Why I Agree With Mitt Romney About "The Very Poor"

There is a track of teaching in Christianity that follows this wealth aggregation approach. Yes, work hard. Yes, reward effort. But Christ didn't teach hoard and ignore, far from it, oppositional to it.

If Christ were here today, where would he be? In unemployment lines, at welfare offices, at our schools seeing to education to the lunches for students... at our hospitals caring for the ill, on the street, assisting the homeless.

Anyone see a pattern to where Christ would be? Wall Street? Perhaps to lecture a few in the towers. Yes, Washington, plenty of lecturing there to do as well, and not at all with a message those who like to claim they honour Him expect.

It's about paying it forward, about treating each other, ourselves, and the environment with kindness.

I could produce facts and figures, cumbersome on FB, but it can be done, showing where we've been, and why we moved away from there. Now some wish us to roll backward. Let's make children work, lets ignore those most in need, lets give corporations license to do as they wish, while simultaneously rolling back freedom for women and preventing full access by gay folk.

I don't think the Christ I learned of in eight years of Catholic schooling would embrace such a retreat or such hoarding...

but what do I know?

Nelle, seriously, woman, hugs for being so intelligent and articulate. Sadly, it will flow right by some people's brain cells.

I just want to add, or rather emphasis a point I made earlier, Capitalism and this whole "screw the poor, they are lazy and don't need our help or attention" attitude that I am seeing from some runs completely contrary to Christian values. I personally am Catholic but make a strong effort to keep my religious views out of politics. However, because so many in our country profess to being Christian, and Capitalism is an ECONOMIC system (although it has corrupted our Federal Republic government into a Capitalist government, running contrary to the Constitution), I think many American Christians need to learn this truth and absorb it. Capitalism runs contrary to Christianity. You cannot be both a Christian AND a Capitalist. No ma'am, sorry, you can't. Learn the definitions of both and learn where the Church stands on the subject. Oh, and to further the point, Capitalism defines human life as a commodity. Hard pill to swallow, n'est pas?

Mkay, can't let that one slide. No one is suggesting focus be on the bottom. People wish to see they aren't totally bloody ignored. Protecting people from a complete fall into oblivion will not bankrupt a society, but continued tax cuts damn well will.

The wealthy use far more resources than do the poor of our nation, we just don't hand it out in a direct, measurable way. Capitalism is the best we've found as an economic system, but moving towards pure capitalism would destroy a society, which is why regulation and law should and does tame it and marshal some of the resources to those who fall behind. It's human, it's essential to survival of society - less anyone care to forget the lessons of the French Revolution and what happens when too much accrues at the top and too little at the bottom.

The survival of the fittest argument as applied to societal structure, with no effort expended to assist those left behind, repulses me. Yes, people shouild be able to build businesses and profit, but tempering that a smidgeon through taxes and regulation does a whole lot more good than harm.

And to suggest 'no one is entitled to what they didn't work for' is ignores a whole lot about how society actually functions... start with what exactly is profit, a very basic element of economics. Heavy demand short supply equals huge profits, which in fact is excess over the cost to produce a given good. It's taking advantage of conditions, and while I don't suggest it be completely or even highly curtailed, recognising how this occurs should open eyes a little to using some of what in a perfect system would not accrue to the top, and use it to assist those in need. In the end, the amount flowing top to bottom should make no one howl, but... I see a lot on the right howling right now, and that is so unfortunate.

We can do better, but right now America has lost its way, sold its soul to corporations who flood our politics with cash, who poison our food with their artificial creations, even re-engineer our foods such that it harms surrounding environments. If I earned a billion tomorrow, does paying 350 million of the government (in pure tax form) harm me? Would paying 40 million more harm me? No. Would it help this nation to go the extra 40? Yes. Still leaves 'em with 610 million. Anyone around here wish to turn down 610 million?

Polish Mama on the Prairie Politically, logically, rationally, it does not make sense to focus on the fraction of the population that contributes least. Furthermore, it is impossible for everyone in this country to be wealthy or middle class. That is not how capitalism works; it is the survival of the fittest and the cream (however educated, resourceful, savvy...) will rise to the top. We are all dealt different cards in life and it what you make of it that determines your altitude. I think people need to start realizing the government isn't going to do it for you, period. Plus, no one is ENTITLED to something they didn't work for especially when people who have been paying taxing and their businesses plummeted or they were laid off can't qualify for any assistance.

