# Replacing food stamps with real food for poor **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 17, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742 "2009-08-17T16:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/201 "2009-08-21T21:59:44Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > The house that exists on stolen land? > > See that’s the problem with “natural” property rights. The only natural rights you have to anything was whatever wasn’t worth the trouble to take by force. History is littered with countless examples of this, such as the victimization of the Natives. “Property” rights are a function of society. It isn’t mother nature who handles doling the house deed out to whoever is your aire, it’s society. Society protects the weak from the strong. > If you plan to advocate absolute property rights that extend beyond society, how soon do plan to vacate the Americas and return your piece of land to it’s historically rightful owners? > Also, this needs said, if I get another warning, or banned, so be it. > > **bri1600bv** , you’re a bigot. A filthy rotten piece of shit bigot. As some one raised “poor”, I am not morbidly obese, nor stupid, nor lazy. Nor are most poor people. Yet all your posts include slurs and stereotypes about how stupid, lazy, and fat the poor are. > > You wish death on us, to die in the streets, well I’m a poor person,do you wish me personally to die in the streets? I grew up poor but worked hard enough to not be poor. Yes, I personally wish you death. You’re worthless. ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/202 "2009-08-21T22:02:46Z")
> [@ThatsNotMyName](#): > > Hello, I saw this thread and felt that this should be posted here. I am a 20 year old college student, I have only ever had 2 jobs both of which terminated within a 4 month period because I do not own a car and the job was a 30 min drive. I use to receive food stamps from Social Services. I have been trying to get a job since I was 18, and have yet to find one in town. Tell me, should I be punished because I do not live near anywhere hiring? Should I be punished because my parents won’t assist me in getting a car, a place to stay, or even food for me and my wife? Should I have to be punished because maybe I can’t keep a job I can not walk to? Where I am there is little or no help for a young college student who dose not want/have children, so why in this case should I be punished? > > Did you know in the state of Maryland a homeless man who dose not wish to work can receive up to $210.00 in food stamps assistance, but me, a full time college student on the list but not in the school’s work study program will receive nothing. Unlike my mother’s homeless boyfriend, I have to work 20 hours a week to get food stamps assistance, and beyond that I will receive a reduced amount because I am working. No, I don’t think you should be “punished”. Is not giving someone free food punishing them? You have a rough go of it in this economy…keep trying. If you’re mother’s homeless boyfriend gets free food, you should too, for sure. At least you’re trying. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/203 "2009-08-22T03:31:42Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > A filthy rotten piece of shit bigot. > [@bri1600bv](#): > > Yes, I personally wish you death. You’re worthless. I’m not quite sure why you two have decided to have a pissing contest in Great Debates, but this is your separate Warning to each of you to stop it. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/204 "2009-08-22T03:52:33Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > I grew up poor but worked hard enough to not be poor. > > Yes, I personally wish you death. You’re worthless. This is very disturbing and even _I_ am shocked to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/205 "2009-08-22T05:09:35Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > If you plan to advocate absolute property rights that extend beyond society, how soon do plan to vacate the Americas and return your piece of land to it’s historically rightful owners? That’s just silly. Practically everyone in the world lives in a place where other groups of people used to live. It’s the story of human civilization. Should 19 Million people decamp Greater Mexico City, because the Aztecs used to live there? As an aside, it wasn’t the White Man who drove the Illiniwek out of Illinois, it was the Iroquois. It seems you live in the “Americas” as well. Are _your_ bags packed? ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/206 "2009-08-22T08:45:19Z")
> [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > This is very disturbing and even _I_ am shocked to see here. Well he asked after giving an insulting diatribe of his own. So he deserves it. I was trying to HELP poor people by giving them nutritious (albeit not good tasting food) and I’m the bad guy? I’m the “bigot”? His diatribe is the result of an unstable mind (IMO) caused partly by sugary low nutrition food…exactly the type of situation I was trying to help! ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/207 "2009-08-22T14:53:42Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > Well he asked after giving an insulting diatribe of his own. So he deserves it. > > I was trying to HELP poor people by giving them nutritious (albeit not good tasting food) and I’m the bad guy? I’m the “bigot”? > > His diatribe is the result of an unstable mind (IMO) caused partly by sugary low nutrition food…exactly the type of situation I was trying to help! Quoted without comment. I believe it speaks for itself. