Poor folks don't have it so bad...

[one_voice]

according to Rand Paul.


Rand Paul To America's Poor: You Don't Have It So Bad

Responding to an attack from Democratic nominee Jack Conway at a candidate forum yesterday, Paul tried to defend his past statement that the president criticizing BP is "un-American." Paul launched into a spirited defense of "the engine of capitalism," and worried that assaults on it -- like the criticisms of BP from Conway and his Democratic friends -- could lead to a "day of reckoning" in the U.S., and perhaps a Depression.

This somehow led to a lesson Paul said Kentuckians should hold dear: Sure there are "problems" with the way America deals with the poor, but when they think about it, poor folks should thank goodness they're not stuck in one of those other horrible countries.

"The poor in our country are enormously better off than the rest of the world," Paul said. "Doesn't mean we can't do better, but we have to acknowledge and be proud of our system of capitalism, be proud of our American way."


How'd he get there? Paul told a little story about the Cold War to set up his argument that the poor have it pretty good in America when you really stop to think about it:

One of the important lessons that came out of the Cold War -- and this is an important description that I don't think comes up enough -- the Cold War was won by America because the engine of capitalism defeated the engine of socialism. The Soviets used to show a propaganda film -- they wanted to show how horrible America was and how our poor were doing so poorly. They filmed a building in the poor section of New York with some broken windows and they said, 'Oh this is how the poor in America lives.' But it backfired on them because the Soviet citizens looked at that video closely and they saw flickering color television sets in all those windows.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/rand-paul-americas-poor-should-be-glad-theyre-americans-video.php?ref=fpb




:shrug:

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Delusional fucking sick idiot son of a bitch.

And that's just for starters.

[one_voice]

3. I like your "starters".

:hi:

edited..so it read like english and not jibberish.

[JHB]

2. The kind of capitalism we won the Cold War with isn't the kind we have now.

The kind we had gets called "socialism" these days, by the likes of Rand Paul, in fact.

So if we had "socialism", what did the socialists have?

[gratuitous]

4. Yeah, and if Rand Paul ever spent a day wondering where his next meal was coming from

He'd curl up in a ball, sobbing and sucking his thumb. He hasn't the first clue, and I have to apportion a share of credit/blame for that to his parents.

[dana_b]

5. wow - he should try it for a while if it's not so bad. n/t

[Warpy]

6. Gee, Rand, if it's such a soft life, maybe you should try it sometime

It's got to be better than working for a living, right?

Asshole.

[jody]

7. Poor folks have nothing to lose in a recession/depression, nothing ain't worth nothing but it's free

:sarcasm: and :puke:

[Oregone]

8. Absolute bullshit

"The poor in our country are enormously better off than the rest of the world"

There are poor hungry people in the US dying of preventable diseases (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN07651650)

Poverty is relative.

I could have a fraction of my current wealth and live like a king in a handful of countries. A high cost of living has drawbacks if disparity is too great.

[MineralMan]

9. Poverty is always relative.

I'm glad Rand Paul isn't my relative.

Having lived in a country that was borderline third world, poverty there made people miserable. Relative to the average population, they were in poverty. Poverty always makes people miserable, and is defined differently in different countries.

Americans living in poverty are also miserable. It is the contrast...not the specific conditions.

[Lost4words]

21. Rand should come to my house, I repairing our septic system

I am out of work so paying for repair is out of the question, doing it myself is the only option. But I'll be finished soon and then about a ton of dirt will be back over the tank for several years at least. I have made room for you in this tank Rand, if some kind person brings you over here, I would be more than happy to show you your new room, its a little stinky with no air to breath but all the liquid you will ever want or need. I will leave you with some baby ruth bars and a clock and a TV tuned to FOX and a small chair, but Rand you will emerge stronger and a better person be sure of that. You will be better off than in some foreign shit hole, but alas you will die in there although it will be a better death than in some other septic system say in Iraq.

Because American Shit is Better than foreign shit! GD IT!

Keep talking Rand keep talking,.........

[MineralMan]

23. Oh, man..

I hate that job. In my old house in California, I dug up my septic tank by hand half a dozen times. It's a job I detest. I finally gave up and replaced the whole thing, despite the cost.

You're right, though...it'd be a great place for Rand.

[Lost4words]

25. At least Rand Paul would be among his own kind, in there.

Its one of the new style, 4 tanks & a pump to the leach field along with float for pump and float for alarm. I dont have an alarm on our home, our crap is safer than we are!!! With that alarm nobody will break in to the septic system for sure. But I'd rather be in that tank than the Gulf of Mexico, its safer and isnt killing wildlife and its 100% natural.


This is my first septic system, I guess I was always a city kid.

:toast: Have a great day MineralMan.

[wildflower]

10. Color televisions are very tasty

With some ramen noodles sprinkled on top.

[Deep13]

11. The poor people are hording all the money. THAT's the real problem!

:dunce:

[laughingliberal]

12. Back to the old RW reactionary talking points used in the civil rights battles.

"Those lazy, shiftless ______s live in slums and all have color televisions and Cadillacs." Now, it's been expanded to include all the poor.

In the interest of honesty, though, I must say I hear the same attitudes towards the poor here more often than I'd like to admit. Now, i

[bobbolink]

13. This is exactly the same argument I've experienced "progressives" using on me.

So, clearly, Rand is a "progressive".

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uncommon]

14. Rand Paul is a psychotic moron, BUT

he isn't entirely wrong. In this country a person can be poor and still live in relative comfort. It depends on the person and the level of poverty. It still sucks to be poor, but in truth it could often suck much, much more.

(Having been poor my whole life until pretty recently, I have lived and seen a lot.)

[Lost4words]

22. Your vast experience has given you such insight.Thank you for pointing out Rands correctness

so you are wealthy now, good for you.

[SammyWinstonJack]

26. -1

:evilfrown: He is entirely wrong and so ARE you!

[bobbolink]

27. Thank you. It is exactly this sort of nonsense coming from Dems that have turned off so many poor

VOTERS.

Come Oct., if the party TRULY wants lots of voter turnout, this is exactly the sort of "argument" that needs to be confronted and overturned.

Thanks. :hi:

[inna]

15. "The poor in our country are enormously better off than the rest of the world" - what a complete idi

ot.

The poor in the US have it WORST among the developed nations.

The poverty rate and inequality is the highest among the developed nations, as well.

[johnaries]

16. Spoken like a true "I've got mine, you're just whiners" kinda guy.

Gee, Rand, if being poor in America isn't so bad, why don't you try it?

[MilesColtrane]

17. What an Aynus.

Somebody should BioShock this guy back to reality.

[uncommon]

20. Aynus ftw

[me b zola]

18. Reason # 352 of why Rand Paul is an asshat

There really should be an abridged list of all of the reasons why Rand is an asswipe.

[peacetalksforall]

24. Well, the truth is out. Republicans put out a another casting call for the most stupid clowns

they could find and we have another winner -

Rand Paul

? Angle
Sarah Palin
Michelle Bachmann
Jean Schmidt
Katherine Harris
All the adultry lovers who belong to the family values crowd in Congress
Michelle Malkin
Anne Coulter
Glenn Beck
Rush Limbaugh
Bill O'Reilly
Sean Hannity
John Boehner
Mitch McConnell

Edited to add:
Tom Tancredo
Lou Dobbs

Liar clowns. Button pushing clowns.

Sorry about saying clowns - I don't mean all clowns.

Please add to the list.