The truth about welfare?

[Raúl Duke]

In the U.S. and in Puerto Rico (probably even more so in the island. In PR, the middle class sees itself as a working class which, in their imagination, is forced to support both the rich and the people on welfare. Although that's not accurate considering that most social programs are federally-funded programs and PR does not pay federal taxes) there's negative image of welfare and its recipients...

SO, I'm asking fellow leftists, especially those in north-america, to tell me the truth of welfare and the truth (since I'm extremely skeptical of the negative images given to welfare recipients) about the life of welfare recipients instead of the usual propaganda of "lazy bum."

Links to articles will be appreciated as well.

[#FF0000]

People on welfare work at least one job.

Less than 20% abuse welfare.

"Welfare Queens" are very very rare.

That's about all I know.

[MarxSchmarx]

Less than 20% abuse welfare.

What does it mean to "abuse welfare"? You mean like able-bodied people claiming to be disabled? I find 20% rather high, because I know plenty of disabled people who have to fight tooth and nail and rack up huge legal bills to get their social security and often don't get it anyway. Or do you mean to be on the government dole when you don't have a job and have had no luck finding one?


People on welfare work at least one job.

As if caring for children isn't a full time job :rolleyes:

From what I recall, in the U$ right now there is a 5 year lifetime limit on government support if the parent isn't working in a family with children, although I don't know if this applies to able-bodied families with both parents (it might apply only to single mothers). There is no tax-supported welfare in the U$ and Canada, as far as I know, for able-bodied adults younger than 63 without dependent children.

[spice756]

In the U.S. and in Puerto Rico (probably even more so in the island. In PR, the middle class sees itself as a working class which, in their imagination, is forced to support both the rich and the people on welfare. Although that's not accurate considering that most social programs are federally-funded programs and PR does not pay federal taxes) there's negative image of welfare and its recipients...

The problem I get over and over from the middle class in Canada is they don't like to pay all those high taxes.And make up stuff like people on welfare or government housing are lazy people.They are middle class and look up to the upper class and have no connection with the poor or working class.

They the middle class looks at those big homes and Suburban or Yukons and say I'm going to me driving that.They are very influence by the American dream and are more pro-US.

The capitalist made the middle class for this reason.The middle class are evile and will be counter-revolution.

[#FF0000]

What does it mean to "abuse welfare"? You mean like able-bodied people claiming to be disabled? I find 20% rather high, because I know plenty of disabled people who have to fight tooth and nail and rack up huge legal bills to get their social security and often don't get it anyway. Or do you mean to be on the government dole when you don't have a job and have had no luck finding one?

You know, I have no idea how one could really abuse welfare aside from having more children to get more money.

Which kind of defeats the purpose since that money will have to go towards the kids. But still, right-wingers will believe people do this.

[Raúl Duke]

You know, I have no idea how one could really abuse welfare aside from having more children to get more money.

Which kind of defeats the purpose since that money will have to go towards the kids. But still, right-wingers will believe people do this.

In Puerto Rico this is the common conception of people on welfare; that all they do is get more kids so to get more money.


The capitalist made the middle class for this reason.The middle class are evile and will be counter-revolution. This may seem so now...but consider that in this age the middle class (of the U.S.) status is more dependent on credit then ever. Credit is quite unstable and if it begins to fail then most of the "middle class" will fall into the proletariat.


They are middle class and look up to the upper class


That's always seems to be a normal characteristic of the middle class (and maybe of the working class as well) in always attempting to rise higher then their parent's generation and reach the upper class. Now, however, this is growing more difficult and in some cases the opposite happens: they go lower then their parents.