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Research Links Food Stamps and Obesity


Guest Remo Williams
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Pathetic, simply pathetic. On the other hand how can you expect people who don't even have enough self discipline to get out of poverty to be able to control there eating habits. Fat, lazy, ugly, and probably smelly, it's no wonder I despise the poor.

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Pathetic, simply pathetic. On the other hand how can you expect people who don't even have enough self discipline to get out of poverty to be able to control there eating habits. Fat, lazy, ugly, and probably smelly, it's no wonder I despise the poor.


. . . You despise the poor?

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Dragon Lady, please keep in mind a few factors. First, a study a few months ago showed that most people in the "poor" category (ie. needing food stamps for food) are depressed. And I don't just mean, "My girlfriend left me, boy am I bummed". I mean "I have no money, no education, no matter what I do I'll never own my own home or make more than $16,000 a year - I should die." Depression is a HUGE problem that can affect you physically, making it next to impossible, for example, to get out of bed in the morning.

People suffering from depression need real help and you would do wonders for the world if you baked a depressed person a cake and told them how much you care about them. You mention self-discipline? See how much self-discipline you can muster when you're too depressed to get out of bed to feed yourself. Can you imagine what that must be like? Can you imagine what it must feel like to people who believe they'll never make enough money to get out of a slum? That they'll never get to live in a "nice" neighbourhood, without having to share a house with anyone?

Number two, the poor can be *ANY* of us at *ANY* time. What terrible timing: Your doctor discovers some vital organ is functioning improperly. It will cost $600,000 to treat and you will have to spend $800 every month for the rest of your life on medication. And hey - your insurance won't cover it. Congratulations! You are now poor.

Let's not segregate the poor - they can be any one of us. Have a little empathy for god's sake: I'm a freelancer - I don't have a steady check. I can enter that tax bracket at any moment!

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Fat, lazy, ugly, and probably smelly, it's no wonder I despise the poor.

That is *SO* offensive. What kind of person are you? How can you stand to look at yourself every morning, if you believe that? I know BANKERS who are fat, lazy, ugly and most assuredly smelly. I live in Charlotte, the second biggest banking center in America - my neighbours on both sides are bankers and you should SEE their homes.

I urge you to take a long hard look at your life and realise that, no matter how much money and schooling you cushion yourself with, you could still end up waiting for your food stamps every month - needing a bath and having to decide whether you need to eat or pay the rent, wishing you could just DIE so your children won't have the added burden of supporting you, AFRAID to die because your children will have to assume all your DEBT!

And Remo Williams, I'm not excluding you from this little rant, you just happen to offend me less than Dragon Lady.

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Amen Gryphon!

It disgusts me to see comments as yours Dragon Lady! Unfortunately, not everyone is as fortunate as everyone else in this country. Granted, MANY of the poor population need to try harder to get off of foodstamps and such, but don't be so critical. I know PLENTY of poor families that try their hardest to make it better for themselves. THE SADDEST PART THOUGH IS THE PEOPLE THAT SAY THINGS LIKE YOU WHO WON'T LET THEM GET HIGHER!!! Yes, its true, oppression does occur in this "FREE" country of ours. Several of the families that I know of have actually been turned down for jobs, even though they are clearly qualified, just because of their current social status. (i.e. Someone with 20 years experience with a position who is poor attempts to get a job with a firm, yet is turned down for a college student with no experience and is from a upper class family)

I suggest going on a pilgrimage to a poor district nearby. THEN afterward, try to be critical of the poor.

Gryphon is also right about the doctor's bill type thing. Many families become poor daily just because of medical bills. Did you perhaps think about them when you made your comment?

It surprises me, I did not expect you of all people to be so stereotypical. Perhaps I had been only blind before.

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Thanks WeeGee and Gryphon, you saved me the trouble. However you're barking up the wrong tree trying to appeal to DL's sense of compassion;she doesn't have one and doesn't pretend to either.

That who she is and though I never have agreed with her I appreciate her because she is consistent and honest.

The worst thing about this is that it presupposes that all "poor" people are alike. Untrue. Some work everyday(hence the term 'working poor') and just don't make enough money. The real sad thing is report is inaccurate.

It suggests that they are getting fat off of your money, an attempt to demonize the poor. The real truth is our whole society is getting lazier and fatter. Poor people are just easier targets.

