I'd like a minute to talk about food .. in light of the Blue Apron thread

[procon]

69. That is the prevailing cultural attitude for everything in America, not just food.

The working poor don't have extra money to pay utility bills, fix the fridge, put new tires on the car, get health insurance, or take their kids to the dentist. We shame them too, if they apply for the public assistance programs that are set up give them a little bit of money to cover some of their daily living problems.

And don't forget infrastructure, we are so far behind other industrialized nations that we are not much better than some third world countries when it come to building modern, efficient public works projects.

People act so concerned, even angry, that their tax money goes toward some project they don't directly benefit from, or helping their neighbors survive, and they demand retribution and vengeance to soothe their outrage. Want a new modern water system, then heap the cost on the poor communities that need it most. Want new schools, then penalize the poor and build them in affluent communities. More public transit, sure, but make sure it doesn't reach the working poor.

Yet at the same time these ever so concerned citizens are degrading punishing poor people for the crimes of being unworthy and impoverished, they are also voting for Republicans to vote down higher minimum wage laws, rollback work benefits, slash education and job training, cut subsidies for public health clinics, and public transportation.

It makes no sense to me, but decade after decade, we keep, stupidly, shooting ourselves in the foot.