Society

[Beanz]

This is an Illustration of a rich banker. It is fittingly taken from the game MONOPOLY, or as our kids used to call it "Money Monopoly" It is a game that tears families apart. One family member ends up controlling all the businesses and property and wields that power over everyone else, taking rent from them round after round until everyone else is bankrupt. It is a great lesson on how not to live ones life. Money is fine but money obtained in unreasonable amounts at the expense of others with total awareness of the consequences that brings, often involving liquidation of small family businesses, the loss of individuals homes and the life savings of pensioners is inherently evil.

[El Kabong]

Monopoly is a 0 sum game whereas real life is not a 0 sum game

[VictorCharlie]

Watching people get whipped into a frenzy over class warfare reminds of Southern Baptists going crazy over booze and dancing. The world is always changing and with more technology and automation we just don't need as much unskilled/blue collar labor. Adult should be honest with young people that if they do not acquire a marketable skill then they are setting themselves up for a life of struggle. This would be much more constructive than bitterly blaming very successful people after that fact for the failures in ones life. There is no finite amount of money or wealth in this world and no one has a "fair" share. You get what you earn and some of us just have to work that much harder. I am firmly in the middle class in the US. All of that is due to a variety of choices I made not a lack of opportunity but I have no intention of staying here and damn sure don't plan on blaming a banker who is doing exactly what each and everyone of us does, act in his and his family's best interest for my lot in life.

To tie back into the dole/welfare discussion; prior to nationwide government assistance people found the support they needed in their families and communities. People lived with extended families and had cohesion in their communities. Not a perfect system and I'm sure people fell through the cracks but support was provided and a shared sacrifice formed strong bonds. When the government is the overwhelming support service these ties loosen. I 100% agree with Lyle that an expanded welfare state has contributed to the destruction of the traditional family by perpetuating the poverty circle and diminishing family and community support and that this destruction is the number 1 catalyst for crime. Any support should managed at the most local level and be just enough. Being on assistance should so uncomfortable that you would never make a conscious decision to stay on it. As Penn Jillete says:

"It’s amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering people is compassion. Voting for our government to use guns to give money to help poor and suffering people is immoral self-righteous bullying laziness.

People need to be fed, medicated, educated, clothed, and sheltered, and if we’re compassionate we’ll help them, but you get no moral credit for forcing other people to do what you think is right. There is great joy in helping people, but no joy in doing it at gunpoint."

If we as human beings are not willing to personally give of our time, effort and wealth to help or local fellow man then we deserve the depraved culture around the corner.