tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post1227001912523894740..comments2023-10-20T05:51:51.625-04:00Comments on The THINK 3 INSTITUTE: Does increasing inequality make the poor more conservative?Samuel Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-31692894659516740562011-08-10T07:28:15.159-04:002011-08-10T07:28:15.159-04:00The fact that people depend on these services prov...The fact that people depend on these services proves there is a need for them.<br />The fact that they don't go elsewhere means either the private sector doesn't offer these services, or they don't offer them at an affordable rate to the lowest economic segment of the population.<br />Given the rhetoric of the right, it seems that the conservatives in this country would much rather see people homeless and starving in the streets than to allow the government to take the appropriate action. This lack of humility, compassion and sympathy for those in need leaves me questioning their humanity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-31672957059248532532011-08-09T16:46:41.413-04:002011-08-09T16:46:41.413-04:00Thanks, d. I'll have to check out Mettler'...Thanks, d. I'll have to check out Mettler's study. I wonder whether shame has a lot to do with the false reporting, or if people have just become selective about the meaning of dependence on government. SS and Medicare are the benefits people feel they've earned; they may feel differently about benefits others receive.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-80336216705461721122011-08-09T15:17:27.949-04:002011-08-09T15:17:27.949-04:00here's a link to the article I mentioned above...here's a link to the article I mentioned above:<br /><br />http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/aug/01/can-you-spare-dime-or-two-ar-1209359/<br /><br />"Sixty percent of people who take the home mortgage deduction on their income tax returns say they haven’t used a government social program. Forty-four percent of Social Security recipients deny they’ve received any benefit as do about 40 percent of Medicare recipients, according to a study by Cornell University political scientist Suzanne Mettler."d.erishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820814198873126054.post-13640905743666888132011-08-09T15:15:48.833-04:002011-08-09T15:15:48.833-04:00There was just a recent study which found that a l...There was just a recent study which found that a lot of Americans don't even know how dependent they themselves are on government services. A survey of people on Social Security, Medicare (I think), Veterans and Welfare found that around 40% of the first three and 25% of the latter said they do not use any government programs/services. <br /><br />Not directly related to the class issue, but definitely related to the media/informational aspect of the post.d.erishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com