The ENTIRE budget of the Pentagon is $700 billion, which is about 20% of the total budget (including Social Security & Medicare). The amount that is allocated to highly classified projects (“the black budget”) is “estimated” (by people who give no real sources for their estimates) at $50 billion. 1-2% of $50 billion is a half-billion to one billion, and that isn’t going to put a lot of people to work, especially since it’s probably already paying for people to work on these secret projects.

If you’re still following this thread, I’d really love to know where you picked up the misinformation that you quoted.

There are people (and I am excluding those with verifiable mental illness) who honestly feel that they are so special that the rules of life do not include them. They see other humans as “things” and revolt against any word or deed that makes their world uncomfortable. They are giant black holes that will suck all energy, peace, and prosperity from those in their orbit….and then move on to the next target.

The only appropriate way to deal with these folks (as opposed to those down on their luck and needing a boost) is to RUN. RUN FAST! Do not let them into your life in any way, shape or form…..and it doesn’ matter how much DNA you share.

All of his “loved ones” had to cut their ties to him because his addition, personality, violence, and neediness sucked up every bit of support offered till the well went dry. He never really admitted that all his problems were because of him or that he could change so all our attempts at help were for naught.

“…she just hasn’t hit her ‘bottom’ and keeps making really bad choices, but doesn’t see that they really are choices, she always thinks bad things just happen to her but they happen because she continually makes choices that put her in worse shape.”

I’ve been the person who doesn’t see my own agency in what happens to me. It’s taken a lot of personal growth (years of therapy, finding a healthier romantic partner, distancing myself from unhealthy family members, learning to have some initiative, etc.) to start getting beyond it.

Now it bugs me when I notice this trait in others. I see this in various friends who regularly have hard times and don’t know how to be helpful. Usually I limit my comments to emotional support (“someone cares and thinks you are worthwhile” sorts of things). Like this post says about bottoming … you can’t make people realize that their actions have a greater effect on their lives than they’ve heretoforth noticed/acknowledged. Also, things that come across as judgmental are probably not as likely to be listened to.

Or maybe those are my avoidant tendencies raising their naughty heads. ;)

Some estimates put the Pentagon’s Black Budget- (only about dozen of top level gov officials even know what is in there)- at 36% of our national budget- it is about 700 billion. It is always amazing to me how much welfare is touted as the big money drain, when it is less than 10&% of the budget pretty much anyway you slice it. OK, so take about 1-2&% of the black fund, and put people to work on infrastructure. Those workers then have money to spend! And they will spend it on lunch where they work, and consumer goods, stimulating both at risk neighborhoods, and the economy. Businesses in these areas will improve, hire workers, etc.

I have no interest in citing sources here, as links doom comments to limbo forever. But you can google these topics and learn quite a lot. And read overseas press, not just US press-our press tends to have more fluff than meat when it comes to the really dry stuff. Anyway- that is just 1 idea. There are many other ideas than lowering wages to subsistence.

To provide each of them a job in re-building infrastructure, which requires payment of a ‘prevailing wage,’ would cost at least $50,000 per person in wages, benefits and administration.

That amounts to about $700 billion. If that is 1-2% of this black fund you believe in, then the black fund must be $35 – $70 trillion – that’s trillion with a T. This is about 10 – 20 times our current annual federal budget, including Social Security and Medicare, and more than 2 – 4 times our entire national GDP.

In other words, you have offered a solution that depends on the existence of a fantasy.

But at the time, if anyone had asked me why it was so bad having him there, the thing I probably would’ve said is that he only had socks in one colour – bright, flourescent green – and hung them on the clothesline. The other stuff just wouldn’t have come to mind, because then I would’ve had to spend energy getting over it – yet again!

Also – notice the letter says the lights were on *in the middle of the day*. Unless it’s a particularly dark room or the middle of a Swedish winter, I’d suggest that’s not really necessary.

That is just ONE idea, there are many, at both ends of the political spectrum. But lowing the wage to subsistent levels, and undermining the standard of living for the middle class is a step backward. You have to remember that a large middle class is a fragile and fairly new idea in human history- and could end up being a mere blip on radar if not vigorously defended.

I knew a woman with a dying dog, she said it was just carpet, it wsa her friend that was dying.

Johanna can take my relatives in, too! There are several dozen ‘arbitrary’ household rules she’ll learn to live without, like: dirty dishes and silverware go in the dishwasher, not in the cupboard or drawer; only recycleables go in the recycle bin; exterior doors should be closed and locked at night and when you leave the house; windows should be closed when the heat is on; the refrigerator and freezer doors should not be left ajar but should be closed; soaking wet towels should not be left on the hardwood floors or wood furniture overnight; etc.

But in a high unemployment environment, if you want to put people to work, you have to encourage employers to offer work that may not be as high value. The choice then is between paying minimum wage or just not getting the work done, and potential employers are obviously choosing not to get the work done. At that point, the society has the choice of letting the workers starve or providing welfare payments, which raise taxes or public debt, which further lowers economic growth, setting up a downward spiral.