Is Welfare a Modern form of Slavery?
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
April 19, 2012 1:15am CST
A slave was totally dependent on the Master just as the person on Welfare is totally dependent on the Government to survive. When a person or family becomes dependent on welfare to survive they are beholding to the politicians who dole out the money or benefits to them. The Children learn this is what you have to do and if you try to escape you can be severely punished with the all or nothing benefit structure. Several years ago there was a girl who worked at babysitting to save up money for college and when she was hailed as a success story the State Social Services stepped in the took the money saying she had no right to it and claimed it was money that needed to be paid back to the agency.
In every state there is a magic dollar amount that when you earn that amount you lose all benefits. It is estimated that a person on Welfare would have to have a job that paid $35,000 or more to receive the same standard of living however the dollar amount at which you lose all benefits (or almost all) is somewhere around $21,000. We hear about people who be come trapped (enslaved) in the Welfare System that purpose is to help people live better when in effect the system is working to keep you dependent on the government. There is no easy way to break the cycle as we are seeing generations of people who know only one way of live and that is welfare.
In a way isn't Welfare enslaving people into a life of poverty by punishing them for trying to improve themselves?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@topffer (42156)
• France
19 Apr 12
I would not say slavery, but populism and vote catching : in antique Rome, free food and free money was distributed to free citizen to catch their votes, not to slaves. When poor people have been allowed to vote in France, welfare has immediately been seen by politics like a good method for catching these votes, and they substituted a governmental welfare system to a previous charity welfare system. It would be too cynical to tell that a governmental welfare system is made to prevent people to leave it, but what you say for your country is also true here : people have often more interest to stay in the welfare system than to leave it.
1 person likes this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
19 Apr 12
It is a way to control people, if you get the vote of a person in a representative republic, you control the republic. In effect, for all practicle purposes, you can do as you please WITH the rights of the people and if you take them away, make them null and void, you ARE enslaving the people.
@topffer (42156)
• France
20 Apr 12
People are not seeing welfare like slavery. A small story : in 1975 the Comoros islands, a French oversea territory in the Indian ocean, chose independence after a referendum, except one island, Mayotte, where people wanted to stay French -- it is now a French departement --. In 1997, people in Anjouan -- one of these islands -- voted to be French again. The main reason was : "they have welfare in Mayotte"
. Our prime minister told them that the time of colonies was bygone... Same thing in 2008, but they did not waited for an answer : they ran up the French flag and sang the Marseillaise
. Actually Mayotte is victim of a terrible clandestine immigration coming from the other Comoros islands : women want to give birth in this island to benefit of the French welfare system. Would you call these people "slaves" ?
. Our prime minister told them that the time of colonies was bygone... Same thing in 2008, but they did not waited for an answer : they ran up the French flag and sang the Marseillaise. Actually Mayotte is victim of a terrible clandestine immigration coming from the other Comoros islands : women want to give birth in this island to benefit of the French welfare system. Would you call these people "slaves" ?1 person likes this
@TheworD (42)
• United States
19 Apr 12
Welfare, hmmmmmm? I wouldn't call it slavery, only because it is rare if any cases of someone completely live on government assistance. I Like your point of view though. I do feel this government stays rich by enabling the poor communities and indiviuals.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
20 Apr 12
Here's how I view the rich staying rich. Good for them. If they didn't we'd all be out of jobs.
But I do see your point, it is the greed of the common man that drives the economy, isn't it. Since we can't control anyones' vices but our own, I don't see that as a problem either. Until it is someone on welfare who has to have one of those blackberries and the government provides it for them, I say hail hail to those who make the blackberries, the ones who market them, the ones who sell them and the American consumer who keeps it all going.
To think that it is wrong to be rich is basically envy and plays right into the whole class warfare propaganda.
@TheworD (42)
• United States
20 Apr 12
Envy is a sin, wrong is based on a moral judgment. I don't think its wrong to be rich but I do think this country oppress its citizens. These big companies over charge on products, and know that the poor will line their pockets the best. It's not the company's fault but society who believes, owning the newest phone out there is the American dream.
@TheworD (42)
• United States
20 Apr 12
O ok, I can not disagree but we all slave in one way or another in this country. The rich remains rich because of so many of us having to have the newest of everything. I feel like a sucker everytime I see those new cell phone commercial, they want us to buy their product for only $200.00, not including the activation fees. Why do we feel the need to keep up the the Jones? This country is broke but we still find the funds to purchase useless items.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
19 Apr 12
not here in ontario where i live. if you are on welfare, the encourage you to get off by making you go to classes (or else you don't get your welfare), plus, welfare will pay for you to go to school (also, which you have to do) to retrain into another field (welfare has a spending cap, you couldn't like go for your BA or anything).
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
19 Apr 12
Obviously, welfare was designed to enslave the poor. Generation after generation is dependant on some form of Gov. subsidy. Welfare itself is not as previlant as it was, because a woman cannot stay on it for more than about 4 years. However, SSI is the new welfare and anyone can get on SSI.
The Palestinians and Hamas etc. that are coming into our country receive SS. But, the legal residence of the US who want handouts get SSI. That means that illegal alians get more than twice as much "welfare" as Americans or Afro-Americans do.
Both SSI and SS, PA, mex, receipients, feel that they are entitiled to these handouts. This is not enriching their lives except for the PA and Hamas. They have never had it so good!
As far as enslaving these people...I don't know about that. When I look at the cars they drive, the ipods in their ears, the smartphones in their hands...the amount they pay for britches that show their skivies, I am not sure that they are suffering. They claim that whitey owes them a living. They seem to be living very well on what they get.
As far as slavery goes...Slavery means that a person is forced to work for nothing...When was the last time you saw a welfare or SSI person working????? The thing is, they can work while on SSI and welfare...Do they...NO!
When Hurricane Andrew went through Homestead Fl. Hundreds of Welfare and SSI Receipiants were left homeless. I was still working then and went to Miami to help out. What I saw really upset me. I was working for a living...Working hard too. These people who were supposedly devastgated, had homes and possessions that were way above anything I could affford. One family was a five generation welfare receipipiant family. When I went to work on their homes I realiezed that they were living in luxury way beyond me, even though I had my own business. I was disgusted!!!! Here I was paying insane amounts for insurance, workers comp. taxes, business fees to work there etc, and these folks were whining about a little water damage and demanding that someone pay for it for them! Well, needless to say, I lost all respect for them as people. I will no longer respect anyone who will not take care of themselves unless they are totally incapable to do so!
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
19 Apr 12
My father told of how we got our first colored TV. He saw a news report of this woman protesting that here welfare benefits were not enough as she could only afford a small colored TV and she needed a bigger one. My father who was not an impulsive buyer said that if the welfare people had colored TV he should be able to have one too and he went out and bought one.
A friend of mine was working as a Vista Volunteer and was given the benefits of a person on welfare (that is how you survive doing volunteer work for the government). She was able to complete a program and was eligible for a full time career in the private sector. Her first job paid $29,000 and she figured that she needed a $35,000 a year income to replace the welfare benefits. She took the job but then fought for the next several months the Social Workers who were willing to write letters to get her out of her contract and back on welfare. She talked to several other people including one who the Social Worker set a letter to her employer requesting fewer hours so that she could qualify for a new program. This lady was struggling to get out of the system and the people in the system were doing everything possible trying to keep her in the system.
Even good people can get tired of fighting to get a job and fighting the system trying to get out of it.
@rafiholmes (2896)
• Malaysia
19 Apr 12
Welfare.. a modern day slavery?? no .i dont think so..
i think its supposed to help the needed aint it?
