If you speak the TRUTH, back it up, don't apolagise little jellyfish

     "We want the people to reach their potential and so the dignity of work is very valuable and important and we have to re-emphasize work and reform our welfare programs like we did in 1996.....We have got this tailspin of culture in our inner-cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work; and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with."- Paul Ryan 

Racist comment?!  
    I don't think so, but then again I would not arbitrarily make a statement like that. I would make THAT statement to pick a fight. A Fight I could win. Ryan wasn't prepared to defend this and had to go on an apology tour.
 Read these Articles: 1( MSN.com "Paul Ryan meets with black lawmakers after race flap) and more recently 2 ( Rueters: "Paul Ryan tries to ease tensions with black lawmakers on poverty)
     Spineless. What Caused the culture of poverty that he is referring to? Well, here, you try to figure it out:

     A few generations ago the government (local, state, federal) caused many inner-city businesses to close. These closures were the result of many factors-EPA standards, OSHA Standards, Taxes, labor laws, cost of compliance issues,...the list can go on and on, but essentially it was government big and small that killed inner city industry.
      When these businesses closed and there was high unemployment and poverty, designing men who coveted power and who saw a big voting block, said to these dis-enfranchised workers without jobs or new jobs to go to: "Don't worry! We (the Government) will cover your losses and help you provide for your family. We'll call it "welfare!" AND, as feeble as it was, the government did....
...well sort of, we'll get to the enslavement later.
      Men, of any color, had been the traditional breadwinners of families at this point. Accepting government charity was a disgrace and caused them to abandon hope. They were educated for their era, and recognized government help as the seeds of enslavement. There was not much to inspire a young man to grow and become something. Many of these Men abandoned more than hope. They took to drink or drug to escape the shame and some even abandoned their families.
       The next generation was raised with help from the government and fewer fathers hanging around which left many single Mothers to try to raise a family on her own. Once the Kids were grown, there still were no jobs to go to, and so they had no reason to add value to themselves as individuals to procure gainful employment. Many didn't even bother to finish school. Their Moms tried to tell them, but since when do young men and women listen to their parents?
       Again, Designing men stepped in, seeing a new voting block, and said "WOW. You are the victims of a failed system. That's why you are so poor! Don't worry, we'll help even more. We'll tax those rich guys-those evil bastards-and make them share the wealth. We'll provide you with housing, food, health care and even a free phone-but only for emergencies of course." And the government kept it's word....well, sort of. we'll get to the Laffer curve in a second.
        The next generation is here. A single woman need not marry to be provided for, so a "father" need not stick around to be the breadwinner. No Father to teach any value of character or the importance of freedom and independence. There is no one to teach things like being dependable or what a work ethic is. No man to administer punishment for wrongs and no man to be an example of what it takes to be a provider...well, except for the thugs dealing drugs.
       The teachers in the schools see the problems, but not the causes. They are trying to teach undisciplined children, but with little or no help from the homes of these kids, the teachers can do little more than re-enforce the hope that the government will provide. They repeat what the designing men say, and it just becomes the way inner city kids learn to think. It is, for lack of a better word, economics based political conditioning. You're poor because you are a victim of the system.
       What does this have to do with Ryan's statement?
       The culture he is referring to was CAUSED by government, big and small. The Government has conditioned people of all colors, but of a certain income level to become dependent upon government. WHY bother to learn anything? The government will take care of me. WHY bother to get married- the government will pay to raise my kids. Why get a job even? The government will give me food, clothing and shelter. Hell, If a person can't get benefits bestowed to them by the government because of need, just break a few laws and you can get "3 hots and a cot"!
       Ryan should have been the one to point this out. He's the guy who opened this can of worms and then spinelessly is running around apologizing for it.
       Now the government is facing a new conundrum. Many of the rich have moved their businesses overseas and can no longer be a resource used by the government to provide for the poor.The working class is shrinking as a result. The middle class is about tapped out so domestically, there are few new resources to be had. Because of the generational government help, we have lost skilled and educated people and because of so many regulations we have lost the desire to become business people. Who wants to be a villain -right?
     What the Government has done with the poor is created a slave class whose only job is to vote. Yes, The government provides food, phones, shelter, but by keeping the poor ignorant and dependent, they have designed a power structure that is killing this country and leaving the culture Ryan describes in it's wake.
     The problem is also that if the recipient class votes against the "government providers"  and votes instead for those who promise "opportunity" they risk losing the government benefits. So the culture of not working is really one more of "why bother?" and it is perpetuated by government.
     Without those benefits serving as a safety net, they are at an impasse. The designing men have set the benefits up in such a way that if a person works just a little bit, they could earn too much money to qualify for the benefits but earn not enough to live on. This is what gives rise to protesting to raise the minimum wage, which factors in to the Laffer Curve explained at the end of this entry.
This is how the poor dependent class have become slaves:
     The recipient class is told: What kind of food they are allowed to eat (by virtue of no junk food or fast food). They are told where they allowed to buy their food and how much food they are allowed to buy ( by virtue of the dollar amount provided on the card and only at places that accept the card). They are told where they are allowed to live and in what neighborhoods (by virtue of "section 8"). They are told where they are allowed to send their kids to school (by virtue of school districts). If they have a government phone, they are told who they are allowed to talk to and for how long. (The Obamaphone idea was originally only supposed to be used for emergency services or medical appointments and to arrange transportation to doctor's offices and essential services for the elderly poor).

   THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELD THAT KIND OF AUTHORITY OVER ANOTHER HAVE BEEN CALLED SLAVE OWNERS OR MASTERS.

  The government rules, taxes, regulations, and cost of compliance with all of these laws is what has driven the businesses away. The Laffer curve explains how.
   It looks like a bell curve but what it measures is government vs. business, or person verses taxes. At "zero" we have no taxes, but we also have no government- no rules, no laws or law enforcement- just anarchy.
   As the scale progresses, we have some government and we pay some taxes. There is an acceptable level of taxation that all are willing to pay. We all agree on things like law enforcement, emergency services, roads, and other necessary infrastructure. These are the tools we need to pursue happiness, but that none of us can provide as individuals. As new people move into government, often they try to grow the infrastructure by improving roads or schools or also by starting social programs designed to help the less fortunate.
   At some point along this scale, we end up with too much government and too much tax. At this point, businesses either fold or relocate. This causes unemployment or a shrinking of the tax base with segments of the population relocating. This leaves an infrastructure that still needs to be maintained, whether it be roads or helping the poor. The problem is, the infrastructure is the same size, but the bankroll needed to pay for it has shrunk.
   Now you have too much government with too little revenue coming in to cover the existing cost, BUT because businesses have folded or gone away, you have the added cost of more people being on the system with even fewer people paying the cost. Taxes or costs associated with government have to go up, causing even more businesses to fail, and all of this just continues to extrapolate until the system fails. If you want to know what it looks like when this happens, see Venezuela or think about what caused Detroit to go bankrupt.
   Now, knowing all of this, all of these things Ryan should have pointed out to defend his position, he could have looked at those members of the media, those people in institutions where racism is their cottage industry, He could have looked them dead in the eye and said "What the hell did you think was going to happen when you did all of these thing TO a group of people rather than for?" Then he could have asked for their help to fix this problem rather than suffer being accused of being a bigot.
    Instead, the spineless coward that he is will capitulate to their demands and there WILL be a bill granting even more benefits to the poor and his name will be on it as a sponsor. Who is left here to pay for it?
     He will be compromising his own beliefs rather than have the balls a leader should have to stand up and defend them. He is a spineless establishment politician and as much as I despise Obama, I am glad he is not our vice president.