I was in line last night at the super market and watched some woman, buying 10 gallons of milk and paying for it with a WIC check. After "We the People" paid for her "chill-drins" milk she then paid separately for all her yuppie crap: salad, tofu, fish, deli meat, deli subs, wine etc.
Who's going to support all the welfare bums in America when everyone in America becomes a welfare bum?
Why doesn't bush give us all a million dollar rebate? We can really stimulate the economy then.
I once had an american boss the best I ever had who ended his second retirement as vice president of Tupperware
he received double salary whilst in Belgium for another company that fired me in 1996
one salary at home and one here in Belgium
He got free use of a small castle with stables and horses with one provision that he got the lawns mowed and the horses ridden
Now his wife and two daughters liked to ride horses
His wife spend money like a drunken sailor going to France to buy mink coats
Belgium is a welfare state and I paid 65% direct state taxes on any salary
increase and another 12% city taxes on everything and up to 32% taxes on luxury items as value added tax 25% basic luxury tax and another 7% on superluxury
I travelled two hours at high speed a day ( in the old days 100 miles an hour) and I could not afford a 2500 cc car with 32% tax not even with 8 years of university and engineering and MBA diplomas nor speeking 4 languages
One day he kind of complained to me about during his term back in the US a woman was buying prime sirloin steak with welfare checks whilst he was buying ordinary beef
Ok he was the saving kind but his three woman were spending it as fast as they could .
For the moment the Belgian reasoning is if they can get immigrants as fast as possible and paying taxes our pensions will be safe
The last year with the american multinational I paid 37000 dollars in direct taxes and my employer paid 84000 dollars in government contributions for my welfare and my pension etc and then I paid solidarity contributions on my "free" sickness insurance etc.
I guess what I mean is that a country that does not have money for dental care for its children but for two useless wars is far from a welfare state with welfare bums
and a million during the Weimar Republic did not buy you a loaf of bread .
My father was in german care during WWII and he ate worms and beatles and grass and cats to survive, my grandfather had gold double eagles sewn in the hem of my mothers dress and he had a private car and driver and spend the war in the South of France
Bottom line welfare state or not you have to try and take care of yourself