Forbes editor: Shaming the poor ‘makes us great'

[proud2BlibKansan]

What is up with this fixation the right wingnuts have on what poor people EAT? There are a bunch of hateful jerks on my local paper's website who complain about how food stamps are spent. They claim to be in line in the grocery store behind folks using food stamps to buy all sorts of things they shouldn't be buying. (Just how close do you have to stand to a shopper in line to see that the card he/she is paying for groceries with is not a credit card but a food stamp card?)

Then this week, the nutcase running against Claire McCaskill came out against free lunch programs for kids in schools. What kind of a mindset leads one to believe that feeding children is wrong?

On Saturday’s episode of Forbes on Fox, Forbes Opinions editor John Tamny backed up a recent network guest by bemoaning the fact that she can’t pick and choose who she sells her pies to.

“What a shame that we’ve erased shame from society,” Tamny said. “Why can’t we make someone feel embarrassed for living off of others? Why can’t business people do that in the United States? I think it’s moving away from what makes us great.”

The business owner, Massachusetts baker Andrea Taber, had garnered national attention after she decided not to accept tokens paid for with EBT cards as payment while taking part in a local farmers market. Two days before Tamny’s remarks, she had appeared on the Fox & Friends morning show to explain her stance.

“This program is designed for people who could not afford to put nutritious food on their table, and they can find plenty of that at the Farmers Market,” Taber said. “With regards to my product – whoopie pies, pies, cakes, cookies, my position was that the American taxpayers should not be footing the bill for peoples’ desert purchases.”

more . . . http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/18/forbes-editor-shaming-the-poor-makes-us-great/

[Enrique]

1. reminds me of that asshole

who said that if a family is getting assistance, they should have to buy all their kids clothes at second-hand stores.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Reminds me of another asshole...

A certain VP candidate who says being on any sort of public assistance is "demeaning". All while ignoring the fact that he paid for his college education with his father's Social Security death benefits. That silver-spoon-in-his-mouth slimeball has never ever been in a position to need any sort of assistance. Yet, somehow he knows what's "demeaning"?

[jwirr]

2. Hmmm. I hadn't noticed that shaming the poor had been erased from society. I suppose my severely

disabled daughter who was a victim of a farm chemical soup in the well water should now start feeling ashamed? They can all go to hell.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I hear you.

I have a sibling who is disabled. She would give anything to be able to work and support herself without depending on government programs.

[JoePhilly]

3. Jesus always went to great lengths to shame the poor.

[Zalatix]

28. Those poor in compassion, that is.

[reformist2]

4. Cruel, no compassion... do charities "shame" the people who come for help?

[GoCubsGo]

8. No, but...

I can think of at least one who force you to listen to them prosthelytize before you can get any help from them. Not a whole lot better, IMHO. Nor, is it very Christlike. I don't recall Jesus ever saying, "I'm not going to cure your blindness, or feed you, until you listen to me preach first."

[Igel]

43. Didn't need to.

He usually fed those who had come to hear him.

Or those that flocked around him because of who he was and what he said.

I don't recall the line, "And he healed many there because of their unbelief."

[GoCubsGo]

47. You are missing my point.

It didn't matter to him whether the listened to him or not. Or, whether or not they believed him. I also don't recall the line, "And, he REFUSED to heal the many there because of their unbelief." Or, the one, or two, or however many there were. Jesus never said, "I'm not going to do this for you unless you..."

[HiPointDem]

25. some do purposefully; all do by design

[reformist2]

48. I don't know what you mean.

[lunatica]

6. Her idea of what makes this country great

is as stupid as cutting her own business throat by refusing to sell her fucking pies. Maybe karma will come calling and make her go bankrupt. Then she can be poor and in need of food assistance. Stupid is stupid.

[TeamPooka]

30. ditto

[n2doc]

7. Evil person n/t

[treestar]

9. A good comment

Yeah, ok. Lets shame a military vet out of the service after being in Iraq AND Afghanistan and can't find a decent job to feed his family.

Let's shame a family bankrupt due to medical bills or illegal mortgage.

Let's shame a family who's JOBS got shipped overseas and they can't find any that paid as well to cover their needs, like a roof over their heads, etc.

Let's shame a woman who's husband walked out on her and can't be found to pay child support.

Pardon me Mr High and Mighty Greatness, YOU should be shamed. I know I am to have to call your sorry ass an American. Hopefully you shamed your employer enough with that tripe YOU are now out of a job.

When I see this crap I always try to remind them they are not looking at reality and the ebb and flow of life. They are trying to snapshot this moment and claim some people are always on food stamps and other people never and no one is ever in either group at some point in their lives.

[Lifelong Protester]

31. +1!!!!!!

