Screw the Unemployed

Let's just stroll on over to that wonderful site, Renew America, which blends family values with Republican politics, to get our minimum daily dose of hateful ranting from one more greedy right wing bastard. Today's offering is from a self-described "Christian" by the name of Dan Popp, who apparently missed all of that helping the poor thing while he was absorbing Jesus' many speeches against homosexuality. I mean, really, when he talked about the wise and foolish virgins, what do you think he really meant by "foolish virgins?" Well, here we go:


"Deadbrains

By Dan Popp"

Well, not so bad so far. Just let me warn you- don't get your hopes up.

"Government help to the unemployed is just as disastrous as government help to business, or government help to unwed mothers, or government help to foreign countries, or to the homeless, or college students, or farmers, or sick people. Surely that's because help is not what government was created to do. It is the wrong tool for the job."

No, the right tool is smug, callous indifference. Because, of course, this would be such a better world if the government had, for example, not helped Europe regain stability after World War II, or if we just let sick people die in the street if they can't afford to pony up the dough (or chickens) for the doctor, or if we saw to it that you'd better have the bucks if you want to go to college (screw you, poor people- learn to keep your place. You know who I'm talking about, and they don't need tanning beds.)

"Government is a justice institution, not a mercy institution (Romans 13)."

Romans 13? What the hell does that have to do with anything? When was that acted into law? And while we are on the subject, let's look at what Romans 13 actually says:

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities... he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves...Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing."

Whew knew? So, not only did this filthy slime cite the bible to justify his piggish views, but he totally lied about what the bible says. In fact, if you were the bible-quoting type, you might want to use this passage as an utter refutation of the whole basis of the teabaggers' rage. But he's counting on us not to take the time to actually look at the words of God, so he could claim they mean any sick thing he says. Well, enough exegesis. On we go:

"Mercy institutions are things like churches and hospitals. Countries don't wage war by unleashing their hospitals. You wouldn't task churches with solving crimes. Why, then, would you try to use government to help people?"

Uhh, because churches don't have detectives, but governments do have people who are hired to help us?

"Now here we are again, with Congress and the President threatening to "help" the unemployed for the fourth or fifth time. as long as we can ignore our founding principles and the immutable laws of the universe."

Or as long as we can get away with just lying about the bible. Let me make myself clear here. I don't for one second think that these so-called Christians have any right to impose their sharia law on us, but if they are going to advocate that, at least they could try to have a shred of honesty about what Jesus really said.

And by the way, before we put the word "help" in parentheses, maybe we should ask the unemployed whether it "helps" them to get more unemployment benefits.

"Some months back I wrote that as government aid to the unemployed rises, unemployment rises. No one yet has been able to refute that assertion. But there is acknowledgment across the ideological spectrum that when the government increases or extends unemployment benefits, more people are out of work. This is a statistic, not an opinion. It's not a Conservative fact or a Liberal fact; it's just a fact."

Here is one of the most phenomenally disingenuous post hoc fallacies in the history of human thinking. Of course unemployment rises when government unemployment benefits are increased. But that is not because of the absurd notion that the benefits cause unemployment. The government raises unemployment benefits when the unemployment rate goes up- i.e. when the private sector has failed us. If you've ever heard the saying "figures don't lie, but liars can figure," well, here's a perfect example.

"If your choice is between taking a job far below your skill level and accustomed wage; and accepting an unemployment check and waiting for something better to come along, a lot of non-deadbeat people will take Option B, thank you very much. This is just human nature. If there is any humiliation left to being on the dole, it's cancelled out by the humiliation of taking a job as a "burger flipper." This stigma comes directly from the godless crowd who talk about "meaningful work" and "a living wage" and "dignity."

Because if there is one thing that God hates, it is "meaningful work" and "a living wage" and "dignity." No, if you are a laid off attorney or engineer who spent years developing your ability but are out of work because the companies you worked for "outsourced" your job, forget all of your background, willingly accept a job cleaning sewers or digging ditches, and like it. Because the world doesn't exist to serve you- it exists to further enrich the people who benefit when they destroy your job. No matter what you have accomplished in life, if someone can make a buck by putting you out on the street, you have no right to dignity. Well, at least Mr. Dan Popp doesn't have to worry about this. There is no job lower, no job less meaningful and with less dignity than willingly helping to destroy your fellow man.

"Jobs are available. They may be far from ideal jobs right now, but more and better jobs will not come along until the government ceases its attack on business"

I.e. cuts their taxes to zero and lets them do any damned thing they want, despite what the bible says in Romans 13.

"Call me names if that makes you feel better."

Okay, then. You are a moral degenerate on the level of child molesters. You are a filthy human monster who will gladly accede to the worst suffering in others as long as you personally can find a way to profit from it. And your "savior" is going to have some words to say to you in the end, about your deliberate lies about what he really had to say.

Have a nice day.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Here is the actual text of Romans 13:1-7 in the NIV. The parts you left out tell all - but especially verse 4. You know; the part before the "therefore."

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Green Eagle said…
I'm not sure what your point is. The parts I left out allege that rulers were "established by God." I think you would have to be stupid in the extreme to think that anything resembling the common notion of God picked Mussolini or Pol Pot to rule their countries, but then I am not a bible-spewing teabagger. The parts I did quote make it perfectly clear that the appropriate response to a popularly elected government that you don't like, and to paying your fair share of taxes, is acceptance, not childish threats of revolution and secession, accompanied by sporadic, ugly but pathetic, violence.

Once again, I want to make it clear that this is not what I believe, but it is what Mr. Popp claims to believe. He has deliberately, monstrously mangled the actual words of Jesus in order to justify his hateful attitudes, while at the same time claiming to be Jesus' spokesman. No rational, decent person could be anything but disgusted by Mr. Popp and all the rest of the teabaggers who spout the same nonsense in support of their avarice and greed.

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