After reading the recommended diary on Paul Ryan's budget plan, I went over to the NY Times to read the story and then read the over 600 comments. The anger was literally jumping off the page.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
People are stunned, furious, calling Ryan and the Republicans anti-Christian and Satan. Strong rhetoric. Very strong words from the NY Times readers. I felt like I was reading the NY post. Many noted that this should help voter registration, and the Democrats in November with any effort at all. For your entertainment, here are some of the most impressive, entertaining and clearest comments I found. Below the orange:
LY from St Petersburg said:
Desparate Moderate: A wise government realizes that when too many people become poor and desperate without any way to improve their lot that the vast majority of people won't be content to just lie down in the street and die like dogs. A wise government realizes that desperate people will do what the desperate poor French people did in their revolution and behead (or kill by another means) all of the rich, elite and powerful in and out of government. A wise government realizes that extreme poverty among an increasing portion of the population is politically unstable and dangerous.
After all, it reaches a point where the poor outnumber the cops and military, plus too many in the military and law enforcement are either poor themselves or have friends, neighbors and relatives who are. So it reaches a point where the cops and military won't defend the wealthy, elite and government officials against a bloody revolution. That is what a wise government knows.
So yeah, if the elite and powerful in this nation want to maintain their lives, let alone their lifestyle, they better make sure the government throws the poor enough bones to keep the poor from staging a revolution. So that's the government's role in all this. You can either be "charitable with other people's money" now, or you can watch a revolution destroy the wealth in this nation and institute a new government that you might not like living under. Assuming, of course, that you survive a revolution.
- recommended by the NY Times staff
I have been saying this for a long time: even if you have zero compassion for your fellow man, it's self-preservation to make sure they have enough food, because when people get desperate, you can't build high enough fences in your gated communities.
Here's another one I like a lot; Jen D was more succinct:
Evil. And immoral. That's what Ryan and his budget priorities are.
And more righteous anger:
Ignatz Farquad New York, NY 9 hours ago
And the call themselves Christians. Disgusting.
One last one:
Well, there it is, America. About as clear a distinction between the two parties as there could be. I have heard a lot of folks say that there is no difference, that they are each as bad as the other. I think we may finally be able to put that myth to bed. (At least I hope that is the case because a lot of people are going to be needlessly hurt if current trends continue into the mid-term elections.)
It is worth the time to go over here and read the comments. They made me feel less alone in my anger and dismay that people I know and love agree with this budget. My own cousin just told me this was the Catholic way! Target who you help. I told her I think Pope Francis and Jesus would disagree.
And I am going to print out a copy of this, and go to my local a democratic meeting tonight and ask them how they plan to use this for November. Because Ryan handed us a very effective weapon to use against them this fall.