The very poor "only" account for 15.1% of the population? I stopped reading at that... Sorry. Not worth my time when the writer refers to 15.1%, or over 46M, people as "only" at the beginning of the post.

Wow. If you don't find this offensive, then you are going through life with blinders. Do you really think that safety net is anyway to live? How dare you. This man is showing that he doesn't care about anyone or anything unless it helps him. This is a man who does not care about a good portion of the American public. Why? He doesn't think that they will help him get elected. This is a man who strapped a pet carrier to the roof of his car and drove with his dog in the carrier at highway speeds. It's not that his is not worried about the poor, he doesn't care and they do not figure into his plan for the US. What do you think will happen if he gets elected? He will have gotten another feather in his cap, a new trophy and he will not need his voters....only the very rich and powerful heads of corporations. Where do you think you will be then in his grand scheme?

I agree! I have less than $18,000 annual income for my husband and myself. We own a business and therefore do not qualify for, nor would I ask for government aid, welfare or medical. We dont have medical insurance.
The middle class IS where we need to focus!

Stop the blame game! Just because you hear of 1 person abusing the system does not mean that everyone is. I'm a graduate student who has worked 3 jobs AND received straight A's, and I got no handouts. I graduated with many other welfare kids, a few of whom have served this country honorably and died in our wars. I'm sure that a few people are abusing the system, but most are just trying to get back on their feet, without feeling humiliated on a daily basis. Maybe if people actually went down and talked to the poor instead of assuming what they go through, maybe they would be more compassionate. I feel sorry for those who go through life like Romney chooses to do...

I agree with him. "I'm not concerned about the very poor." Well the rest of the statement was "We have a safety net in place and if there are problems with it I'll fix it." We do have a safety net in place. The poor is not the majority and focusing on them won't fix the economy.

Leslie, perhaps I misunderstand. Do you mean the poor don't want to work? Or because there are a lack of jobs in the US? Because I'll agree, there is a lack of jobs in the US. But it's deeper than that. There is a pathetically large discrimination right in our schools, look at the education the megawealthy get vs the middle class vs the poor. Look at the food they can buy. Look at the discrimination against the poor, the immigrants, the undereducated, oppressed, by even the middle class. But in the end, what will be said of us as a society 400 or even 1,000 years from now? That there were a few wealthy landowners who's wealth and properties and rights transcended nations and continents. And then, there were the peasants, who didn't even notice that they were divided and conquered. Bought and sold.

Hum. I'm not sure what to say, except that her conclusions sound all wrong to me. And that I think the welfare/assistance programs in our country are broken and need to be reworked. And that I'd love to see her source for her statement that the majority of families eat one meal a day to get by. That sounds ridiculous to me.

I find this disgusting. I spent my childhood as one of the very poor when my father extracted himself from my family. If supposed health care is a safety net, I would like you to go down to the county facility and wait for 24-48 hours will a serious injury. I would like YOU to picture your family and children in that situation. If welfare is a safety net, then I would like you and your family to experience living on less than $1000 a month. Those who get a job are not generally allowed to have bank accounts, and their pay is docked, so they never get ahead. I would like you to experience hunger, and seeing your child get beat up because wealthier kids were taught hatred against the poor. If housing is a safety net, then I would like you to try to find it. Section 8 housing takes years to get. Once my family did receive such housing before the age of 8, I got to witness a rape and a murder.

I don't agree with Romney the poor are their because we don't have jobs. They would do better to have jobs.

I read it and still found it extremely offensive. She and commentors make it sound like the very poor are sitting on their butts collecting welfare happy as clams living it up. WRONG! The very poor are human trafficking victims, victims of domestic abuse, new immigrants (especially immigrants from countries which do not have support systems and easy translationg everywhere you look), underfunded and underperforming schools and neighborhoods, single mothers, people unable to go buy fresh fruits and vegetables because they live in "food deserts". I could go on and on.
Ms. LaShaun needs to go to those neighborhoods, meet the real people and see how difficult it is to live in an area with crappy schools, no places to work bc there are none, rampant crime with police stations being closed, etc. Then grow a compassionate heart and realize that if you don't care about the very poor, you don't care about people.
And I seriously don't know many families who only eat one meal a day to get by. If that was the case that the majority of Americans live that way, we sure as bleep wouldn't be overweight or obese, now would we?
And let me not hear that she or the commentors agreeing are Christians because there is nothing Christian about such attitudes.