Conservatives have more self-control

[The Industrial Atheist]

That's the barest minimum. The fact is when people give out of charity, it's not enough to make a dent.

Are you saying there shouldn't be any antipoverty
programs, no matter how needy someone is and how little they are at fault for their situation?

Nope. But I do question the long-term efficacy of such programs. Have cities with long-term democratic governments accomplished much? Give a fish/teach to fish, etc.

I don't know about cities but the states that have traditionally been the most Republican controlled are often the poorest and use the most welfare. I don't even think they are poor because they are Republicans, I think it's the other way around. People turn to religion when they have nothing else and very religious people usually vote Republican. Still I don't know of Republican policies or religion ever turning things around in these states.

Also I will restate that in order to keep getting food stamps and many other forms of government help, unless you're disabled, you have to prove that you are at least applying for jobs. Some help is in the form of programs to get people in work.

But it seems kind of silly to me that if position 1 is : "If we think you need help you will get some, with conditions,"and position 2 is "You're on your own. Get off your lazy ass, you'll get no help!"

That position 2 results in less poverty? Even when a lot of the help some Republicans want to get rid of is education and training so that people can work.

Most of the farthest left don't want everybody to have the same pay no matter what someones job is or if they work at all. They just want equality of opportunity and for people to have the bare minimum if you can't work right now to not starve or go crazy.

Chances are you or someone close to you has benefited from these programs. Perhaps without them they'd be dead, or you wouldn't know them because they'd be homeless.