[Professor S]

I find it funny that not one comment in opposition to this story will acknowledge that the anology it creates is at least partly true. The point of the story is that the media and politicians feed to sympathies to drive ratings and votes, and in the end help to create an atmosphere of apathy that sustains the illusion.

There are a lot of people out there who are working very hard to sustain a basic standard of living. There are also a lot out there that abuse government programs to sustain a basic standard of living.

In the end, why would you work hard to sustain the same standard of living that the grasshopper gets for free? Why not just suckle the government teat and save yourself the stress and anxiety of behaving like a productive member of society? Either way the people live a basic standard of living, but only the one who is working hard has a chance to IMPROVE their situation.

Government programs can help when they are not abused for the sake of currying votes. I personally believe there should be federal sanitoriums to help the large number of mentally and emotionally troubled homeless. Instead of being arrested for vagrancy, public drunkeness, etc. and released the next day or hour, they would be sent to these sanitoriums where doctors and psychologists could try and help them become productive members of society. Thats what would WORK, but it doesn't sound NICE, so it will never happen.

Instead, we (as charity) waste millions every year giving to soup kitchens who feed them every once or so often, give them shelter for a night or two and then send them on their way to freeze to death on a sewer grate. It feels good to feed someone rather than to round them up and send them to a hospital, but it only feels better to those feeding the homeless. It doesn't change or improve anything. In fact, all it does is make it easier accept homelessness

Example of abusive legislation?: Take the absurd chilldrens healthcare bill the democrats tried to pass. The idea? Give every child in families up to $80,000(?) annual income free healthcare money with a raise in cigarrette taxes. So your going to fund healthcare for an ever increasing number of children with taxes on a product that people are using less and less? BRILLIANT! It sure sounds good at face value, though. Makes you feel good to hear the idea of it...

Throwing money at problems never fixed anything. It sure does feel good to say "Hey, I helped by paying more taxes!", and I guess as long as you feel good thats all that matters...