A Preview of Things to Come

A lot of things fall under the umbrella of Social Welfare.  Food assistance, tuition assistance, unemployment insurance, healthcare programs, retirement help and a plethora of other things all count as Social Welfare programs.  We’ll start with a definition: a program that provides assistance to needy individuals and families

While this is a very broad topic, it is not impossible to find themes when examining both conservative and liberal beliefs regarding them.  The right is generally going to lean towards the angle of fewer programs to reduce the cost, relying instead on the free market to solve the problems.  The left tends to support increasing the number and scale of the programs to help those at the bottom of the pack make their way to the middle.

Regardless of anyone’s individual beliefs, there is no right answer.  I am not here to claim that there is.  No, like much of life this is something that is so fiercely individual that no one answer can cover everything.

If you deal in absolutes then two possible answers seem to rise to the top.  However, the world is not simply black and white; there is a lot of gray.  While many liberals seem to support increasing the number of Social Welfare programs in the United States, there are undoubtedly just as many who believe that those that are in place should simply be expanded, or funded differently, or any other number of possibilities.

Because there are a near infinite number of things that could be changed or stripped, given more or less funding, covered or left alone, there are a near infinite number of opinions.  It is something that affects everyone in the United States.  Even if you do not directly receive benefits it still plays a part in your life.  At the very least, it is assumed that you pay your taxes and fund the programs.  Maybe you work in a store that people use food stamps to buy food.  Maybe you have retired and receive benefits from Medicare.

Social Welfare has become so divisive in the United States because if it affects everyone, then everyone has an opinion.  While each opinion is just as valid and correct as the others.  I will not be able to cover all of them.  It is unfortunate, but that is life.  The goal of this blog is to take something that is this broad and look at the individual pieces.

Taking the pieces and looking at both sides will not give everyone the answer they might be seeking, but it will certainly give them a chance to see what the other side looks like.  That is the beauty of this country.  Both sides are equally valid but we have moved towards a system where we frequently ignore the things we do not personally believe.

In this blog we will likely be looking at arguments and beliefs that you hold to be valid, but we will definitely cover things that you do not believe.