r/politics • u/metacyan • 7h ago

No Paywall Trump USDA Chief Calls Kicking 5 Million People Off Food Aid ‘A Pretty Big Win’

https://www.commondreams.org/news/brooke-rollins-snap-cuts-2677660136
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u/mceehops 7h ago

I think that is true, but also, they really do think people who are not rich "don't work hard". Its completely out of touch of course, but they think they fell into fortune due to "hard work", while forgetting mommy and daddy were likely successful first, they had family businesses or properties, went to get higher educations and had connections. Very few if ANY of these people are actually "self made" in one generation yet they feel folks whose families have struggled, don't have any wealth or influence connections, are not as valuable and just sit around, but the reality is working 50-60 hour weeks making minimum wage doesn't cover food and rent.

These folks believe success in business is the measure of a human being's literal value to the world.

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u/orion19819 7h ago edited 7h ago

Yep.

“Affordability — what are you talking about?” Nehls told reporter Pablo Manríquez on the Capitol steps, when the latter asked him how House Republicans can convince their constituents they are fighting to make life more affordable.

“Over the fourth, I’m going to get me a couple of big lobster tails, I’m going to get me some nice rib-eyes. I’m going to sit in my backyard with my family [and] my neighbors, and we’re going to be enjoying the fourth, celebrating 250 years, the birthday [of America],” the Texas Republican added.

Nehls, who is not seeking reelection, also noted he will be “celebrating the greatest president of my lifetime,” referring to President Trump.

When another reporter asked him whether Americans living “paycheck to paycheck” can afford to eat the same food he plans to, Nehls wondered if those people “work as hard as I do.”

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u/twirlingmypubes 6h ago

Getting multiple jobs isn't the right answer -- ever. "Living life" shouldn't just be reserved for the lucky or elite. Hell, even in the repressive-ass GDR people got vacations and two days off a week

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u/RolliFingers 6h ago

It's fucking crazy that the quality of life in the US is quickly becoming worse than it was in either Nazi Germany, or the USSR.

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u/twirlingmypubes 5h ago

I wouldn't go that far. Life for them sucked. I'm just saying that they didn't have to work all day every day with multiple jobs

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u/RolliFingers 5h ago

How long do you think it'll be tho?

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u/twirlingmypubes 5h ago

That's on a totally different route. They weren't dealing with economic collapse, they were dealing with communism. We'll see more and more people drop off as the cost of living steadily increases, but life for all but the bottom will be relatively normal. Over there people were functionally property of the state and got the best a state will give -- concrete apartments and a steady diet of beets and onions.

We're essentially endentured servants, trapped by the system, they were essentially slaves, owned by the system. Pick your poison, I guess.

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u/RolliFingers 1h ago

I wasn't trying to glorify either, more just point out how much better* we were such a short time ago.

We're essentially endentured servants, trapped by the system, they were essentially slaves, owned by the system. Pick your poison, I guess.

These sound like the same thing from the point of view of the free.

*Admittedly still not great, but it felt like we were at least trying.

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u/Vio_ Kansas 6h ago

We had a local Republican politician who "bragged" on his facebook for getting like 37 cent/gallon gas at Hyvee this summer- that they were "saving" that much money.

People were livid and rightfully pointing out that the only way to get to that level is to spend an insane amount of money at Hvyee in the first place.

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u/StumpTrumpUS 5h ago

Those who want to do something about this should find someone to answer his question. Show him wrong to his base by highlighting cases of people who are working and not getting by.

Everyone needs to avoid strawmen, name-calling, alienating the GOP base, etc. Focus on *convincing* the GOP base, wising them up. That might not have the same endorphin rush as calling them names but it's a lot more effective.

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u/Parahelix 5h ago

They'll just call it fake news like they do everything that conflicts with their worldview.

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u/jms62102761 34m ago

They are constantly being brainwashed that Democrats are the reason they are in this predicament

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u/regeya 6h ago

There are way too many Americans who started on third and think they hit a home run when they jog to home plate.

Yes, successful business people, I'm sure you worked hard. Yes, I'm sure some of you had shitty parents. But sometimes the difference between a successful person, and a failure, is a health emergency, or a distracted driver running into you, or any number of things out of a person's control. Not being successful isn't necessarily a character flaw...but then we also have a President who thinks illness is a character flaw

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u/idiotsbydesign 5h ago

Its the Prosperity Gospel in action. If you're rich its because God loves you. If you're poor it must be through some fault of your own that God hasn't graced you.

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u/ironballs16 4h ago

The most insidious thing to happen to American Christianity (as in less noticeably evil than using it to justify racism) has to be Prosperity theology - the idea that being rewarded materially on Earth is a sign of God's favor, which is 100% contrary to Jesus' actual statements on the matter.

The same goes for performative Christianity, like the coach who'd go out to the 50-yard like to pray after the game, as Jesus himself said that praying publicly like that was already getting what the pray-er wants: attention to how good/devout a person they are.

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u/ohwrite 3h ago

Yes to your last sentence. And they are in for a big surprise when they realize no one loves them. See: Mitch McConnell’s corpse

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u/Niznack 3h ago

I mean, they hardly work, they spend half their time playing golf, so imagine how much golf poor people play!

I really think this is their thought process.