GOP Becoming The Cartoon Party

[Mayabird]

Georgia was even founded as a debtor's colony.

No. Uh uh. Not at all. That was Oglethorpe's plan in the beginning, but the colonists that were actually sent were a bunch of non-debtor general poor people. There were many such plans of that nature, like their schemes to raise silkworms and export silk to England to make money, when really it just became the speedbump of tiny forts between Spanish Florida and the (real) English colonies farther north.

[Darth Wong]

That's Republicanism for you: just enough collectivism to show that they don't believe in their own stated principles, but not enough to actually help others.

The latter day Republicans supposedly donate more to charities than liberals and of course brag about it.

Do they have any real evidence to support this claim? Especially when liberals are more willing to vote to increase their own taxes in order to pay for the needs of others?

[Big Orange]

The latter day Republicans supposedly donate more to charities than liberals and of course brag about it.

Do they have any real evidence to support this claim? Especially when liberals are more willing to vote to increase their own taxes in order to pay for the needs of others?

I agree that state taxes are better than just giving private charity, yet giving to charity seems to be a popular claim by Republican supporters, but I wouldn't be surprised the charities that they give to could be suspect in some form or manner (if they're religious in nature or less accountable than government accounting). And the way they boast about their chariability inevitably comes across as smug and annoying, as if they are sticking something to the liberals who believe in state investment instead of private charity, and all the while they hypocritically suppress Universal Healthcare.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

The basic idea is that charities give money to people who are genuinely needy, whereas social services give money to welfare queens and drug dealers. That's literally how it's seen, the basic idea is that the Church organization giving out blankets and soup has the ability to look into someone's eyes and refuse to serve them if they seem to be evil people, whereas the government programmes are designed precisely to enable evil people to continue their evil lifestyles. Therefore the only possible explanation for the liberals supporting to raise taxes on themselves is actually so that they can buy the support of these evil people--and since no other explanation is acceptable, that's why so many conservatives start down the path of black helicopters and democrats bringing on the New World Order, because they have to be doing something with the political power that welfare buys them, right? For most however it's simply accepted that all democrats are corrupt and so the whole system exists of welfare actually exists to provide democratic politicians and their supporters with kickbacks, the basic idea being that the democrats would never be in power unless they paid off the degenerate lumpenproletariat with bribes in the form of social services, and then once they're in power they use that power to enrich themselves through corruption. Essentially, it's seen by most hardcore conservatives as an crooked investment strategy by arrogant liberals, whereas charity spreads the mercy of God in the form of food and clothing and shelter to the Genuinely Needy and Deserving.

[Darth Wong]

Plain English translation: "we only give to people like us". That's why so much conservative charity is nothing more than convoluted self-help: they donate to their own church, they donate to support their own kids' school, they donate to clean up their own neighbourhood, etc.

But even if we disregard that fact, the proof is in the pudding: poverty is highest where government social services are weakest. Charity is not picking up the slack. Medical costs are the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US. Charity is not picking up the slack.

[Big Orange]

No doubt there are shirkers and dimwits on the dole, but by dismantling the welfare system America would start to resemble Latin America, eventually setting the stage for low intensity warfare in the slums and monthly military coups. I'm sure the Roman Catholic Church does plenty of charity in Latin America and more likely they adhere to Mother Teresa's oh so high standards.

[The Yosemite Bear]

hey mike don't forget the laura bush charity hospital in Iraq for women and orphans. A giant chairity that just exists to provide even more kick backs to certain companies, which can't even function (no power, beds, working medical equipment, the drugs have all been resold to the black market, and no women and children can physically get to the building....)