Dear Editor:
In the novel "Nineteen Eighty-four" George Orwell called it "doublethink." Today we call it "doublespeak." In the novel examples were "war is peace" and "freedom is slavery." Sadly this is relevant to decades of conservative propaganda.
Recent letters in the News Tribune on poverty issues, global warming, food stamps and unemployment insurance contain Republican doublespeak. Think of Ron Paul saying, denying unemployment benefits is a virtue. Kevin Horrigan mocked these attitudes in the Post Dispatch on Jan. 12 when he quipped that American tycoons "... built an economy in which there are three unemployed people for every vacant job." It's not really humorous.
Obviously we all do not have the same values. Where liberals see the glass half full, conservatives see it half empty. In other words, if there are a few deadbeat moochers gaming the system, they all are and the whole program should be dismantled. Liberals acknowledge that there are gamers, but feel that there are far more honest people getting help and many of these people are children, elderly and disabled
The Samaritan Center is viewed by all as doing great work for the disadvantaged. The phrase "Missourians helping Missourians" is catchy. Yet, I am sure the Samaritan Center is not coming close to making up the differences lost in benefits snatched away from citizens disadvantaged or out of work. I understand the loss of the temporary SNAP benefits authorized in 2008 is equal to the entire budget of U.S. charities. Has the Samaritan Center doubled its budget?
The Missouri Association of Social Welfare (Post Dispatch (Nov. 13)) indicated that no more than 5 percent of food assistance in America comes from charities and religious groups. In a hatred of our government conservatives cannot acknowledge the good work done.
Too many conservatives believe that the poor, sick and unemployed are not worthy of help. If help is volunteered, that's charitable, taking care of each other, freedom. If the hand of government is involved, it is using money stolen from the wealthy and transferred to moochers. Since 2010 North Carolina has been a laboratory of the war on the unemployed and poor. Instead of increased job participation Federal Reserve data shows a large further drop in employed North Carolina citizens and a loss of economic activity. Maybe punishment does not increase productivity.
When dead wrong, conservatives double down. Is the cruelty for the moochers own good? If so, it is immoral.
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