Combating the "handouts" myth?
Combating the "handouts" myth?
Has anyone here ever successfully deprogrammed anyone from believing in the myth of welfare fraud, that the dems are giving handouts left and right, etc.? Asking because I've been talking to my mom and...look, I'm sorry, but the elevator just doesn't go to the top floor.
I graduated from college in May, and my parents have parent PLUS loans, and the monthly payment is $473. They're both complaining about the payment but boast about voting for Trump. Obviously, no, electoralism won't save anyone, but it's like talking to a brick wall when I explain to my mom that if she wants any chance of debt relief (or cares at all about the future of her disabled lesbian daughter), she can't vote Republican. But everything I say gets countered with "I don't think people should get handouts." When I ask what handouts Biden has given, eh can't come up with anything. Ironically, she frequently gripes about how her unemployment checks are usually late.
It's infuriating and honestly it's looking like our relationship will soon become a birthday and christmas only type of thing unless she shapes up. I'm sick of having family who actively support politics that harm me. I suppose it shouldn't be surprising when they both emotionally abused me for the better part of a quarter of a century. Having an actual support system irl seems so hopeless that I've been in a severe depressive episode for the past day.
Still, anyone had any luck with this? I keep explaining how the dems aren't a left wing party, neither party is for an abundance of benefits, etc. But it's like talking to a brick wall. I apologize if this post should've gone elsewhere.
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I don't know if this is going to help you with this argument, but I think it needs to be pointed out that capitalist regimes don't provide welfare by virtue of generosity.
On one hand there is the revolutionary preoccupation, where welfare is a concession given to the struggling working class to negotiate the persistence of capitalism.
On the other hand, welfare is crucial to avoid having crime and homelessness to a scale that would make the petty privileged, labor aristocrats uncomfortable. This applies not very well to the USA though, but this is how capitalism has been maintained for decades in Canada and Europe.
Though we can see that more and more people are willing to go down the fascist road and let poor people die and not being inconvenienced by them thanks to a brutal police or even weapon ownership. The USA way is gaining ground and I don't think defending social democracy will bring us very far since it's definitely being beaten and we're not socdems anyway.
Right. I think I've sort of gestured towards that, but may not have explained it fully to her. I'll go more in-depth next time I get the chance to have this type of conversation with her.
My intent isn't to defend social democracy or the capitalist welfare state...I believe my post may not have fully gotten that across, sorry. The myth of people living it up on various benefits and them being easy to get is what dissuades her from going any further left. One root of that idea is that "lazy" people deserve to suffer, but goodness knows there are several more.
I'm just at a loss for what to do. I can be more open with her than my dad and she does have some decent social beliefs (such as that gay and trans people aren't freaks of nature that are doomed to burn in hell. very low bar, right?), which is what makes this all the more frustrating.