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JHB

(37,158 posts)

14. This has been a rhetorical switcheroo for decades

Reply to gmoney (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2015, 08:32 AM

Jan 2015

Conservatives would throw out big scary numbers about how large a portion of the Federal budget went to entitlements (which includes SocSec and Medicare), then rail against "welfare" -- never mentioning that assistance/relief programs were always a small portion compared to the SolSec/Medicare portions. This left the audience with the impression that assistance programs were an enormous portions of the budget (and going to lazy, shiftless, you-know-whos-wink-wink) to fuel anti-government sentiment.

Hard to do that if you're honest with the numbers and people are left thinking "oh, it that all?"

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A little help please with some budget numbers... [View all] gmoney Jan 2015 OP

Here's a pie chart: elleng Jan 2015 #1

That's the pie chart I linked! gmoney Jan 2015 #6

OOps! elleng Jan 2015 #17

How does your friend define 'welfare programs'? Like, are veterans benefits 'welfare'? or does he ND-Dem Jan 2015 #2

The Sessions memo lists 83 programs it considers welfare gmoney Jan 2015 #4

since when is indian education welfare? it's no different than education generally -- is that ND-Dem Jan 2015 #7

This is Jeff Sessions' list, not mine. gmoney Jan 2015 #8

We know Jeff Sessions to be a racist asshole. So there is that. Enthusiast Jan 2015 #12

CRS = "Congressional Research Service" supposedly non-partisan gmoney Jan 2015 #9

Have some fun by dividing that trillion... TreasonousBastard Jan 2015 #11

Are the hundreds of thousands of dollars Joni Ernst's family got from taxpayers on this list? jtuck004 Jan 2015 #13

For 2013 (from cbo.gov): PoliticAverse Jan 2015 #3

Thank you... funny how it adds up... gmoney Jan 2015 #5

Note that in that chart military retirement and vets benefits are carved out from defense spending. Scuba Jan 2015 #16

Keep in mind that none of the offcial budge figures SheilaT Jan 2015 #10

This has been a rhetorical switcheroo for decades JHB Jan 2015 #14

He has a problem with healthcare spending? JaneyVee Jan 2015 #15