A more descriptive factor is education level.

There is a stronger corelation that higher educated people tend to exercise more than those without higher education. A better fix would be continued education on nutrition and a staggered

payment for high fat foods. For example give families bonuses for spending money on healthy foods and penalize them for fatty foods. In a sense this is already being done. My agency has a contract to distibute fruits and vegatables at reduced costs in housing projects. After a slow start , our Farmers's market in the 'Hood has sold more fruit and veggies evry year. People have also utilized reduce costs memberships on neighborhood YMCA's to increase fitness.

It is no suprise this came from a Fox news outlet. We all know how unbiased they are.

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Guest Remo Williams

LOl, I knew this one would open a can of worms.

Let me just say I have interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, and emphysema. I pay more in doctors bills then most people make in a year just to stay alive. I still get up every morning and go to work. I don't just lay there saying poor me with my hand out.

Don't even get me started on this depression bull. Their depressed because they want to be plain and simple. They need to get a grip and stop feeling sorry for them selves and do something about it.

Granted there are some out there that work and just don't bring in enough to make it. I don't mind that much buy their kid something to eat. Their at least trying to change their lives and do their part.

The ones that piss me off are the ones that just set there able to work and their not doing anything but taking food off my plate. So they can feel sorry for themselves or do drugs. These are the ones I'm refering to.

Hehe Foxnews is good for a laugh though I have to admit.

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Well I do love a good argument

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First, a study a few months ago showed that most people in the "poor" category (ie. needing food stamps for food) are depressed.

Yea, and depression isn't the sole territory of the poor, I know what it's like. I was miserably depressed for nearly a year a couple of years back, I did terrible in my classes (even programming in C) and after the first quarter I didn't take any classes at all. I got over it though, I've mostly solved my problem and I'm moving on, it's as simple as that.

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Let's not segregate the poor - they can be any one of us. Have a little empathy for god's sake: I'm a freelancer - I don't have a steady check. I can enter that tax bracket at any moment!

Well darling, I'm not referring to everyone who happens to spend some time in a low income bracket; I'm talking about people who stay there. As for segregating the poor, I honestly couldn't care less; I just have a tendency to dislike them.

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That is *SO* offensive.

My apologies, I'm not trying to offend anyone.

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What kind of person are you?

I don't know. What kind of question is that?

Seriously though, I'm not a nice person if that's what you're talking about.

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How can you stand to look at yourself every morning, if you believe that?

Because if I didn't look at myself in the morning I would have trouble deciding what clothes and cosmetics to wear. Trust me darling, I have no trouble looking at myself, I have some 7 mirrors in my bedroom.

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I know BANKERS who are fat, lazy, ugly and most assuredly smelly. I live in Charlotte, the second biggest banking center in America - my neighbours on both sides are bankers and you should SEE their homes.

*ahem* no stereotyping here...

And besides, they're also wealthy, and if someone can make enough money to be wealthy then they're in a whole different category.

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I urge you to take a long hard look at your life and realise that, no matter how much money and schooling you cushion yourself with, you could still end up waiting for your food stamps every month - needing a bath and having to decide whether you need to eat or pay the rent, wishing you could just DIE so your children won't have the added burden of supporting you, AFRAID to die because your children will have to assume all your DEBT!

Oh I don't deny the possibility, but I'm not seriously worried. Besides, the last part doesnÔÇÖt apply to me, I can't have children.

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Yes, its true, oppression does occur in this "FREE" country of ours.

Yes darling, I know.

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Several of the families that I know of have actually been turned down for jobs, even though they are clearly qualified, just because of their current social status. (i.e. Someone with 20 years experience with a position who is poor attempts to get a job with a firm, yet is turned down for a college student with no experience and is from a upper class family)

Well darling, I don't know what to say, besides that I would be inclined to make a similar decision.

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The worst thing about this is that it presupposes that all "poor" people are alike. Untrue. Some work everyday(hence the term 'working poor') and just don't make enough money. The real sad thing is report is inaccurate.

I'll take your word for this, I really don't know much about poor people.

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There is a stronger corelation that higher educated people tend to exercise more than those without higher education.

Yep, and there is a strong correlation between high education and high income.

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A better fix would be continued education on nutrition and a staggered

payment for high fat foods.

