Never Enough: William Voegeli on America's Limitless Welfare State

[felpaluche]

Nothing is ever enough for all of us

[FRSFreeStateNow]

The Welfare State or as I would prefer a Safety Net. Should be designed to help people who are down. But help them help themselves get back up. Instead of just subsidizing them forever. But put them to work. 

[sugarpuddin88]

Note the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) & IMF last week admitted that US Federal Debt is 200 Trillion

Couple that with 1.5 Quadrillion in phony counterfeit derivatives

Go back to sleep America! You have the Government you deserve!

[032125]

Ayn Rand rightly identified the phenomenon of "printing press rights" and the resulting "rights inflation" in her essay Man's Rights. It's a foundational documement for any libertarian, though Rand is as obnoxious as ever.

[captaindiesalot]

The Solutions are known: Smaller Government. A Change in the Tax Structure. An elimination of Social Welfare systems, especially Social Security and Medicare. A move towards The Constitutional Mandates.

[PLooBzor]

I absolutely hate the background music played at the start.

[hnsbro]

Why should anyone be entitled to a percentage of my labor? Income tax is abhorrent.

[dezldummi]

the simple fact is the battle is between individualism and collectivism... and unless the individuals group together the fight will be one sided in favor of the collectivist... and an obvious fact is when the individual forms a collective group, then does that not start the process of collectivism within the individual, perpetuating the disease of collectivism?

[Gyrode]

Friedman gave this argument before, and if you study old Europe, it is an economic law. If you raise taxes, you will increase debt, not lower it....all else equal! Even with our debt problems, we are still better off than countries like France and the UK in terms of pubic debt as a % of GDP.

[corenothing]

These videos keep getting better, but you need some better promotion, the views should be thousands higher.

[Vinetia]

Did he say they should get the road to serfdom? WTF.

[Ruinous]

@Vinetia It's a book

[Vinetia]

@Ruinous Ok my bad. I was abit ignorant of the idea, lol. I knew that that could'nt be right.

[bnfox]

I'm surprised a lot of the Fox News crowd could tear themselves away from the TV for a few minutes to watch this.

[Ruinous]

@bnfox I'm surprised liberal fucks have the capacity to form sentences. Fuck off child.

[bnfox1957]

@Ruinous -no liberal here, scrotumlicker - just hate ignorant hypocritical dumbfucks...people like you.

[bnfox]

@Ruinous -ha ha ha ha ha ha  - a goth punk bitch with a channel full of goth and corporate metal calling someone else a "child' - ha ha ha ha ha. That's rich.

[yougiberishtube]

thumbs up

[ryinski2]

Sure welfare costs money and times are tough but to blame the poor will not solve anything. What about the trillions leeched out of the economy by white collar predators and the government that seems only to act as referees in a business against business fight for control of everything? Or the support of the military industrial complex over the last century? The state depends on people needing it to justify it's existence and does not want people to be self sufficient. This is no accident.

[jamesuslovesu]

@ryinski2 thumbs up to you for pointing out that they dont want us to be self sufficient.

[duanescot]

excellent video, and a great insight as to why progressivism and liberalism is NOT a sustainable ideology

[whoo689]

Look, I love Reason magazine and have been a longtime subscriber to Reason TV, but it seems to have become very narrowly focused nowadays. It seems that every new segment is just some libertarian guy expounding a bunch of principles. I'm not saying it's not interesting or informative, but when Reason first started it had like 3 or 4 different types of segments. Nowadays it's just either one interview by a Reason employee or some guy's long-ass monologue about a particular topic.

[whoo689]

@whoo689 I wonder if it's not impossible for Reason to maybe get Drew Carey back to do another segment for old times sake?

[macpduff]

Welfare for the rich is called bailouts. Evidently the rich who own banks and Wall St firms have no problem with welfare money they haven't worked for - as long as it's going into their pockets.

The bailouts of 2008 put a stake through the heart of killing welfare because we've all now seen how hypocritical the rich are.

[adamitshelanu]

"Libertarians face a painful dilemma?" I laughed in that section! Libertarians want even MORE ILLEGALS because the welfare class refuses to work EVER AGAIN!

[duanescot]

@adamitshelanu libertarians want more illegal immigrants and supports the loafing welfare state? I think you might be confused as to what a libertarian is?

[order9066]

There is no, nor were there "surpluses". Stop this lie!!!!!!!!!

[Aeronomer]

@order9066 How can you have a surplus when you're in debt?

[papeluso]

The only way to do away with the "Welfare State" is to do away with public schools.