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/208 "2009-08-22T18:36:43Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > That’s just silly. Practically everyone in the world lives in a place where other groups of people used to live. It’s the story of human civilization. Should 19 Million people decamp Greater Mexico City, because the Aztecs used to live there? As an aside, it wasn’t the White Man who drove the Illiniwek out of Illinois, it was the Iroquois. It seems you live in the “Americas” as well. Are _your_ bags packed? Oh so you believe the good of the many outweighs natural property rights? Inwhich case you’re back to the status quo of normal tax policy. Otherwise why do you believe in natural property rights for some, and not others, such as Native Americans? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/209 "2009-08-22T23:04:21Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > So he deserves it. Even if I agreed with this specious logic, this is the wrong forum to indulge yourself. > [@bri1600bv](#): > > His diatribe is the result of an unstable mind. . . Until such time as you provide evidence of your medical credentials and your actual professional examination of another poster, you are Waned to refrain from making any more insults based on your own wishful pop psychology. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/210 "2009-08-23T01:01:22Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Oh so you believe the good of the many outweighs natural property rights? Inwhich case you’re back to the status quo of normal tax policy. > > Otherwise why do you believe in natural property rights for some, and not others, such as Native Americans? Circular logic, that’s fun! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/211 "2009-08-23T01:58:23Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > Circular logic, that’s fun! I’m just following your logic. Which assumes natural property rights, to the point of greedily hording your taxes to the detriment of society. Since your house is on stolen land (doesn’t matter who, stolen is stolen), why don’t you return it’s rightful owner, and practice what you preach? You should of did the research instead of buying stolen goods. Would you deny the Illiniwek their natural property rights? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/212 "2009-08-23T03:41:41Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > I’m just following your logic. Which assumes natural property rights, to the point of greedily hording your taxes to the detriment of society. > > Since your house is on stolen land (doesn’t matter who, stolen is stolen), why don’t you return it’s rightful owner, and practice what you preach? You should of did the research instead of buying stolen goods. > > Would you deny the Illiniwek their natural property rights? When are you moving? ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/213 "2009-08-23T06:12:24Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Even if I agreed with this specious logic, this is the wrong forum to indulge yourself. > Until such time as you provide evidence of your medical credentials and your actual professional examination of another poster, you are Waned to refrain from making any more insults based on your own wishful pop psychology. > > [/Moderating] This is comical. I propose giving free, unlimited, nutitious food to poor people and I’m the bad guy. Do you realize if I had proposed such during the Irish Potato famine, I’d be canonized by now? Or during almost any other time of American history. Instead our expectations are so warped that I am demonized as a “bigot”, “POS”, who wants random people to “die in the streets”. OK. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/214 "2009-08-23T07:06:07Z")
Troll. Go away. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/215 "2009-08-23T11:47:31Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > This is comical. > > I propose giving free, unlimited, nutitious food to poor people and I’m the bad guy. > > Do you realize if I had proposed such during the Irish Potato famine, I’d be canonized by now? Or during almost any other time of American history. Please cite the ‘unlimited’ part of your post. Please cite that proposing giving free, unlimited food to the poor would have made you a saint in any previous time, instead of, say, a radical communist? ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/216 "2009-08-23T14:22:24Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Please cite the ‘unlimited’ part of your post. Please cite that proposing giving free, unlimited food to the poor would have made you a saint in any previous time, instead of, say, a radical communist? Go away cite whore. Aren’t you so clever. Communist or saint, proposing to feed the poor wouldn’t have made me a ‘bigot’ against said poor. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/217 "2009-08-23T14:31:27Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Actually, a better comparison would be to ask whether the gov’t checks to see if your house makes good financial sense or is an “appropriate” choice for you. Really, should people be using their gov’t give away to buy McMansions or get a home theater? Not with my tax dollars. Personally speaking, I’ve seen so many flagrant abuses of the home mortgage/equity deduction that if I were in power I would scrap it completely, with a phased rollback over 20 years for those currently paying mortgages. And I don’t just mean the typical thing of people making 1/4 what I do buying houses costing 3 times what mine did, I’ve seen people who got home equity loans to buy _season tickets for football_, for fuck’s sake. IIRC eliminating this deduction would save the government about $67B/year as of last year - $67B that could be either used to balance the budget or to pay for the debt UHC will incur. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/218 "2009-08-23T14:46:17Z")