For cryin' out loud, so what if someone uses SNAP benefits to buy a pie? Maybe it's a once in a while treat, maybe it's someone's birthday in the family. Wasn't there some Bible scripture that I'll paraphrase here "Judge not lest you be judged." ? How the heck do any of us know someone else's circumstances and life?

I'd rather my tax dollars buy some family a treat than to be used for some cruise missle.

[meow2u3]

38. Another good comment

hose who need to be shamed are those at the top of this stinking fish. Like those who have run off with trillions of our dollars, giving themselves bonuses for it, but now won't give us a loan for a car to be able to get to work.

Those who need to be shamed are those in government who have decided that their own selfish desires are far more important than whether the country survives their childish tantrums or not.

Those who need to be shamed are those who are making huge sums of money for lying to the citizens they are charged with informing.

Those who need to be shamed are those who think that because they have managed to lie, cheat, and swindle their way to great wealth, they are somehow superior to those who have no such greed.

Those who need to be shamed are those who think that for some reason they are superior to others, merely because they are on TV or the radio spouting their meanest, least humane bullshit.

Yes, it's a real tragedy that we don't have shame anymore. Because those at the top sure don't have any clue of what it is, and have been acting like it for decades. And that includes every piece of shit who works for or promotes anything spoken by Faux Noise.

We should also come out and say, "What kind of monster are these greedy billionaires"?

[part man all 86]

10. Wow, just Wow.

And they call themselves believers of the bible, the devil you say.

[PD Turk]

16. I love to smack 'em with this

Proverbs 29: 7


The righteous care about justice for the poor,but the wicked have no such concern.

[treestar]

32. That's great!

The ones who claim to be Christian need to get smacked with that!

[gollygee]

11. They should read up on Christ's feelings about feeding the poor

I don't think shaming them was part of how he worked.

[raouldukelives]

12. Forbes readers. Still not convinced they aren't space aliens.

Seriously, these people have been on the forefront of pushing speculation to new heights. Dismissing warning after warning of the dire impacts uncontrolled greed will have on our fragile ecosystem. Fighting tooth and nail to keep the rights of corporations to deforest, destroy wetlands, acidify oceans and poison us all with byproducts of their lust for money.
Shame? No, they don't know what the word means. Shame is taking what the God they claim to love made and turning it into this. Shame is taking it all for themselves, now, and leaving the world unsuitable for sustaining the very building blocks of our lives, the lives of our helpless wildlife, of phytoplankton.
Now they want to look with shame upon those who have to live in it. Those who made the poor decision of being born in poverty or on top of their oil. Those who have to struggle for existence because of the destruction they have wrought.
Christ warned them, Cree Indians warned them, the Hippies warned them, heck even Al Gore & Jimmy Carter.
Now that it is all horribly coming true they are hard at work frantically plunging plastic engorged heads even deeper into ground. They will never feel shame. They can't even return its gaze when its staring them in the eye.

[surrealAmerican]

14. ... and she can't even see the irony in ...

... arguing for shame when she is the one who's utterly shameless.


Oh, well, at least she knows her "products" are useless crap.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Who needs pies?

Other than the president, that is. LOL

[NutmegYankee]

15. I see this evil much too often in grocery stores.

Some people make it known that they are an asshole when they see someone in a grocery store using EBT or WIC. They always have to show signs of disapproval or comment about food choices.

So much for compassion...

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. I've honestly never noticed anyone using food stamps to buy groceries.

I'm usually too busy putting my own groceries on the counter to be rung up. I like to have them all out of the cart by the time the checker begins ringing them up so I can watch the transaction. I've seen mistakes. Just yesterday, I bought 2 fans that cost $20 each and the cash register rang up 3.

[NutmegYankee]

22. It's a debit card these days.

And some people just feel the need to always be into others peoples business, so they do notice it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. I know. So you'd have to literally invade personal space to see the card.

I guess that's no problem for Nosy Nellies.

[treestar]

34. +1

Who notices the other people in line? I think they make these stories up.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. I think some of them ARE nosy nellies.

But most people don't pay any attention.

[Aerows]

19. There is a significant percentage

of military families on food stamps. I'd like to see these people tell those in the military to their faces that they don't work hard, and deserve to be shamed. I dare them.

My position is that American taxpayers should pay those in the military a living wage so that they don't have to be talked about by people like they are parasites. Until then, she should keep her trap shut. If you want to deny a soldier's child a birthday cake just because you are sanctimonious while his father or mother is serving our nation, you are so far from being a patriot that you have no fucking idea about anything.