Nicolas Adjuder

Author,

Please Break The Law.com

[jamesuslovesu]

@silvercelli dont forget about outsourcing and companies hiring illegal immigrants so they dont have to pay their employees a decent wage, (just to clarify, the problem is not the immigrants, it is the companies that hire them and pay them a substandard wage)

[electroplate]

@jamesuslovesu Who are you to decide what wage is "substandard"? The immigrants that took those jobs were happy to because the wage was far higher than anything they could earn in their home countries. People with your mindset cause unemployment by denying employers and workers the right to come to a mutual agreement regarding what wage is fair.

[jamesuslovesu]

@electroplate I am a person who believes that someone should be paid enough money to live off of.

I think everyone would agree that IS fair.

the low wages that they pay the illegal immigrants are not fair.

I dont think it should take 3-4 people with full time jobs to be able to afford a 1 bedroom house.

[electroplate]

@jamesuslovesu I know many that think the way you do and your hearts are in the right place. Unfortunately, setting an artificially high minimum wage hurts the very people you're trying to help. I wish the minimum wage could be $500 per hour but that's not reality. The higher the minimum wage is, the higher unemployment will be and the harder it is to start a small business. Let people decide for themselves what wage they're willing to work for.

[jamesuslovesu]

@electroplate ok,so how much someone gets paid is less a problem than how much housing costs.where i live over the past 20 years the minimum wage has doubled,but the cost of food has also doubled and the cost of housing has tripled.

when a company gives all their jobs to immigrants because they are willing to work for less it attracts more of them to move here so theres less housing available and the prices go up.and with all the immigrants working for low pay why should they hire anyone else?

[Gyrode]

@jamesuslovesu In most places. the minimum wage is non binding, meaning it is not above the market wage, so this doesn't apply to immigrants, or day laborers.

[jamesuslovesu]

@Gyrode

at this point i've left so many replies on this vid that i'm not even sure which reply your replying to lol

so i'll leave with my final words being

Housing Costs Too Damn Much

[jamesuslovesu]

one problem that seems to go unaddressed is that alot of people cant afford to live off one job because of the increasing cost of living, and there arent enough jobs for everyone to have 2.when i was a kid (im 29 now)my mom had a part time job and rented a house with 2 bedrooms with a nice big yard in a good neighborhood. i had a full time job and i couldnt afford a one bedroom apartment in a crappy neighborhood.so i started thinking.

why the fuck should people work if they cant afford to live?

[XCritonX]

@jamesuslovesu Most consumer goods are cheaper than ever. Wages are higher than 10 years ago (although that might change). So why do we all have to work more? Partly because we have more personal debt and we buy more luxury goods, however that will not explain it all. Much higher taxes, including "invisible" taxes are eating up about 60% of every Americans earnings.

[jamesuslovesu]

@XCritonX i disagree regarding consumer goods,just looking back to when i was a kid and comparing to the prices of today

then bread was 59c today its 1.19 for the same bread.while the minwage in my state has also risen in about the same amount,the price of housing and transportation have risen disproportianately higher.when i couldnt afford a crappy 1bdrm apartment the only bills i considered were rent,utilities, and food.

with a full time job making more that minwage i couldnt afford it.

[XCritonX]

@jamesuslovesu Food has risen in the last year. Housing (not a consumer good) has also risen dramatically because of government stimulus of the banking industry that pumped up the price of houses. Also fuel costs have risen. Everything else is down.

If you want a cheap house then mover to Chicago, they are almost giving them away. Of course you would have to live in Chicago then. On second thought your better where you are. Hang in there, somethings got to give.

[mmsayre]

@jamesuslovesu People can pool their resources with other people that "cant afford to live". I am reminded of a time when I lived in an efficiency apt and in the unit below me there were no less that 12 immigrants sharing the place. It must have been all beds inside. I doubt any one of them could have paid the rent on the place (about 400 a month in 2002) and still paid for their other necessities. But since they pooled their resources, they managed to justify having jobs and affording to live.

[jamesuslovesu]

@mmsayre so us poor folk should all have to cram together in places not designed to house the number of people in them, be forced to have to rely on other people so we can afford to live in these conditions and be happy about it?

isnt it reasonable for someone who works a full time job to be able to afford a place to live and transportation to and from work?

[Talviir]

@jamesuslovesu No...it's not reasonable to assume that. Just because you go someplace for 8 hours a day doesn't mean you are entitled to anything other than the wage agreed on by you and your employer. Don't like the wage? Get a different job. Can't get a different job due to lack of education? Go to school. Can't afford to go to school? Enlist. They pay for food, shelter, and an education after your 4 years.

