Okay, I really need to get the fuck off fucking facebook

[kaberett]

Content notes for fucking eliminationism, ableism, classism, libertarian-fuck-all-y'all-ism. Also I kind of lost it and was actually rude to someone (see Ten Good Things yesterday...)

Because uh this just happened.

[TS] [me] and [someone else] have posted this already. I wonder if some people would only be happy if "benefits claimants" were just flogged regularly. Of course some of them might enjoy a good flogging, so even this policy would still result in a PERVERSE INCENTIVE. IDS outlines plans for pre-paid benefits cards

[TS] Please note I neither promote or condemn the policy in question. However opportunities to make BDSM / econ puns are too few to make up. Bonus points if you can think up others. If you don't get it please learn more about BDSM and/or economics.

[EH] Can't see any immediate objection to this policy. Money received as welfare isn't the recipient's money, it's money that's been forcibly taken from taxpayers. As such, it doesn't seem entirely unfair that the taxpayers should, if they endorse this policy, apply some constraints on how that money is ultimately spent.

[me] Hi, [E]. I'm in receipt of disability benefits and have, at various points, been in receipt of housing benefit inter alia. Without the NHS and benefits I would probably be dead. Without the ability to spend the benefits I receive in the ways that are appropriate to my situation, I would probably be dead. It is helpful to have examples of people like you to point at when others think I'm overreacting by saying that there are people in this country, including in government, who _literally want me dead_.

[me] tl;dr die in a fucking fire, you compasionless self-absorbed piece of shit, _wow_

Comments

[davidgillon]

As I pointed out to another disabled friend on FB, when they shared an article on IDS's speech, which was the first I'd seen on actually going ahead with that idiotic policy, I was in the middle of drinking a beer. I was drinking a beer specifically because I was in the middle of a screaming backache, and, as expected, the muscle relaxant effect was exactly what I needed to relax the muscles and make the pain go away.

If IDS's policy were in place (and I was claiming benefits rather than just draining my savings to avoid ever going near a WCA again*) then I wouldn't even be able to buy the beer to take my mind off the problem, never mind fix it!

* And there's no point in going near the WCA, because I'm time-limited on ESA and would get precisely zilch until I've spent my savings anyway.

[spiralsheep]

Current social security policies from all three two major political parties are terrifying in their implications, yes.

You, otoh, are lolarious:

"Of course some of them might enjoy a good flogging, so even this policy would still result in a PERVERSE INCENTIVE."

LOL.

Trigger warning for similar terrible shit in the US

[untonuggan]

It's on this side of the pond too, but fortunately the GOP tool who said women on Medicaid should be sterilized (note: not men?) lost his job. But. I feel like I should point out that unless you are in a state with expanded Medicaid coverage post-Obama, the people who are eligible are PWD (only *srs* ones), low income kids, and low income pregnant women. So does he want to abort the baby and let them keep Medicaid or sterilize them post-birth or what?

Re: Trigger warning for similar terrible shit in the US

[untonuggan]

Also your response was awesome.

[vass]

BDSM/econ puns: lol. Wait, SHIT. Yuletide nominations are closed for another year, and I forgot to request that Keynes and Hayek rap battle AGAIN. I guess the market decided I'm not getting sweet, tender, star-crossed economist hatesex any time soon. *makes a note for next year*

[insert rant here about economic reasons why even libertarian knobs who don't give a fuck about poor people should hate prepaid benefit cards, because they are THE OPPOSITE OF A FREE MARKET, COME ON. They are a government-established oligopoly, HOW IS THIS A GOOD THING FOR ANYONE BUT WHICHEVER STORES GET THEIR BUSINESS? I THOUGHT YOU PEOPLE PROFESSED TO LIKE COMPETITION.]

EH is... well, compassionless self-absorbed piece of shit covers it. Well, and MASSIVELY LACKING IN IMAGINATION AND KNOWLEDGE.

[fyreharper]

[NOT EVEN FOLLOWING THEIR OWN STATED PRINCIPLES yes augh WHY CANNOT PEOPLE LOGIC THE THING]

[alexseanchai]

BURN

[khronos_keeper]

HAHAHA

Oh man I wish I were in E's country, so that when inevitably my untreated seizure disorder fucked with my body so much that I'm in some kind of severe confused and/or psychotic state, I end up in his garage screaming like a banshee and traumatizing him for life.

I'm willing for my disability to take one for the team, come on guys this is an excellent plan.

Unfortunately, in this country I would almost certainly end up in jail after having been beaten the shit out of by above guy for being a crazy on his property. (I actually have witnessed the above happening, so I'm not making this shit up.)

I'm sorry, America's current flux with healthcare and benefits really fucking mess with me, and even though I'm a model fucking citizen, it doesn't matter because I'm one of Those People.

[davidgillon]

Oh, god, don't suggest flogging anywhere IDS might see it! There's a man I wouldn't be surprised to find out is Opus Dei and into mortification of the flesh. DWP policy already says we aren't 'getting better' because we're perversely refusing to (I wish I was making this up, but anyone who doesn't believe me, go read up on the BioPsychoSocial Model of Disability, the links between Unum and DWP, and Talcott Parsons and the 'deviant' sick role).

And the number of people who don't appreciate that someone on disability benefits may well have decades of NI contributions behind them, never mind actively be in work and contributing.... (I'm convinced it's deliberate Treasury+DWP policy to imply DLA/PIP are out-of-work, not in-work benefits at every opportunities, Ministers screw it up too often for it not to be deliberate)

[pretty_panther]

wow, just wow.

[mirrorshard]

Nope, no overreaction on your part there! What an arse that person is - and factually incorrect at that. Our welfare payments are our money, that we have an agreed and entitled right to, not least because we've paid taxes.

[silveradept]

I think that response was a bit gentle. Not nearly enough cursing.

Politicians need to listen to people instead of money. I just wish there was a way of enforcing that requirement.

[redbird]

More to the point, people, including politicians, need some fucking compassion. That "EH" person kaberett called out is probably a person (rather than a bot or a fictional character).

[damerell]

Also, their argument hangs on the idea that property rights are some sort of absolute, when they're just as much of a state-enforced social construct as welfare.