So...Whether they like it or not, or care to admit it.. nearly everyone in the United States reaps the benefits of government.Black,White,Latino,Asian, Rich,Poor,gay,Straight...Democrat,Independent and yes..Republican!!
When asked about participating in specific government social programs, 97 percent of Republicans and 98 percent of Democrats say they have taken part in a government program of some kind, according to a 2008 survey run by the Cornell Survey Research Institute. Not just one or two either; the survey found that people had used around five social policies on average.
The thing is, more than half the country denies having used a government program at all.Well, some people like to believe in fairy tales...What can I say?
Those findings are of particular interest now, after a Mitt Romney fundraising video leaked, You remember...The one in which he called the 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay income taxes “dependent on government.” Well,This survey’s findings show that those Americans who pay income taxes are also benefitting from government assistance in some form, even if they are not fully aware of it.
The confusion may come from what some call “submerged” government policies, those distributed via the tax code or through private organizations. It’s these types of benefits that explain comments like those of one man who in 2009 told his local congressman to “keep your government hands off my Medicare” at a town hall meeting, the New York Times reports. Around a quarter of Medicare benefits were distributed through private insurance companies in 2010.
All that said, the demographics of Americans relying on government benefits are changing. A separate study found that the portion of benefits going to the poorest fifth of Americans has decreased by almost 20 percent between 1979 and 2007, according to the New York Times.
So the next time a Republican or talking head bitches about welfare or Socialism or Government hand outs...Tell him (or her) to shut the hell up and read this blog post! They probably won't...but you can tell them anyway!
1 comment:
Great writing cousin! We knew all along who really was getting the benefit of government. African Americans, Asians, and Latinos have had to fight to get access to "the table" that holds the fruits of our labor. I think the uproar is about equal access: the "creepy-ass crackers" want to keep food, shelter and healthcare for themselves. And sadly too many have been lulled to inactivity with the belief that nothing will change.
The battle rages on!!
P.S. The NSA already knows about you!
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