Bah! That's going to mean spending more money, why not simply take this as a sign to cut back on spending and save money for a change.

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Don't even get me started on this depression bull. Their depressed because they want to be plain and simple. They need to get a grip and stop feeling sorry for them selves and do something about it.

Depression isn't quite that simple, but I agree, doing something about it is what counts.

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The ones that piss me off are the ones that just set there able to work and their not doing anything but taking food off my plate. So they can feel sorry for themselves or do drugs. These are the ones I'm refering to.

I agree, these are the worst, but even people who can't manage to make enough money are probably stuck that way because of mistakes they are making now or have made in the past.

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Guest Remo Williams

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I'm not even going to get into this. Last time I did the thread had to be closed.

Thats what happens around here when you insult instead of discuss.

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I'll just say I disagree with you Dragon Lady, and I agree with everyone else but Remo.

Hehe, let me guess another liberal. Oh well we all can't be perfect. (j/k) Seriously though it's to bad there wasn't some way to let all you guys that like paying for other people to set on their a$$ foot the bill. Because I sure don't like paying them for it. So you just keep helping them with their obesity and feeling good about giving your money away. I'll keep complaining until the government stops robbing me in the name of the lazy.

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Don't even get me started on this depression bull. Their depressed because they want to be plain and simple. They need to get a grip and stop feeling sorry for them selves and do something about it.

There are two types of depression: the psychological type and the mental illness type. The first is where people just feel very upset for whatever reason (in many cases, they're not consciously aware of the real reason), and what they need depends on the issues involved (it could be emotional support, counseling, a kick in the pants, or all of the above). The second is a psychiatric disorder that is often beyond anyone's control. It can lead to either suicidal or violent tendencies, and most who have this condition require medication to stay in one piece. There is nothing "plain and simple" about either of these conditions.

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Granted there are some out there that work and just don't bring in enough to make it. I don't mind that much buy their kid something to eat. Their at least trying to change their lives and do their part.

The ones that piss me off are the ones that just set there able to work and their not doing anything but taking food off my plate. So they can feel sorry for themselves or do drugs. These are the ones I'm refering to.

This is a fallacy that irritates me: the strawman argument. It involves the substitution of a reality with a constructed image. You say that you are pissed off by able-bodied persons who choose not to work. This is the constructed image that you project on the poor. Anyone among the poor who contradicts with that image is assumed to be a minority, hence the reference to "some out there that work and just don't bring in enough to make it". One can even cite individual examples to support the image, but it's still constructed from preconceptions.

In all the years that I have repeatedly read and heard this argument, I have never seen or heard any evidence that the 'lazy majority' is really a majority, hence it is not a justification for the withdrawal of services that benefit people who are not within this group.

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Hehe Foxnews is good for a laugh though I have to admit.

Fox News. "Fair and Balanced" my ass!

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Originally posted by Remo Williams:

Hehe, let me guess another liberal. Oh well we all can't be perfect.

Suggestion, learn some more about government. People go from liberal to conservative all the time with the way our government is set up. For one to be set completely conservative or liberal is destructive to our government. Go read some more about the rise and fall of Rome. I'm sure that you'll find one of the reasons the republic was failing in the first place was because too many people were stuck on one side of the spectrum. To be stuck on one side is close minded.

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Seriously though it's to bad there wasn't some way to let all you guys that like paying for other people to set on their a$$ foot the bill.

Seriously though, I wish it wasn't so that some of you are so close minded that instead of researching the situation yourselves, you trust Fox News, which we all know is the most unbiased news channel in exhistance. Spare me.

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Originally posted by Menchise:

In all the years that I have repeatedly read and heard this argument, I have never seen or heard any evidence that the 'lazy majority' is really a majority, hence it is not a justification for the withdrawal of services that benefit people who are not within this group.

Exactly, because it doesn't exhist. Its simply yet another tool for people who feel that helping others is a sin to justify that. Honestly, I really wish that the news would stop doing shit to raise ratings and start doing some decent reports about life in our country. I'm sure that'll happen though.

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Guest Remo Williams

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Fox News. "Fair and Balanced" my ass!

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Seriously though, I wish it wasn't so that some of you are so close minded that instead of researching the situation yourselves, you trust Fox News, which we all know is the most unbiased news channel in exhistance. Spare me.

