Yes! It's time for another Mr. A story. This time it's in regard to Tom's thankless counter job.
But it's also an example of how quickly the compassion of "I'll make the goverment spend your money" turns judgmental and moralizing.
If you'll remember Mr. A is the well-to-do champagne socialist, and Tom is not so well off. But they're united in a common hobby and a common hatred of "The Right"
Let's begin with Tom regailing the group with a story from his day job:
Tom: Obese woman with
6 kids comes in and spends 20 in foodstamps on 2 liters of soda and candy bars This
job is so depressing sometimes.
Mr A: I'm looking for a silver lining there, but all I've
come up with so far is "at least she wasn't a tweaker"
Tom: Yeah, but we do get those too. There's another woman. The
state has taken two of her kids, and now she's pregnant with a third.
A third person (who thinks that maybe communism won't result
in a piles of skulls either by incompetence or by malevolence if it's tried in
Ireland) is gobsmacked: "How can
you spend 20 on 2 liters of coke and chocolate?: But is then apologetic going "I suppose if it makes her feel good...."
Ah yes, because State aide is really just succor for the
masses.
But what's fascinating is Mr. A and Tom reject that notion.
Mr. A suggests "2 bucks for the soda, and 18 candy bars"
Tom corrects "3 2 liters. On sale actually, 2 for
2.50. Which gives you an idea of how many candy bars she got."
Miss Wolf asking the pertinent question: "I'm not
sure how depressing that is. Six kids are going to go through a shitload of
soda and candy bars."
She's right, what exactly is Tom's problem? Divided among over a half a dozen people that
isn't *that* much candy. Okay it's a lot of soda but maybe it's not going to be eaten all at once.
To borrow a phrase, who is Tom to judge? What happened to her body her choice? I mean it's not like she's spending his money... Oh.
What is he depressed about?
That she's obese? That she's got
a lot of children? That she's using food
stamps for indulgences?
Ah! He's depressed
that all her kids are fat.
Tom answering Miss Wolf: : "And that's why her kids are all obese too"
My my, if Tom's not careful he'll start sounding like a
conservative. Course for Tom and Mr. A
it wouldn't be the first time.
One wonders what "solution" does Tom see? Perhaps limiting what can be purchased with Food Stamps. Making it so missuse results in their revocation? Or are those reforms too heartless and icky?
Tom: "Care to
guess what the tweaker woman whose children were taken bought? Scratcher tickets. God I
hate this job."
That's another thing Tom hates. Stracther tickets. He goes on and on about their addictive nature. And when it's pointed out that the government makes them, profits from their sale, and maintains a monopoly... he suddenly draws very quiet.
How much of the hate is from the loathsome duties that come
from slinging a counter, and how much of the hate comes from seeing the beneficiaries
of his Progressives dreams?