The Right mentality.

[truthbetold]

Today in Participation in Government class, there was another shouting match that usually occurs. There's my friends and I on the Liberal side and the poor confused girls on the Repuke side.
We were discussing the changing of the American family, when we started to talk about how it would be better for the government to subsidize more programs like day care and provide more funding for teenage mothers.
But of course, the Repuke girls kept talking about how that would require everyone else to pay more money. And how they didn't want to spend their money fixing others "mistakes." But the truth is, shit happens, and if we all band together and try to help those who truly need it, we actually SAVE money. Single mothers can get their feet on the ground, obtain education, and get jobs that can make them successful and able to provide for their children. In turn, their children grow up in a stable environment. Who DOESN'T win in that situation?
So what really is the view of the Right wing? Do they so much as care about their fellow man or is it just ignorance?

[BOSSHOG]

1. Oh an Economic issue

Spending money to "fix" others mistakes? I guess its alright for this taxpayer to be mortgaged until long after I'm dead to "fix" bush's mistakes over the past three + years building his extremely poorly constructed but extremely expensive house. I guess the indoctrinated girls would agree with cheney that deficits are irrelevant. I guess the girls would rather the money be given to faith based inititatives so some baptists could lay hands on the unwed mothers and cure them. Please share with them my disdain for spending my money to "fix" others (bush's) mistakes.

[mopinko]

2. me first, the whole second

the worst part is that programs that help at risk children SAVE money. these people will be screaming to lock these kids up later. besides which, they make it hard to get an abortion to "fix the mistake" when it is still "fixable" yup, equal rights for the fetus, screw the baby.

[Warpy]

3. They never grew up past the age of 2

"MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE!!!!!"

[SeekerofTruth]

4. Reverse the question

Is it right for the government to 'force' people to fix other people's mistakes? The right views these situations as 'freedom of choice' and consequences of poor decisions. i.e. Poor people didn't work hard for good grades in school while they did, why should they be punished for poor peoples choices?

This is a legitmate argument (government forcing you to do something against your will).

The problem is, poor people aren't just poor because of poor choices. Is it the childs fault his parents made poor choices? Or, the argument that the parents are poor not because of their choices, but because of natural occurances like poor health.

Educate them to look at both sides of the argument, that is how you change people's minds.

[Hamlette]

5. the right feels entitled, the left feels grateful

it's what divides us. If you can find a way to talk to them about that, you might be able to have a civil discussion.

I usually start with "I worked hard to get through college, at my job etc. but I would have had NO hope of doing so without a remarkable set of circumstances over which I had no control. I was born in America, to white middle class parents, who valued education and helped me through school, I do not have a limited intellect which would have made it impossible to get through high school let alone college. I was lucky to have support from family and friends, people who would pick me up emotionally when the going got rough. We had the help of the government too. We went to school on the GI bill, got our first house with a VA loan, had very low taxes when we were starting out and our income was low so we could afford to help pay for school. My fellow taxpayers educated my son and gave me a tax deduction to help pay for his care. No one gets where they are all by themselves. Almost all of us had remarkable luck by virtue of our birth and help from our fellow citizens when we needed it most. And, as the bible says, those to whom much is given, much is expected."

Republicans feel like taxes take from them something they have a right to but they fail to give credit to all the forces that helped them get where they are.

Oh yeah, and remind them if they don't help this generation with good quality child care so their parents can find and keep decent jobs, you will be in the same boat when the next generation comes along. Pay a little now, pay a lot later. Up to you.

[Zorra]

6. This may be helpful:

Researchers help define what makes a political conservative

By Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations | 22 July 2003 (revised 7/25/03)

BERKELEY – Politically conservative agendas may range from supporting the Vietnam War to upholding traditional moral and religious values to opposing welfare. But are there consistent underlying motivations?

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/07/22_politics.shtml

[bobbieinok]

7. really blow everyone's mind with info from Europe, eg Germany

(Numbers are not quite accurate; plus there's a major debate going on about the whole 'safety net' in Germany.)

From what I recall -

...for the 1st child born (this includes children born out-of-wedlock and to non-citizen living in Germany) - govt pays parent a certain amount (at one time 50 marks)

...for the 2nd child the govt pays 50 for the 1st and something like 60 marks for the 2nd

...this continues up to ? number of children

PAYMENT IS PER MONTH and CONTINUES until child is ?? or out of school.

There are limits to this if the family unit income is over a certain amount.

As I understand it, the rationale is that society gains when ALL CHILDREN in the society are healthy (have insurance), fed, clothed, housed and educated. Society loses if because of particular circumstances, some children are not.

There is possibly/probably a connection to the fact that the govt was seen as necessarily paternalistic up to the end of WWI.

(Obviously Germany now has euros not marks, but this was info from 10+ years ago.)

[seemslikeadream]

8. Rationalization?