# Is the USA a "welfare state" like the right claims? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 24, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-usa-a-welfare-state-like-the-right-claims/619764 "2012-04-24T00:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-usa-a-welfare-state-like-the-right-claims/619764/61 "2012-04-30T23:41:59Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > So I’ll ask again - do you really think that Republicans in Congress would get behind an increase in the deficit to bail out people? And I have no doubt that they would call these people stupid. Where do you get this idea that I think Congress is going to bail anyone out? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-usa-a-welfare-state-like-the-right-claims/619764/62 "2012-05-01T16:40:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Where do you get this idea that I think Congress is going to bail anyone out? Because you said > [@](#): > > But yeah, there’s a reason that if we talk about privatization of a government run program that the government has a say in the type of investment vehicles that are allowed, since they’ll have to bail people out if they make stupid bad decisions. Unless you think that limiting investment options prevents people from making bad decisions that is. Maybe they wouldn’t go totally bust, but they could lose enough to require a bailout. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-usa-a-welfare-state-like-the-right-claims/619764.md?page=3)