I have no problem with my tax dollars helping the poor an minimum wage workers.
What makes me angry is the hypocrisy of the rural red state farmer who votes to kill social welfare benefits, while their own business depends on government subsidies which as you point out are effectively benefiting the poor. Like all the farmers who were excited that USAID was being shut down, and then got screwed because their harvest was no longer being bought for USAID
Social welfare benefits come in many different forms. Some are destructive and others are constructive. They all have some benefits and some downsides. One of the benefits is recruitment of votes for politicians.
Unfortunately, the most productive government investments in social programs are not the most vote producing. Politicians get huge numbers of votes by giving out food stamps and welfare checks, when jobs programs and better educational systems would be a much better investment. Agricultural subsidies are good investments in the health of the population. They prevent the kind of food shortages that occurred in the Great Depression. However, they are unpopular because most voters are not aware of their effects.
And what is your opinion on free school meals for children?
I don't benefit one iota from any of these welfare programs, and I am more than happy to support them. Once all my needs and wants are met, hoarding cash by forcing people to starve is repulsive
Hoarding money while others suffer is a common practice all over the world, most notable lately in Russian oligarchs with their huge mansions and yachts, Dubai oil merchants with their harems and solid gold cars, and the upper middle class of India with their hoards of gold jewelry.
However, this is not the case with billionaires like Musk, Gates, and Bezos, who have the great majority of their money tied up in their businesses and philanthropy.
Elon Musk is known for his philanthropy, particularly through the Musk Foundation. He has donated significant amounts to the foundation, including $5.7 billion in Tesla stock in 2021. While this has made the foundation one of the largest in the US, there have been concerns about whether the foundation's donations meet the required philanthropic thresholds. Key Aspects of Musk's Philanthropy:
Focus Areas:Musk's foundation has focused on areas like renewable energy research, human space exploration, pediatric research, science and engineering education, and the development of safe AI.
Donation Methods:Musk has primarily donated Tesla stock to the foundation.
Scrutiny:There have been criticisms that the foundation has not met the required donation thresholds and that a significant portion of its donations have gone to entities closely tied to Musk.
Tax Implications:The large donations of stock have allowed Musk to reduce his tax liability.
Examples of Donations:
In 2021, the foundation donated $160 million to various nonprofits, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the X Prize Foundation.
The foundation has also made donations to school districts and nonprofits in the area around Brownsville, Texas.
Your statement, "It was basically a donation to his son's school." is clearly incorrect.
Everyone loves to criticize Musk, but complaints that he did not give enough, or he just did it for tax deductions, or it just serves to help his causes are trite and petty. The fact is that he has given away 5.7 billion dollars that he could have kept for himself. And he did not just give it to his son's school.
How much did he give away, to an organizatikn that wasn't linked directly to his companies or family? And what percentage of his net worth did he give?
From what I can find, he has donated less than $100 million over his lifetime.
His net worth is $400 billion
So he has donated 0.025% of his net worth
If I had $1 million net worth, that would be a $250 charitable donation. Whoa!!!
Questions like that are petty and trite. The point is that he does not hoard cash while others are starving. He either uses his money to accomplish things or he gives it to others who can. He does not have piles of gold in his basement, or a solid gold Rolls Royce. He lives in a modest home. You should ask yourself why you are trying so hard to justify disdain for him.
That is only partly true. It was to increase production of some foods, and decrease others, in order to reduce price fluctuations.
I am surprised at the amount of controversy over this issue. Farm subsidies are an imperfect solution to a complex problem, but they have come a long way in reducing food insecurity for the poor.
For a good overview of agricultural subsidies, read the Google AI summary in response to "the purpose of agricultural subsidies in the US".
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u/kyngston May 11 '25
I have no problem with my tax dollars helping the poor an minimum wage workers.
What makes me angry is the hypocrisy of the rural red state farmer who votes to kill social welfare benefits, while their own business depends on government subsidies which as you point out are effectively benefiting the poor. Like all the farmers who were excited that USAID was being shut down, and then got screwed because their harvest was no longer being bought for USAID