The Lack of Shame
The Lack of Shame
121107 jn
This is a true story. It happened exactly as described.
It was around noon on election day, November 6, 2012. I was sitting in McDonalds. A group of old retired men were enthusiastically talking about the election... saying nothing of note, but with much ignorance and stupidity. I stayed out of it. An employee of McDonalds was clearing a nearby table and quietly said to me, "This has been going on all day... I can't wait for this election to be over."
A couple was waiting in line. They were a typical, mid-forties, white, middle class couple. They were listening to the old guys discussing the election and the state of the union in general.
One of the retired guys said something negative about "Obama-Care" and the middle-class white guy in line turned to him suddenly and said, "Oh yeah, well I'll have you know that if it wasn't for Obama's healthcare plan, I wouldn't have any health insurance right now."
This silenced the old guys. He continued, appearing to speak to the room in general, "Obama made it possible for me to cut the cost of my insurance by over 80%, so I voted for him again."
The entire room was silent. Nobody said a word. Before I knew what I was doing, I heard myself addressing him.
"You actually sound like you're proud of that", I said.
"You're damn right I am," he replied indignantly.
"In other words, you're proud of the fact that instead of paying for your health insurance yourself, you and Obama have ganged up on ME and have forced me, at the point of a gun, to pay for part of your health insurance. You're actually PROUD of the fact that you are mooching off of me and all those people working behind the counter in McDonald's... that you're part of a gang that is using the power of the government to FORCE us to pay for your healthcare. Instead of feeling ashamed... instead of bowing your head and cowering in front of all the people you are depending on to pay for your healthcare insurance... instead of meekly thanking them for the sacrifices they are being forced to make in order to benefit YOU... instead, you stand there claiming that you're PROUD! What do you have to be PROUD of? Are you proud of the fact that you're unable or unwilling to take care of yourself? Are you proud of the fact that you're stealing part of their wages for your own personal greed? No... shame is what you should feel. Disgrace... embarassment... and gratitude... along with a strong dose of remorse... because YOU can't or won't take care of yourself and so you joined a mob of others who can't or won't take care of themselves... and together you've figured out how to force US to take care of you. Shame on you."
Nobody said a word. The guy was stunned and his wife stood there mortified. The room was absolutely silent for a moment, then one of the retired guys started clapping... and within a few seconds, he was joined by another... then by someone across the restaurant... and pretty soon it sounded like the entire restaurant was applauding.
I had delivered my little sermon while still seated at my table. I remained seated and looked down at my meal... angry at myself for having lost my temper and butting in rather than minding my own damn business.
Within a minute or so, the room quieted down again and everyone went about their business, pretending nothing had happenned.
Then I heard the guy quietly say to the McDonald's counter person, "Can I change my order... I'd like that, to-go please."
121107 jn
This is a true story. It happened exactly as described.
It was around noon on election day, November 6, 2012. I was sitting in McDonalds. A group of old retired men were enthusiastically talking about the election... saying nothing of note, but with much ignorance and stupidity. I stayed out of it. An employee of McDonalds was clearing a nearby table and quietly said to me, "This has been going on all day... I can't wait for this election to be over."
A couple was waiting in line. They were a typical, mid-forties, white, middle class couple. They were listening to the old guys discussing the election and the state of the union in general.
One of the retired guys said something negative about "Obama-Care" and the middle-class white guy in line turned to him suddenly and said, "Oh yeah, well I'll have you know that if it wasn't for Obama's healthcare plan, I wouldn't have any health insurance right now."
This silenced the old guys. He continued, appearing to speak to the room in general, "Obama made it possible for me to cut the cost of my insurance by over 80%, so I voted for him again."
The entire room was silent. Nobody said a word. Before I knew what I was doing, I heard myself addressing him.
"You actually sound like you're proud of that", I said.
"You're damn right I am," he replied indignantly.
