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by beerandt 1693 days ago
When they skimp on what they buy for their kids so they can buy what name brand junk they want for themselves with the balance, and then spend cash on something like expensive earbuds, or one of the vice-lane purchases, I'm going to judge.

Freedom means freedom to make poor decisions, but when that money was given to you by taxpayers and is specifically earmarked to feed your kids, not spending it on your kids makes you a bad person.
2 comments
glogla 1693 days ago
Here's an interesting article on it: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/why-do-poor-people-waste-...

In short, it talks about how in US poor people are being judged as moral failures. Buying "display items" like expensive handbags makes them look less poor. So it is an investment because when they look less poor, others treat them better. Others being predominantly people with power over them - bureaucrats, managers and so on.

(the article also discusses racism)

EDIT: and you see this at all levels of wealth too - there's certain expectation of a lawyer arriving in Mercedes or BMW, otherwise some people will think them incompetent, for example.

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dlp211 1693 days ago
Yes, the power of anecdote over data. The vast, vast majority of people who receive these benefits use them as intended. I know that it's virtually impossible to get people to stop letting their day-to-day interactions inform their position on welfare benefits, but please at least try and look at the program as a whole, and not individual uses of said program.
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pythonaut_16 1693 days ago
That's why the key is to help people understand the cost and benefits of the system overall and not try to change their perspective on individuals.

If the system is effective for the vast majority and the cost of those abusing the system is less than the cost to prevent the abuse then that's generally a win. (Of course you have to be careful of second order effects and unintended consequences. If people can easily get away with abuse will abuse of the system grow?)

In other words, you don't need to convince people that abuse of the system isn't wrong or that it is impossible, i.e. the "don't judge" comments, you need to convince them that the system is effective in both costs and outcomes.

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