(December 11, 2016 at 1:13 pm)Loading Please Wait Wrote: I meant seafood other than fish. In Louisiana we have crawfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters and more which are pretty expensive when feeding a family.

All types of seafood can be beneficial to human health, especially when it replaces other, less healthful foods. Also, a large steak might be the only decent source of iron (crucial for development) available to the young children of these families. Do you think that poor families do not deserve the right to good health? Would you rather see overweight toddlers eating off of the dollar menu at McDonalds every day? What the hell is wrong with YOU?

(December 11, 2016 at 9:13 pm)Mermaid Wrote: People seem to think government assistance is sustainable as a living, that you can just collect and not work. That you can just sit around and have enough to survive.

You can in England. I've known a few people who lived like this.
They've had no job ever but had money to have 4 children who have 4 laptops none of the children have laptops they all smoke weed.
I mean that's just one family I knew as an example but I know other people who can easily live off government assistance.

(December 12, 2016 at 7:39 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(December 11, 2016 at 1:13 pm)Loading Please Wait Wrote: I meant seafood other than fish. In Louisiana we have crawfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters and more which are pretty expensive when feeding a family.

All types of seafood can be beneficial to human health, especially when it replaces other, less healthful foods.  Also, a large steak might be the only decent source of iron (crucial for development) available to the young children of these families.  Do you think that poor families do not deserve the right to good health?  Would you rather see overweight toddlers eating off of the dollar menu at McDonalds every day? What the hell is wrong with YOU?

All types? Sea slugs, sea squirts? That's just wrong.

(December 12, 2016 at 8:45 am)mh.brewer Wrote:

(December 12, 2016 at 7:39 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: All types of seafood can be beneficial to human health, especially when it replaces other, less healthful foods.  Also, a large steak might be the only decent source of iron (crucial for development) available to the young children of these families.  Do you think that poor families do not deserve the right to good health?  Would you rather see overweight toddlers eating off of the dollar menu at McDonalds every day? What the hell is wrong with YOU?

All types? Sea slugs, sea squirts? That's just wrong.

LOL, what is a sea squirt?!

(December 12, 2016 at 8:46 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(December 12, 2016 at 8:45 am)mh.brewer Wrote: All types? Sea slugs, sea squirts? That's just wrong.

LOL, what is a sea squirt?!  

Nummy Nummy.

https://shizuokagourmet.com/2009/05/29/s...oyamahoya/

(December 12, 2016 at 7:52 am)paulpablo Wrote:

(December 11, 2016 at 9:13 pm)Mermaid Wrote: People seem to think government assistance is sustainable as a living, that you can just collect and not work. That you can just sit around and have enough to survive.

You can in England. I've known a few people who lived like this.
They've had no job ever but had money to have 4 children who have 4 laptops none of the children have laptops they all smoke weed.
I mean that's just one family I knew as an example but I know other people who can easily live off government assistance.

Well, you can't in the US, hence our enormous problem with homelessness (hello, San Francisco) and food insecurity (1 in 7 children don't have enough to eat, and do not have a steady food source).

(December 12, 2016 at 7:52 am)paulpablo Wrote:

(December 11, 2016 at 9:13 pm)Mermaid Wrote: People seem to think government assistance is sustainable as a living, that you can just collect and not work. That you can just sit around and have enough to survive.

You can in England. I've known a few people who lived like this.
They've had no job ever but had money to have 4 children who have 4 laptops none of the children have laptops they all smoke weed.
I mean that's just one family I knew as an example but I know other people who can easily live off government assistance.

Indeed, in the UK there are some who undoubtedly 'game the system', and view a life on benefits as a viable and legitimate lifestyle choice

BUT

These people are very much a minority, despite the plethora of docusoaps that would have you believe otherwise. Fact is far and away the biggest recipients of gov't aid (besides pensioners) are people in work.

Imo that leads to other problems, as in effect the gov't is subsidising business, as it enables business to get away with keeping wages down as the gov't 'tops them up'.

I hope that as the gov't moves the minimum wage closer to a 'living wage' that burden will start to shift from the gov't (and the taxpayer) to the employer, and the gov't can shift its resources to helping people into work (e.g. expanding free pre-school childcare).

On one other point, I really don't get the 'they are not working and get x, yet I work y hours and only get a little more than x' mindset. For me, financials aside, working helps to give me self respect, and sets an example for my kids. It enables me to meet people from varied cultures and backgrounds. I took a pay cut to be able to work term time only, since my kids are still relatively young, and it is cheaper to cut my hours than pay for childcare, but tbh by the end of the holidays I'm climbing the walls with boredom. I see it as a good thing, a measure of success, that I put more into the system than I get out.

I once earned very little above what I would get on benefits in fact it was probably less since it was before the days of both nmw and working tax credits, but honestly, most people start at the bottom of an organisation, but you pay your dues and usually end up some way above that. I think the 'it's not fair' mindset is more reflective of dissatisfaction at their own circumstances, so they can blame the fact that they have been passed over for promotion, can't be bothered to acquire new skills, simply aren't good enough at their jobs to warrant a raise on those who don't, or can't work.

/rant

(December 12, 2016 at 7:52 am)paulpablo Wrote: You can in England. I've known a few people who lived like this.
They've had no job ever but had money to have 4 children who have 4 laptops none of the children have laptops they all smoke weed.
I mean that's just one family I knew as an example but I know other people who can easily live off government assistance.

Yeah, I know what you mean. There's a family like that in London, lives up the Mall. Fucking scroungers.

But even so, people less fortunate =/= shiftless dole scroungers. Let's not confuse the two.

We're not really worried that poor people might be eating water cockroaches, are we?