Ryan isn't so much a wonk as he is salesman, always looking
for a new angle to pitch the same old mean spirited policy. The flaw in his
plan is that it’s backward. Why doesn't he create the jobs first, and not touch
the safety nets at all? That reduces a person’s dependence on government, doesn't it?
Problem solved? Not to Ryan.
Ryan’s free market vision cannot survive without forced
labor, and he can accomplish that through what he describes now as a “bold
departure,” where safety nets end and desperate Americans have to take what
they’re offered. It’s quite shocking. It’s almost impossible to imagine another
American proposing something so stridently medieval:
CBS News: "Both parties tend to divide Americans into 'our voters' and 'their voters. But Republicans must steer far clear of that trap. We must speak to the aspirations and anxieties of every American. I believe we can turn the engines of upward mobility back on, so that no one is left out from the promise of America. But it's going to require a bold departure from the approach that government has taken for the last five decades."
Here’s where Ryan pulls the safety net out, his "bold
departure:"
He suggested the government should stop spending as much on "bloated, top-down anti-poverty programs," saying a big-spending approach "created a debilitating culture of dependency." Ryan, who has advocated major cuts to entitlement programs, called for "a stronger safety net - one that protects the most vulnerable and promotes self-reliance," an "end to the chronic inequalities in our education system," and "economic growth through free enterprise. Americans are a compassionate people. And there's a consensus in this country about our obligations to the most vulnerable. Those obligations are beyond dispute. The real debate is how best we can meet them. It's whether they are better met by private groups or by government - by voluntary action or by government action. The truth is, there has to be a balance."
Ryan is suggesting leaving people to beg from their
neighbors, community centers, churches and private groups. Government can’t help
you if you can’t help yourself. I hope you’re on good terms with your angry
conservative Walker supporting neighbor.
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