Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Where did the "poor folks buying crab legs with food stamps" thing come from? [View all]SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)36. From our old friend......Ann Ecdotal.
Last edited Thu Aug 8, 2013, 08:59 PM - Edit history (1)
Seriously, this and others like it came straight from the Reagan days when there HAD to be a reason to start to undo The Great Society and to continue to undermine the New Deal..
People of "lower classes" just HAD to be turned on each other in order to make them vote for Draconian cuts to social programs..
Welfare Queens with fur coats & food stamps
Unwed mothers with 8 kids (some borrowed) signing up for FREE food and welfare
Welfare cheats with subsidized housing & driving NEW Cadillacs
Food stamps used for Crab Legs..Shrimp..Lobster..Soda Pop..junk food..steaks.. you name it.
EVERYONE has their own definition of what constitutes poverty or need..and what constitutes middle class..but those epithets were aimed squarely at people making $20-50K, who had jobs, homes, and who came to deeply RESENT how THEY were managing just fine and coould not AFFORD those luxuries, and how mad they were when others were cheating & doing it on THEIR taxes..
It's the politics of envy/persecution/shame/blame/hyper-moralization..
It succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations and is still with us, but now it includes many more things..
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
84 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Where did the "poor folks buying crab legs with food stamps" thing come from? [View all]
Ken Burch
Aug 2013
OP
Even then, spending 8$ for a pound of protein wouldn't be the choice most poor folks would make.
Ken Burch
Aug 2013
#25
Probably true, but if they chose to spend part of their allocation on a few crab legs, who the hell
Ed Suspicious
Aug 2013
#27
You're right, of course. It's about this country's "Puritanism-on-bath-salts" social values.
Ken Burch
Aug 2013
#30
Canned food and hot dogs have always been allowed purchases under the Food Stamp program.
Gormy Cuss
Aug 2013
#72
So...it was one guy in Michigan buying steak and LOBSTER(not crab legs) to resell for profit.
Ken Burch
Aug 2013
#13
since the roman empire. and where you find people, you'll find cheating, so there's
HiPointDem
Aug 2013
#10
i think it will be more that people will stop believing, since real conditions will no longer
HiPointDem
Aug 2013
#29
It would be pretty easy. I saw the abusers when I was a deputy, but nobody wanted to bother
Lee-Lee
Aug 2013
#34
Did she have any other income? TANF of self-employment or part time work?
Luminous Animal
Aug 2013
#21
Yea. This has been bothering me... I posted similar above and edited it. But yes
Luminous Animal
Aug 2013
#37
The right just makes things up. I seldom see people use food stamps where I live, but when I
bluestate10
Aug 2013
#24
And the response you'd get from the Right is "YES...and they should die A.S.A.P.". n/t.
Ken Burch
Aug 2013
#54
If someone wants to splurge on crab legs or whatever and live on rice and beans the rest of the time
Retrograde
Aug 2013
#60
Fox News today: "People on food stamps buy alcohol and drugs not food." RW talking point du jour
anneboleyn
Aug 2013
#62
Here is a salon.com article about hipsters on food stamps, buying expensive artisanal/local, organic
DeschutesRiver
Aug 2013
#74
Welfare Queens with Canteloupe Thighs holding Anchor Babies while eating Crab Legs
Blue Owl
Aug 2013
#78