execution of innocent people

as long as some bad guys are executed too. **Refer to the bloodlust whoops at the Republican debate featuring Rick "I execute innocent people and sleep just fine" Perry.

[Avalux]

7. Conservatives are cold-hearted; with an every man for himself mentality.

It is soooo ironic that conservatives are simultaneously synonymous with Christianity and are loud about it; spewing morals and values, since their mentality and actions are anti-Christian.

They are amoral, unempathetic and could care less about their fellow men; using their flawed judgement to determine if someone is worthy of basic human rights.

[Johonny]

8. conservatives use the excuse of unmanaged waste, but really don't care about it

People using the system that don't really need it, exaggerating the extent it occurs and claiming they can cut this waste, and most importantly under reporting the cost associated with even tighter cost controls on programs. They do all this as an excuse. They don't want these social programs at all. They really don't care about waste spending and trying to prevent waste, fraud and abuse of these programs. They want you to think the programs are so corrupt you will be willing to A) turn program over to a for-profit company B) end program C) ignore actual corruption in government. Conservatives aren't willing to let a few needy people go without to prevent a few with from abusing the system, when the few with is a rich oil company or a CEO private jet. No they want to end social programs totally so they can funnel that money as well to themselves and the other increasing insanely rich in America.

[treestar]

9. So true

That sums it up quite well.

[RegieRocker]

10. Spot on!

[n2doc]

11. Applies to the Death Penalty as well

Cons would rather execute an innocent person than have the possibility that a guilty one might live a long life in prison, or even eventually be released on Parole.

[Gregorian]

12. I was just getting ready to make the comparison to justice.

Then I saw you had already done it. This kind of thing makes my day. It's like I AM living amongst real people. Thanks.

[Doremus]

13. Lots of good comments there.

I'm actually encouraged reading so many intelligent replies.

Thanks for posting that.

[Recursion]

14. Applies very well to voting

The nightmare scenario for a liberal is someone who eligible to vote not being able to vote; the nightmare scenario for a conservative is someone who is ineligible to vote being able to vote.

[MsPithy]

25. Someone who is ineligible to vote = Democrat.

In their authoritarian-susceptible brains.

[unblock]

15. close, but actually too generous to right-wingers.

right-wingers find the occasional "welfare queen" or unemployed person who doesn't accept a (lousy) job offer to be a convenient argument against benefits, but the reality is that even if ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of all benefits in a government assistance program were given exclusively to those having the problem the program was intended to address, they would STILL oppose it.


the reason they oppose social security, for instance, is not because some retirees could get by without it -- hardly, or else they'd be fine with means testing.

the fact is that at their core, they want ALL government assistance programs to go away. they really don't care how effective they are. sometimes i think the more effective the program is, in fact, the more they hate it.

bottome line is they want their taxes to be as low as conceivably possible and they anything that might get in the way of that.

[etherealtruth]

16. I have always believed this to be true ...

.... however, ny experience on DU has taught me that there are (sadly) a number of self proclaimed liberals that are just as fearful of "helping" one "undeserving" (in their estimation) person.

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. That logic applies to capital punishment, schools - pretty much anything.

So long as no one is getting anything undeserved, all is right with the conservative world.

Even if it requires periodic sacrifice of undereducated children, dead people who could have been medically treated or innocent people executed.

It's the principle of the thing.

[Zoeisright]

18. I've got an even more succinct comment:

Liberals are nice people.

Conservatives are mean people.

[wizstars]

19. A better one from John Kenneth Galbraith:

"Liberals do the wrong thing for the right reason. Conservatives do the wrong thing for no reason at all."

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. exactly, every online forum about benefits, righties are saying someone unqualified will get

something...that's their biggest worry.

[tilsammans]

21. Spot on! Yet they have no problem with the wealthy . . .

. . . and corporations helping themselves to more than their fair share via tax breaks and corporate welfare. :grr:

[Contrary1]

23. Comment #6 is worthy of mention also.

Big rec from me.

[cilla4progress]

24. As with death penalty...

Libs: better that the State not execute anyone, to avoid executing an innocent

Conservs: better to execute them all, to purge the human stain!

[FreeBillClinton]

26. The main difference is conservatives are better at politics and have more financial backing