For those of you that don't seem able to understand the statement I made above I'll try to make it a little clearer.

"Foxnews is good for a laugh though I have to admit."= biased laughable news reporting!!

The only reason I posted that news report is it mentions a system I despise. The welfare system promotes laziness with my money and I don't have to like it. The only research I need on this subject is the first hand experience I've hand by talking with quite a few of these welfare recipents that live in the project in my neighborhood. There general attitude is why should I work if I can get all this free money.

Cmdr.WeeGee I'm sure you believe anyone that doesn't see the world the way you do has a closed mind. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. sheesh! I'm sorry I don't proscibe to your fantasy socialist dream but I live and see things in the real world. This is the last I have to say on this subject. Feel free to continue though there might be a few more people out there you can brainwash into your pro-welfare group.

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There are two types of depression: the psychological type and the mental illness type. The first is where people just feel very upset for whatever reason (in many cases, they're not consciously aware of the real reason), and what they need depends on the issues involved (it could be emotional support, counseling, a kick in the pants, or all of the above). The second is a psychiatric disorder that is often beyond anyone's control. It can lead to either suicidal or violent tendencies, and most who have this condition require medication to stay in one piece. There is nothing "plain and simple" about either of these conditions.

Correct, though both can lead to suicide depending on the severity.

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In all the years that I have repeatedly read and heard this argument, I have never seen or heard any evidence that the 'lazy majority' is really a majority, hence it is not a justification for the withdrawal of services that benefit people who are not within this group.

Well darling, they're doing something wrong if they're remaining poor. Either it's laziness, a lack of ambition, incompetence, trouble saving money, or perhaps they just have a host of dependants, but whatever the reason it is there. Some people just don't have what it takes to succeed, and almost invariably they don't.

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Fox News. "Fair and Balanced" my ass!

LOL

Yea, but it isn't like you post all that many links to unbiased sites either.

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Seriously though, I wish it wasn't so that some of you are so close minded that instead of researching the situation yourselves, you trust Fox News, which we all know is the most unbiased news channel in exhistance. Spare me.

Well darling, I'm inclined to believe this, it seams rather correct. Inexpensive food is usually really bad, and food stamps do encourage people to eat more (after all, they're not the ones paying for it).

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Exactly, because it doesn't exhist. Its simply yet another tool for people who feel that helping others is a sin to justify that.

It's not a sin, just a rather phenomenal waste of money. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping people, when I get to decide who I want to help and how much I want to help them.

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The welfare system promotes laziness with my money and I don't have to like it.

I'm thinking that perhaps it's not laziness so much as incompetence that it supports. It encourages poor economic decisions (after all, it's the governments money), laziness (perhaps not for everyone, but for some), and it vastly reduces the need for anyone to be trying to succeed.

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I say give them more welfare money.

Sooner or later they'll get so fat... then we'll hunt them!

They cant run

They cant hide

It'd be so much fun! Shoot the lard on the left Jerry! Tell me whats behind courtain #2!

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For those of you that don't seem able to understand the statement I made above I'll try to make it a little clearer.

"Foxnews is good for a laugh though I have to admit."= biased laughable news reporting!!

I got the point. I was just contributing. I should have included a smiley to emphasise that.

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Yea, but it isn't like you post all that many links to unbiased sites either.

The best description of bias that I have ever read comes from one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories: to "twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts".

Bias can be detected in a variety of ways, but to say that a site is biased because it advocates an ideology is inadequate. I do not claim that Fox News is biased because it advocates right-wing politics. I claim that it's biased because of its manipulation of opposing views. The most overt example is Bill O'Reilly: when he 'interviews' a guest that he disagrees with, he lets the guest state an initial hypothesis, then he interrupts with a contrary response. Everytime the guest tries to elaborate on the hypothesis with an argument, O'Reilly repeatedly interrupts them and diverts the discussion while elaborating his own argument. In the end, O'Reilly has expressed an argument and the now irritated guest has expressed a bunch of fragmented assertions. This is bias. The fact that O'Reilly is right-wing is irrelevant, much like the fact that the sites I reference are leftist is irrelevant.

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LMAO

That's sooo rich Tac, I love it.