[jamesuslovesu]

@Talviir ok, just to clarify. you don't think it's reasonable for someone who works a full time job to be able to afford a place to live and transportation to and from work?

as for enlisting maybe i'll do that after the military stops killing innocent civilians and using drugs as an excuse for war.

[Talviir]

@jamesuslovesu I work a job and think I should be paid enough for a small boat and a log cabin in Montana...that's called 'entitlement'. So I do NOT think it's reasonable that just because you work 8 hours a day you can magically afford a car and house. Rent an apartment...take a bus. You obviously have internet connection and are on every few hours (no job?). Skip the internet connection and save $40/month. At $15/hour, you have $2400 per month. That's cakewalk to get a place and car on

[jamesuslovesu]

@Talviir you're right, i dont have a job. i have ptsd, chronic pain and other health problems so the government gives me money. i'd rather be working but i'm living better now then i was when i had a job. so where is my incentive to work?

[Talviir]

@jamesuslovesu all the symptoms that 1) are not provable by any test and 2) are the 2 big buzzwords for medical marijuana. That with your icon tells me you want the 'american dream', but dont want to work too hard for it. A friend of mine is a quadraplegic and manages to get up and go to work each day. If the government took away your pablum, I'm quite certain you'd manage to 'fight the pain' and work. Hence why the gub'ment needs to remove the incentive to be lazy.

[mmsayre]

@jamesuslovesu Your standard of living is dictated by your income, yes. That is reasonable. You would be surprised what people are happy with outside the US. Not everyone can afford a water heater and carpeted floors. It isn't fair. Its just reality. Where I live, people live with their parents and sometimes extended family until theyre about 35. Not because they want to, but because they cant afford to live on their own. It is considered a luxury, which it is. why is it your right to have it?

[jamesuslovesu]

@mmsayre well i'm sure that YOU can afford these things, and to hell with everyone else right? why should you care if other people cant afford a place to live? if everyone else in the world is gettin screwed over it's ok just as long as you're doing well right?

[mmsayre]

@jamesuslovesu I am doing well now, yes. In my late teens and early to mid 20s I was VERY poor. I lived in a shitty area in a run down house. My diet was largely comprised of potatoes, rice, and beans. I never ran the AC. I slept on a bed which I found. Most of my furniture and appliances were either given to me or I took what people were throwing out. I lived with roommates, I rode my bike everywhere I could to make my car last a few more years and save on gas. The poor are a transitory group.

[jamesuslovesu]

@mmsayre how can you say that the poor are a transitory group when most of them are poor from the cradle to the grave?

i understand that there are people from other countries who live in far worse conditions but you cant expect people that grew up watching the quality of life in the town that they live in go steadily downhill and not be upset about it.

[Gyrode]

@jamesuslovesu Most of the poor are "poor" from cradle to grave usually due to well intentioned government programs. However, a young couple will pay no NET total taxes (ALL of them, not only income) until they make more than 31 grand a year.

[mmsayre]

@jamesuslovesu

The poor are a transitory group if you would consider the bottom quintile poor>>(treas.gov/press/release­s/hp673.htm)

The old saying that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer is not borne out in the census data.

I am in total agreement with you on your last point. I expect people to be upset about their standard of living going down. Hopefully people will not look to the govt for answers.

[Gyrode]

@jamesuslovesu compared to what? I do financial stuff, and I am amazed at how certain discretionary spending becomes "cost of living." 40 years ago, discretionary spending was lower. Take the other extreme, where we have mexican day laborers who are able to send hundreds of dollars to mexico a month, and I STILL see them at Costco!

[jamesuslovesu]

@Gyrode i dont own a car, ipad,ipod,cellphone,or videogame system. i bought my laptop 3 years ago and it was the 2nd cheapest one i could find, i don't have cable or a home phone. i'd say i'm very limited in my discretonary spending. as far as the mexican day laborers you talk about they can afford to send money home because they cram themselves into houses like sardines in a can. i see it everyday in my hometown and im sure its no different in other places where there are alot of immigrants.

[mmsayre]

@jamesuslovesu too bad leaving comments on youtube isnt a paying occupation.

[Gyrode]

@jamesuslovesu Ok then, you have nowhere to go it seems! I usually ask these types of questions when people need to find more money... You should get in contact with the DAV, or disabled american veterans.

