Mastodawn

Doug 🌈🇨🇦

Apr 9, 2024

@waldoj
The voters who continue to elect these monsters deserve to be thoroughly berated for their racism and compassionless attitudes.

Matthew Haughey Apr 9, 2024

@waldoj bonkers that someone can run on a “letting children starve is good, actually” platform and not get voted out of politics forever

feld Apr 9, 2024

@mathowie @waldoj You see it's the lazy parents who only work 3 full time jobs each at minimum wage.

They're supposed to feel guilty they can't provide for their kids and *checks notes* get a fourth job

sortius Apr 10, 2024

@feld @waldoj @mathowie I'm unemployed, single, have two kids.

If I was in the US, I'd be fucked, but here I have public housing, parenting payment, and family tax benefit. I may not live a life of luxury, but my kids never go hungry.

I don't say this to rub it in your face, but so you burn the place to the ground until the US can at least match a moderate welfare state

Nelson Minar Apr 9, 2024

@mathowie @waldoj he's not letting the "good" children starve.

Texty the Bard Apr 9, 2024

@mathowie @waldoj It's an evangelical thing. It's partly "sins of the father" logic, and partly a belief that it's necessary for children to suffer to teach them obedience.

TheZorse Apr 10, 2024

It's a Republican thing. I volunteer at a soup kitchen where, of course, people eat for free, including children. Many of the other volunteers are evangelicals. They are very happy to give people food.

Texty the Bard Apr 10, 2024

@TheZorse @mathowie @waldoj Is the soup kitchen religious or secular? Because religious conservatives are happy to hand out charity if it comes with an opportunity to proselytize. They're violently opposed to the government handling social services because they see it as competition for their game.

TheZorse Apr 10, 2024

It's a Christian place, but no specific denomination. Sometimes there are people who hand out Christian fliers but no one has to take them. And the volunteers don't have to be religious - there are different types of Christians, a few Hindus/Sikhs (I think, but didn't ask them), an atheist or two...

I don't know how most of the people there vote, and I'm sure not everyone has the same beliefs and attitudes, but overall the place is full of real love - it's not a gimmick. And there is no secular place in town that feeds people every day; just one Christian place and one Sikh place.

Volunteering there has changed my life for the better.

Texty the Bard Apr 10, 2024

@TheZorse @mathowie @waldoj And there we have it. If your local government did try to provide these services without any of the religious framing, I can pretty much guarantee some of those evangelicals you think are good people would show a very different side of themselves.

In the words of Stephen Sondheim: "Nice" is different than "good." My mom seems like a total sweetheart on the surface. She's also a racist, Trump-voting anti-vaxer who thinks everyone who isn't baptized is going to Hell.

TheZorse Apr 10, 2024

Sorry, I didn't mention that I'm not American. I'm from one of those Western countries (i.e. all of them except the U.S.) that has free health care and strict gun laws. (Our conservatives are generally more liberal than the Democrats.)

Sophie Schmieg Apr 10, 2024

@TheZorse @textualdeviance @mathowie @waldoj are you per chance in a place where evangelical sounds like protestant? Because it's the specific radical Calvinist protestant tradition, not all protestants that is meant here.

Texty the Bard Apr 10, 2024

@TheZorse @mathowie @waldoj American evangelicals and similar sects are a completely different breed than most of the Protestant splinter groups one finds elsewhere. I'm talking about groups like the 25% of the country that believes in Biblical literalism and young-Earth creationism. If that doesn't describe your evangelicals, then they're definitely different than ours.

TheZorse Apr 12, 2024

The Biblical literalism does describe some of them, but that kind of antagonistic, cruel attitude I read about American evangelicals isn't much of a thing here. I'm sure it exists, but it isn't something I've encountered or heard anyone talk about. And as far as social programs go, that's just a normal thing here. If anyone opposes them, it would be far more likely to be capitalists than Christians, specifically.

