# Liberal vs. Conservative Generosity **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 23, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924 "2012-12-23T15:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/61 "2012-12-26T05:54:50Z")
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**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/62 "2012-12-26T23:16:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well? Is that not exactly what you would expect of most people who have any need of welfare? The rest of my post that this quote was taken from explains it. In a nutshell, a safety should be just that: a safety net–NOT a way of life. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/63 "2012-12-27T04:42:26Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > The rest of my post that this quote was taken from explains it. In a nutshell, a safety should be just that: **a safety net–NOT a way of life.** Aside from WIC and SNAP, which are just a drop in the safety net bucket, can you give an example of what you’re talking about? Which recipients are doing this and what benefits are they receiving? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/64 "2012-12-27T19:31:48Z")
From my personal experience, rich people in general give money if they can get something back - a really great party celebrating their generosity, a really nice building named after them, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/65 "2012-12-27T19:58:12Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > From my personal experience, rich people in general give money if they can get something back - a really great party celebrating their generosity, a really nice building named after them, etc. This may be true, but I hope you see the fallacy here: you don’t notice whatever anonymous or low-key giving they may be doing. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924/66 "2012-12-27T21:20:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > This may be true, but I hope you see the fallacy here: you don’t notice whatever anonymous or low-key giving they may be doing. True, but the same applies to the charity by liberals both rich and poor, and poor conservatives. I’ve worked doing audio and video for far too many “I’m So Awesome” parties to celebrate the opening of the _John Q. Smith Hospital Wing_, or the _Lipshitz Pavilion_ to believe the gesture was selfless. The difference between the charitable giving that a woman who makes $20,000 a year and gives $1000 and the one who makes $20,000,000 and gives $1,000,000? The latter gets her name on something that will be standing for decades, for the same percentage. And doesn’t run the risk of ever missing a meal to do so, unlike the former. I do know some millionaires (I do their computer support), and several of them are fine, good, generous people (and a couple are genuine shits). And in my experience, _charity_ is almost always accompanied by _publicity_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-vs-conservative-generosity/644924.md?page=3)