"In other words, you're proud of the fact that instead of paying for your health insurance yourself, you and Obama have ganged up on ME and have forced me, at the point of a gun, to pay for part of your health insurance. You're actually PROUD of the fact that you are mooching off of me and all those people working behind the counter in McDonald's... that you're part of a gang that is using the power of the government to FORCE us to pay for your healthcare. Instead of feeling ashamed... instead of bowing your head and cowering in front of all the people you are depending on to pay for your healthcare insurance... instead of meekly thanking them for the sacrifices they are being forced to make in order to benefit YOU... instead, you stand there claiming that you're PROUD! What do you have to be PROUD of? Are you proud of the fact that you're unable or unwilling to take care of yourself? Are you proud of the fact that you're stealing part of their wages for your own personal greed? No... shame is what you should feel. Disgrace... embarassment... and gratitude... along with a strong dose of remorse... because YOU can't or won't take care of yourself and so you joined a mob of others who can't or won't take care of themselves... and together you've figured out how to force US to take care of you. Shame on you."
Nobody said a word. The guy was stunned and his wife stood there mortified. The room was absolutely silent for a moment, then one of the retired guys started clapping... and within a few seconds, he was joined by another... then by someone across the restaurant... and pretty soon it sounded like the entire restaurant was applauding.
I had delivered my little sermon while still seated at my table. I remained seated and looked down at my meal... angry at myself for having lost my temper and butting in rather than minding my own damn business.
Within a minute or so, the room quieted down again and everyone went about their business, pretending nothing had happenned.
Then I heard the guy quietly say to the McDonald's counter person, "Can I change my order... I'd like that, to-go please."
Previous comments... You are currently on page 5.
After spending several decades "tilting at windmills", I have come to learn that I must pick and choose my battles carefully.
A number of years ago I finally got it into my head that I was NEVER going to change the minds of everyone... and that it wasn't necessary to do so.
There are actually SO MANY OF US... I know it doesn't look that way... but it's true. Unfortunately... most people that have a "heart for liberty" have never taken the time to learn about or have never been adequately exposed to the truth... to rational thought.
I have decided that it is more rational for me to interact with those who I might have a reasonable chance of influencing... those who are already predisposed to libertarian principles and only require a small amount of additional knowledge or enlightenment to be allies in my crusade.
The "Gultch" is more appropriate than McDonalds as a forum for thiese types of discussions.
As for whether I would do it again... I wish I could say "yes"... because I believe that if we ALL spoke out in likewise fashion the moochers would begin to learn that their days are numbered... but to be honest... I'm not sure.
But I would sure like to see someone else speaking out... I'd even buy 'em an Ice Tea off the Dollar Menu!!!
Regards,
O.A.
It's not an issue of whether "every person [must] have healthcare." To say it this way is to fall victim to the way the looters have framed the issue.
The whole topic of "framing" is something I should probably expand upon, but not in this thread. It's an old Leftie tactic that guarantees they win an argument by (improperly) defining the terms of the argument.
We MUST stand against that.
I would prefer that you would have said, "why MUST every person have health insurance?" -- which is the real issue.
Yesterday I was on the phone with a niece who started to talk to me about the need for planned parenthood and how people have to have a place to go to get advice and birth control. Some place that is not your parents.
For background her mom and dad have been divorced, a couple of times she has borrowed money for books for college or other little things that have come up from me. I have helped her move and we have an OK relationship.
Her dad is out of the picture and her mother (my sister is extremely liberal, big government and things that socialism is the way we need to do everything in society.
I let her rattle for a minute and then interrupted her. The conversation went something like this.
"By what right do you justify stealing from me?"
"Why do you say that, I have never stolen anything from you."
"Did you go to planned parenthood and get Birth control?"
"Yes"
"who paid for it"
"It was free"
"Who paid for it?"
"I just said it was free?"
"Nothing is free, where did the money come from to pay for it?"
"The government"
"The government does not have any money of its own, It does not produce a good or service to make money, so they can pay for nothing. Who paid for it?"
"Taxes I guess?"
"Do I support Planned Parenthood?"
"No, you don't like it."
"Would I voluntarily give money to Planned Parenthood"
She laughed "Never in a million years."
"But My tax money has been given in part to planned parenthood. How did it get there?"
"Through Taxes"
"If I would never give my money voluntarily to planned parenthood, and yet money went there from me, what does that make the process that my money ended up in planned parenthood?"