[underpants]

20. The School Lunch Act of 1946- Gen George C. Marshall

The National School Lunch Program started in 1946 under the National School Lunch Act signed by the then president Harry S . Truman , though school meals had been provided for many years before that through foods and subsidies from the United States Department of Agriculture . The reasoning behind the act was not just nutrition , but national security This was because when America entered World War II it found that many recruits were of poor physical condition , especially those who had grown up in poor families during the depression years of the 30 's . As soon as that war finished America began to think about the next wave of conscription as it expected to have to fight communism in the near future . It was mainly under the auspices of General George C . Marshall a member of the cabinet . According to the statute book its aims were as follows :-

It is hereby declared to Congress , as a measure of national security

to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation 's children and to encourage domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities

and other food , by assisting the States , through grants-in-aid and other

means , in providing an adequate supply of foods and other facilities for the establishment , maintenance , operation , and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs

http://www.mightystudents.com/essay/National.School.Lunch.36410


See also here
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/AboutLunch/ProgramHistory_4.htm


President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act on June 4, 1946. Though school foodservice began long before 1946, the Act authorized the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The legislation came in response to claims that many American men had been rejected for World War II military service because of diet-related health problems. The federally assisted meal program was established as “a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities.”
http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Content.aspx?id=1872




Nothing is more important in our national life than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (when signing the National School Lunch Act in 1946)

[Marr]

21. Authoritarian followers *enjoy* hurting vulnerable people who can't hit back.

Read Bob Altemeyer's The Authoritarians. It summarizes decades of sociological research on the authoritarian mindset, and this is one big aspect of it. Remember those Tea Party protestors who attacked a man in a wheelchair? Same thing.

They have a desire to hurt someone, and admit to feeling a rush of a pleasure when they do. But they're also extremely cowardly, so they only go after safe targets.

[summerschild]

36. The Authoritarians is one of the most informative (and disturbing) works I've ever read.

The whole book is free on line at:

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

I've tried and tried to find even a used one in hard copy without success.

If we think authoritarian followers are scary - - he also demonstrates how authoritarian leaders manipulate them to reach their objectives. FRIGHTENING!

John Dean's Conservatives Without Conscience draws direct correlations between Altemeyer's work and contemporary politics.

[raccoon]

45. Great post. nt

[hifiguy]

46. Great book. I downloaded and read it years ago.

Sadism and cruelty are undeniable parts of the authoritarian character and sociopathic personality disorders.

[Swede]

24. Business owners get rich by leveraging other peoples labor.

Isn't that living off of others?

[Glassunion]

26. "Why can’t we make someone feel embarrassed for living off of others?"

I agree.

Let's tar and feather them.

Last year I paid over 40% in federal and state taxes. How many 1%'ers can say the same? How many 1%'ers live off the sweat of others who make less than a live-able wage so they can get take home more money? How many 1%'ers ship their jobs, manufacturing or research over seas so they can take more?

Who really should be fucking ashamed of themselves? Someone who has a full time job who still can't afford food, or the person who makes millions that employs them?

[kestrel91316]

27. Let them eat cabbage and potatoes. Cooked in shortening.

Maybe a single egg on Sunday.

[HiPointDem]

29. no desert for the poor; they must eat only 3 squares of gruel and sackcloth.

[jsr]

33. Cat food and ketchup is all they need

[Curtland1015]

40. ketchup is a luxury item.

Dry cat food and tap water.

[Odin2005]

35. As someone who is on food stamps I'm not suprised by this asshole.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

37. Tamny is probably living off me where's the shame now

[Zoeisright]

41. Todd Akin is the perfect example of devolution.

He literally has his knuckles dragging on the ground.

[mick063]

42. A dangerous road

These folks idealistically believe the poor should feel shame. They do not realize they are sowing the seeds of anger.

Perhaps our greatest threat as a society is the development and implementation of "non lethal" populace control. If the means to control widespread anger is easily achieved through technology, dissent will be forever contained.

I believe we are well on our way to a new reality. A reality where a small group of wealthy people will impose their will on the entire world. They work indirectly and discretely now, but their agenda is increasingly becoming blatant as their arrogance grows. They no longer are a covert operation.

[Hydra]

49. They'll have to kill everyone

And I'm sure they're at least considering it.

It's easy to think they can just force everyone to go along with it, but they put so much effort into the propaganda and BS because it's better to have a slave that thinks they are working for themselves toward a better future. In a word, Morale.

It should be funny to see what happens when everyone loses hope and is just going through the motions(or pretending to)...either that, or maybe we have the spirit of the Greeks within us. Riots and Fire.

[Aerows]

44. Shame those currently in our military

and our veterans for accepting food stamps, and that is a very despicable road you travel. If a veteran or a military family doesn't deserve to be fed for the sacrifices they or their families have made, then I don't know who does. This woman should shut her piehole and give that pie to a veteran.