Lebanese Breeze

cwags:

onemoretimewithfeeling:

craytonc:

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself a liberal Democrat and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend and didn’t really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, ‘How is your friend Audrey doing?’ She replied, ‘Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because she’s too hung over.’

Her wise father asked his daughter, ‘Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.’

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion angrily fired back, ‘That’s a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I’ve worked really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree She played while I worked my tail off!’

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, ‘Welcome to the Republican party.’

H/T: Armed Canadian

I had almost the same conversation with my father a few years ago. Except instead of saying that last line, he said, “You’ll change your mind when you grow up.”

Note: I am neither a Liberal Democrat or a Conservative Republican.

A bit of a strawman attack on social help systems like welfare that assumes that everyone using them is out there partying and having a good time at the expense of “hard workers”.  I’ve seen plenty of people who work their butts off at two-three jobs and still need help to pay the rising costs in this world.  On he contrary, I’ve seen some people drawing fat paychecks that do nothing and then complain about taxes when they have more than a lot of people could dream of.  All in all, the metaphor just doesn’t totally work for me.  Sure there are cases where social help systems are abused but they also do a lot of good.  If we get to the point where we are so cynical that we can’t conceive of helping others on the off chance that some may be cheating the system, then it will be a sad day.

hmmm…how does this analogy not work? It’s actually perfect. I agree that everyone needs help now and then, but is help from the government really the best way to do that? If history has shown anything, it is that whatever government can do, private enterprise can do 50,000 times better. And that helps everyone.

Write in vote for RON PAUL!!!