[Panpiper]

@jamesuslovesu Welcome to the consequence of unchecked fiat money. The inflation tax robs the poor and middle class so the new money can be spent by the government and super rich speculators. That is how it is that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. That is why it takes two professionals (husband and wife) working today to maintain the same living standard of a common trades person (working alone) 50 years ago.

[jamesuslovesu]

@Panpiper the only thing i would have to disagree with you on there is the 50 years ago part as i am 29 and have seen these changes in my lifetime.

btw you have some great things to say in your vids, i just watched "gaia and the human race" and thought you made some excellent points

[tmac9938]

@jamesuslovesu you just covered, in awesome detail, the economic changes we've seen since the 80's (i'm an '84 baby). to add, here are the social changes i've witnessed since the 80's:

-remember playing baseball/basketball with your neighbors?

-remember having BBQ's with your neighbors?

-remember walking thru your neighbors door without knocking?

-remember kids going OUTSIDE to play?

now? come home at 5pm, and all you see is that damn blue light in everyone's living room.

[jamesuslovesu]

@tmac9938 O man i know. kids today are lured in by the constant stimulation of teevee, the interweb, and vidya games, and the parents wonder why their kids all got the a.d.d.

[AshillaBeige]

@jamesuslovesu

Read Thomas Sowell's "Economic Facts and Fallacies" where he discusses how the government has raised the cost of living with its ridiculous interference known as "urban planning."

Things like rent controls and zoning laws seriously fuck with costs. Furthermore, it's no longer cheaper to build a high rise to allow for cheaper living due to regulations. So essentially, there's excess demand for a necessary good, so the price goes up.

[robertmike57]

@silvercelli A real voice of reason. Here I thought this might be about the expanding welfare to large corporations. But Reason TV is full of shit, as usual when they move away from being libertarian to promoting conservative ideology.

Hell, global outsourcing of jobs has went on for over 20 years. I can cite personal examples dating back to 1986.

[electroplate]

@robertmike57 Reason TV is promoting a conservative ideology? Most libertarians don't support confiscating wealth from some and giving it others, which is what welfare is. Arguments can be made about who's deserving, who's been exploited by wall st, etc, but coercion and force need not be used to help those people. We are generous and compassionate people and can help the needy without our friendly politicians doing it through force.

[robertmike57]

@electroplate Libertarians are fucking retarded then. where my costs have went up has been with fucking unregulated monopolies who screw everyone up the ass for their wealth. Tax the living shit out the wealthy and regulate the gouging monopolies.

[natdavi]

@robertmike57 which monopoly?

[electroplate]

@robertmike57 It's clear you have no idea what you're talking about and responding to you is probably useless. Yes, tax the living shit out of the wealthy sounds great. Watch them move to a different country. There goes most of the spenders, job creators, and sources of tax revenue for the country. The wealthy that don't leave won't spend or start businesses that create jobs because most of their money is being confiscated. Great plan you have there.

[mmsayre]

@robertmike57 which monopolies are you talking about? Most of the monopolies I can think of are granted by the govt. Libertarians don't support/condone govt granted monopolies, and tend to think monopolies which arent protected by regulation/legislation will inevitably get competitors unless they are providing something more cheaply than anyone else possibly could. And if that is the case they arent really abusive.

[Gyrode]

@mmsayre You're right, most sustained monopolies are regional and at the behest of government, like Cable tv (sort of, technology changed that), power, water, and sewage treatment. The only monopoly without gov. is Microsoft, but that is changing due to companies like Google and Apple.

[asswipe777]

@robertmike57 Since when have Libertarians been fans of bailouts and rent-seeking by corporations?

[NCMan28025]

@silvercelli Actually, it was politicians who were bought and paid for by Wall Street, Bankers and the Unions. The government has stepped in and now things are worse. Since the government passed the $700 billion TARP bailout the $862 billion stimulus, unemployment, foreclosures, bankruptcies and the number of Americans on food stamps have hit record highs. The governments record during recessions is "we must spend to get us out of the hole." It never works and extends the suffering.

[raptor797]

@silvercelli well, compare the US's gdp per capita to china. you're not very bright, are you?

[NCMan28025]

Cradle to grave welfare is a liberal's motto.

[raptor797]

@silvercelli no they haven't.

[ForTehNguyen]

taking money from the productive and giving it to the unproductive doesnt help the economy improve.

[Valdris1987]

@ForTehNguyen let me correct you.

taking money from people and giving to politicians/corps doesnt help the economy improve.

[arcanekrusader]

Welfare is pablum.