Isn't it ironic?

Hello all,

According to a CNN Money report, last year a record 44.7 million people -- or 1 in 7 Americans -- were receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, aka, "food stamps." This number has soared to an average 44.7 million in fiscal 2011, up 33% from fiscal 2009. (http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/17/news/economy/obama_food_stamps/index.htm)

Employees of the Department of Agriculture, the cabinet level federal agency that administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, among a few other tasks, are proud of and celebratory at reaching this "milestone."

Meanwhile, employees of the National Park Service, the federal agency that manages all the National Parks, among a few other tasks, constantly admonish National Park visitors, with signs and fines, to "please do not feed the animals" because they correctly feel that animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.

Thank you for your attention.

Alton

Alton,

Excellent analogy! Thanks for the statistics update.

Unfortunately, as we Libertarians know, government thrives on human dependence and does all that it can to create dependence. It's a shame hungry bears can't discern the difference between tax-slave, tax collector and bureaucrat.

All the best,

Don

Hi Don,

Thank you for your reply, in which you said, partly:

<< Excellent analogy! >>

Thank you for the compliment.

<< Thanks for the statistics update. >>

You're welcome.

<< Unfortunately, as we Libertarians know, government thrives on human dependence and does all that it can to create dependence. >>

How true. Just as unfortunate is how few of those dependent humans will believe us when we tell them that the government, through its politicians and their bureaucratic enablers, needs us more than we need them.

<< It's a shame hungry bears can't discern the difference between tax-slave, tax collector and bureaucrat. >>

Agreed. But at least hungry bears can pounce on those tax collectors and bureaucrats and maul and eviscerate them before they eat those varmints. Perhaps that's something we can learn from hungry bears (maybe not so much the eating part).

Thanks again for your reply.

<< All the best, >>

Alton