And Menchise, I don't know what to say beyond a lot of the sites you give us are biased. To some degree this is unavoidable, I admit that, and I admit that I'm predisposed to see leftist reasoning as biased, but that doesn't change the fact that many of the sites you post links to are clearly one sided.

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mercy sakes, all this righteous indignation.mayhaps you would all be better off tossing some of this at your elected representatives, who not only dole out your money to the less fortunate, but they are slso filling their pockets to overflowing with it too.

as an aside, I have always found that when I point a finger in accusation, I have three more fingers pointing back at me.

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Guest Remo Williams

quote:

Originally posted by Tac:

I say give them more welfare money.

Sooner or later they'll get so fat... then we'll hunt them!

They cant run

They cant hide

It'd be so much fun! Shoot the lard on the left Jerry! Tell me whats behind courtain #2!

LMAO! Sounds like a plan to me!

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I got the point. I was just contributing. I should have included a smiley to emphasise that.

That would of helped. Hey this calls for a celebration! Me and Nick final agreed on something! The first rounds on me.

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I am going to post this in this thread because I did not want to bump an old thread, it fits in and proves a number of points I have made in other threads.

This article is by Thomas Sowell, those of you that do not know who he is go here to read a small biography.

Here's the article.

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January 15, 2003

Hard times for envy

Thomas Sowell

When driving down the highway with my car on cruise control and the stereo playing "Stompin' at the Savoy," I am in heaven.

There are millions of later model cars on the road, and no doubt some better stereo systems, as well as more scenic highways. But why should I spend energy dwelling on all that, in order to torture myself with envy?

Envy used to be just a human failing, but today it is a major industry. Politicians, journalists and academics are all part of that industry, which some call "social justice."

Virtually everybody is worse off than somebody else, if only in one dimension, so there are nearly unlimited opportunities to pander to people's sense of injustice, victimhood and entitlement. Any of us can think back to situations where we got the short end of the stick. On the other hand, we may not be quite as quick to recall the times when we got more than we deserved -- and neither politicians nor the intelligentsia have anything to gain by reminding us of that.

Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw. There was a guy in the same tent with me when I was going through Marine Corps boot camp, whose next assignment was in bleak and frozen Korea, where he was severely wounded in battle and ended up with a steel plate in his head. Meanwhile, I was assigned to go to the Navy's photography school on a lovely campus with palm trees on the Florida coast.

After that, how could I complain when the ball bounced against me sometimes in later life?

People who are in the business of promoting envy -- and that includes not only politicians and activists, but also much of the intelligentsia -- are increasingly forced to resort to statistics because serious differences between flesh-and-blood Americans are fewer than ever.

In other times and places, the difference between being in the top economic strata and the bottom strata was the difference between feast and famine. Being poor meant sometimes not having enough to eat or not being able to keep your home warm in the winter or not having adequate clothing to protect you against the elements when you went outside. It meant dressing your children in ragged or patched-up clothes.

In some countries it still means things like that. Someone in his native India told best-selling author Dinesh D'Souza that he wanted to see America because he wanted to see a country where poor people are fat. He was right. Americans in the lower income brackets are obese more often than those in the upper brackets.

Most Americans living below the official poverty line have air conditioning, microwaves and VCRs. About half have a car or truck. Moreover, most of the people in the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution in 1975 have also been in the top 20 percent at some point since then.

People who are genuinely poor all their lives still exist, but only about 3 percent of the American population remains in the bottom 20 percent for as long as a decade.

This is fine as far as most of us are concerned. But it is tough if you are in the envy or "social justice" business. It means you have to work harder to stir up indignation, votes and government programs to deal with "inequities" between the "haves" and the "have nots."

Although the poor are doing better, the "social justice" crowd is in desperate shape. Irresponsible advocacy groups concoct wild statistics about hunger or homelessness, and some of these numbers are reported seriously in the media -- at least until someone comes along and shoots them down with the facts.

The envy advocates have to play games with numbers because they cannot get very far relying on realities. Yes, some people can afford extravagantly expensive designer jeans, while others have to get by wearing jeans without anyone's signature across their backside. Yes, some people can afford a pricey latte, while others have to go home and open a can of Maxwell House.

But who is going to get up from watching TV, while eating pizza, to go mount the barricades over that? Let's face it. Envy has fallen on hard times. It was not even successfully revived during last year's election campaign.

┬®2003 Creators Syndicate, Inc.


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