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Because we're Americans, and we've been subjected to a several decade long PR campaign so that instead of thinking the obvious, which is that the government ass
by CPLX 12y ago
Because we're Americans, and we've been subjected to a several decade long PR campaign so that instead of thinking the obvious, which is that the government assistance program is precisely for this kind of situation, and the author of the story, having paid into the system for years, should of course use the temporary help to get back on her feet, we are trained to believe that those benefits are for "bad" people or "other" people and we don't want to be one of them and they are so shameful and vile that even being associated with that group temporarily will rub off and taint you.
- jacquesm 12y agoI'm not American, I just prefer that people that really need it get it rather than that I'd get it as long as I can find some other way to make ends meet. That would include selling off my assets and working crap jobs if that's what it took. It's nothing to do with shame or finding people that do need assistance vile, I just don't consider myself (for now, this may change) to be one of them. But then again, I've always been the 'help yourself' type of person, my main reason for that is that I like to have some control over my life and government hand-outs rarely come without strings and can be withdrawn at a moments notice. But for those that really need them it's very good they exist.