These people at the soup kitchen are good people. I might not see 100% eye to eye with them, but they have good hearts. That's why I spoke up. :)

Foxhack Apr 10, 2024

@textualdeviance @mathowie @waldoj Evangelicals are a blight upon the world.

Lewis Edwards Apr 10, 2024

@mathowie @waldoj I guess it builds character?

Thunderstrike Apr 9, 2024

Imagine being the guy who has to somehow justify in his own head the idea that kids shouldn't be allowed to eat even when the means are readily available. How does a person like that even sleep at night?

Wm.son Apr 10, 2024

@tstrike78 @waldoj

with a nice bonus at the end of the year, probably

Martin Vermeer (not Jesus)Apr 10, 2024

@tstrike78 @waldoj Comfortably in their coffins?

Floaty Birb Apr 9, 2024

@waldoj It is the United States in the year 2054. For unclear reasons, all social services are run by Indian tribes.

This seems a little odd administratively, but most observers agree that it could be a lot worse.

atticus1956 Apr 9, 2024

Stitt-for-brains is as reprehensible as Greg Abbott. I still can't believe Stitt actually ran on the fact he is a member of the Cherokee Nation. Then he started his Killer Moon routine, attempting to revoke agreements with & benefits from the tribal nations. Now he wants children to go hungry.

We could've had Joy Hoffmeister, but Okies love shooting themselves in the foot!

Derek Apr 9, 2024

@waldoj Proud to have Cherokee Ancestry

LillyLyle/Count Melancholia Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj I feel really strongly that North America would be a better place if put back into the hands of its original inhabitants.

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj the symbolism of this is stunning

Come On Giant Asteroid!Apr 10, 2024

Glad we escaped last year. And thank the maker for the tribes - they have to bail out the white people all the time.

Jim Kreft Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj something I imagine in these kind of scenarios is the frustrated meetings/bar conversations that must happen among the grocery store lobbyists. “These politicians, whom we have purchased with good money, are literally refusing simply alllow these federal dollars to be spent in our state at our stores! What is wrong with them???”

Nicole Parsons Apr 10, 2024

#TranslatedFromTheRepublican

The Cruelty is the Point.

"Cruelty to children, particularly malnutrition for children, is what Republican megadonors want.

Billionaires don't want to pay taxes, any taxes, and starving kids is how they think they evade taxation.

The GOP does nothing but donor maintenance. "

https://www.propublica.org/article/jeff-yass-susquehanna-tiktok-tax-avoidance

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/09/jeff-yass-millions-to-influence-schools-courts-and-markets.html

https://theintercept.com/2024/03/21/house-republicans-ban-universal-school-lunches/

https://newrepublic.com/post/180574/gop-state-official-threatens-biden-ballot

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/florida-playbook/2024/01/18/floridas-food-00136308

https://www.motherjones.com/food/2024/02/summer-ebt-subsidies-kids-pandemic-nutrition-kim-reynolds/

https://www.businessinsider.com/house-republican-budget-universal-free-school-lunch-2024-3

Meet the Billionaire and Rising GOP Mega-Donor Who’s Gaming the Tax System

Susquehanna founder and TikTok investor Jeff Yass has avoided $1 billion in taxes while largely escaping public scrutiny. He’s now pouring his money into campaigns to cut taxes and support election deniers.

ProPublica

WikiParty Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj The richest country in the world.

TC Won't Give In To Lies Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj
Life does go in circles

Here we have the Native Americans feeding the latecomers that are too inept to feed their own...again

Annie Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj reminds me of tribes right off the trail of tears donating to famine relief in Ireland

holothuroid Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj Governor says, he doesn't believe in welfare, according to the article.

No, where have I read about "promote the general Welfare"?

Dr Suzanne she/her Apr 10, 2024

@waldoj Does anyone know what the tribal nations are feuding with Stitt about as the article links to?

Robey ☠️Apr 10, 2024

i don't think the europeans are civilized enough to manage their own affairs, really. they let their own kids starve in abject poverty. indians should govern the entire state, for europeans' own good.