"taxes"
"What would you call it when someone takes my money, under threat of incarceration and spends on something I do not want it spent on?"
I had a long pause, almost thought she had hung up. Then "Blackmail"
I then said "Planned parenthood has a right to exist, but only if can exist on its own merit or on the merit of those who voluntarily give funds to them. It has no right to exist on a system of blackmail and theft. When you use its services you committing the blackmail and theft, not the government as you are the one enabling the system that supports blackmail and theft. I know you are not a thief, you are better than that; so why do want to be a thief?"
"I do not want to be a thief!"
"Then choose not to be"
We then talked about a few other things and as the conversation wrapped up she said "I don't think its theft, but I am not sure what it is."
I did not get through to her completely, but I think she is thinking about it. I recieved a text earlier today "You really think its theft?" which I have not yet replied to.
We all have conversations and people we associate with that we may be able to reach and help to curb the direction. I do not know what else we can do, but this we can at every opportunity.
Her mother, my sister hardly talks to me because of my push against her big government will save all attitude and the fact that I push back against her every time she talks about it. I do worry that the same will happen with this neice, but how much worse would it be to
... and for running an insurance company as if it were, well, an actual insurance company instead of a social welfare agency.
Not any more. Any discussion with these people will end the same way Eddie Willers' discussion with James Taggart did in the novel's first chapter:
"...he had decided to make the issue clear for once, and the issue was so clear, he thought, that nothing could bar it from Taggart's understanding, unless it was the failure of his own presentation. So he had tried hard, but he was failing, just as he had always failed in all of their discussions; no matter what he said, they never seemed to be talking about the same subject."
We've done the "less confrontational" approach for fifty years. The haters have now pushed us into a corner and are now deliver the coup de grâce. You don't fool with the Socratic method when someone has a gun in your face.
The old Socialist criticism that Capitalism "creates a burden on society" (sometimes also expressed in terms of "externalities") was disproved decades ago by the Austrian school.
We would all do well to do enough reading (the literature is voluminous) to understand this lie thoroughly so we don't get caught in its trap.
And as far as saying "We must stop being selfish" in THIS forum -- words fail me. Wow. Just wow. You might as well just stand up in church and start using the "F" word.
So I'm modding him back up to a +1. Not because I agree with him but because I think his point deserves some discussion.
1) Why were you upset about speaking up and speaking out.
2) Would you do it again? Would you do it more quickly or would it take more to get you to stand up again like this?
I am proud of you for stating it. I have friends that are no longer friends because I have done this. I have been undefended on Facebook by several people because I post things like this about it. A person I like very much, and have worked with for 18 years has an autistic son and Obamacare made it easier for him to pay for insurance. A similar conversation cost me that friendship. At the time I felt like I had done the wrong thing, but later in hind sight; it was so worth it. I stood by the truth and my principles.
I think you should be proud of this, and repeat it at any and all opportunity.
You're right that the decision to report or not report is his own business - but by enabling him to hide his income I am working against my own rational self-interest by raising my own taxes and medical costs (as a result of having to pay my share of his *free* care). Not only that, but I'm forcing my neighbors to do the same. In objectivist terms that's a worse breach.
If he wasn't on the gov't dole (i.e. being in receipt of stolen money) then I would have had no problem paying him in cash or making out the check to whomever he asked. I have often paid in cash (e.g. a mason who rebuilt a retaining wall and stairs) and in return I got a better price and paid no sales tax. I have no moral issue with avoiding sales tax - or any other taxes for that matter. And my mason and his crew aren't claiming gov't largesse.
I also have to ask, in what way was the government screwing HIM? He's the recipient of many thousands of dollars of "free" medical care. The truth of the matter, of course, is that some of his care is paid for by his neighbors' taxes (Medicaid), some by extorting the hospital (gov't rules that force hospitals to provide care at below cost) and of course by jacking up the costs to those of us who do pay. In fact, those who self-fund their medical care get screwed the worst since they pay even higher rates than those negotiated by insurance providers.
http://byutv.org/watch/d0f942b2-6b4f-492...
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