you would have been crucified when you couldn’t come up with this free, unlimited food for the masses. i mean, you might as well toss in penthouse apartments furnished with nymphomanic virgins. or a car that tops out at 300 mph and runs on happy thoughts. what you’re proposing is not only impossible, you do it insultingly. not only is the government unable to pay for “free” food without putting a massive burden on taxpayers, you’re insinuating that the poor people of this country are unquestionably all obese and addicted to processed foods. and what’s more, they’re woefully unaware of the dangers of fatty foods and require the benevolent intervention of the government to save them from themselves. naturally the poor rallied to tell you you’re wrong, and that obesity is not restricted amongst the poor. and then the fiscally conservative are ganging up on you because of the financial restrictions of your idea, which really leaves you with little or no allies in this debate because of your terrible idea and antagonistic tone of voice. ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/219 "2009-08-23T14:53:07Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > you would have been crucified when you couldn’t come up with this free, unlimited food for the masses. > > i mean, you might as well toss in penthouse apartments furnished with nymphomanic virgins. or a car that tops out at 300 mph and runs on happy thoughts. > > what you’re proposing is not only impossible, you do it insultingly. not only is the government unable to pay for “free” food without putting a massive burden on taxpayers, you’re insinuating that the poor people of this country are unquestionably all obese and addicted to processed foods. and what’s more, they’re woefully unaware of the dangers of fatty foods and require the benevolent intervention of the government to save them from themselves. naturally the poor rallied to tell you you’re wrong, and that obesity is not restricted amongst the poor. and then the fiscally conservative are ganging up on you because of the financial restrictions of your idea, which really leaves you with little or no allies in this debate because of your terrible idea and antagonistic tone of voice. If you can feed someone in Africa on 10 cents a day or whatever, I think you could do it here on $1 a day. The current budget is 35B someone said…so my proposal would give better more nutritious food for about 1/3 of that. So no, I wouldn’t have been crucified, I was just talking about how proposing free food would have been hailed as extremely generous in one time period but now is “bigoted”, and equivalent to wishing death on people. Just kind of ironic. I wish death on people by proposing nutritious food for them! Brilliant! “Feed me sir? How dare you! You wish to kill me do you? En guarde!”. Not all people on food stamps are fatties, just the 3 or 4 hundred pound people in front of me at the grocery store (there seem to be a lot of them)…buying 2 liter cokes with my money while I eat healthy food. I should have pulled their crap food away from them…“not with my money you don’t, fatty!”. I’m sure somewhere there is a truly disadvantaged person on food stamps, however my plan would HELP them too. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742/220 "2009-08-23T15:44:58Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > If you can feed someone in Africa on 10 cents a day or whatever, I think you could do it here on $1 a day. Nevermind that those African countries have rampant malnutrition… you can provide enough calories on $1 a day, but not enough _nutrition_. > [@](#): > > The current budget is 35B someone said…so my proposal would give better more nutritious food for about 1/3 of that. Except I question if your proposed “protein mush” is actually food as we know it. > [@](#): > > So no, I wouldn’t have been crucified, I was just talking about how proposing free food would have been hailed as extremely generous in one time period but now is “bigoted”, and equivalent to wishing death on people. No, your “mush” is not wishing death on people - _it was your direct statement wishing such to a poster_ that was offensive. > [@](#): > > Not all people on food stamps are fatties, just the 3 or 4 hundred pound people in front of me at the grocery store (there seem to be a lot of them)…buying 2 liter cokes with my money while I eat healthy food. Question: how do you know they’re on food stamps? After all, “stamps” don’t really exist anymore, they’re just swiping plastic like almost everyone else (except those throwbacks writing checks) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-food-stamps-with-real-food-for-poor/506742.md?page=12)