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AlphaMare's avatar

My step grandfather was a calvinist christian who believed the lie “pull yourself up by the bootstraps.” When Dad left us at 7, brother 6, a new infant, he did not pay one cent on the $30k the courts ordered him to pay over 18 years in 1965. Mom worked 3 part-time jobs so if she lost one we wouldn’t be completely homeless. Every safety net system had been so gutted she was never able to qualify. When we did become homeless my grandfather refused to help us other than a brief stay in a 3 bdr house (he made $30k) until Mom found 3 more jobs and got us all out. They were ruthlessly cruel “christians.” At 65 it has become obviously clear we are in even worse shape and all thanks to these decades old lies based on religious corrupt principles. Excellent points all.

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Kathy Hughes's avatar

Just one comment. Reagan had a well honed contempt for the poor, but his much exaggerated story was based on coverage of the story of Linda Taylor of Chicago. Josh Levin details the late Ms.

Taylor’s career of scams in his book “The Queen.” The lie Reagan wanted the public to believe is that all people on public assistance were fraudsters, which is false. His lies did immense harm to the people most in need of help, and still do so.

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