oaf@mit-vax.UUCP ([Oded Anoaf Feingold]) (05/22/85)
>Before the subject is dropped I'd like to state that I feel I did address >this issue in my response. I said something on the order of -- >I don't see how not helping someone can be construed as hurting them. > Mike Sykora Denial of cost-of-living increases in social security benefits hurts them. Recipients' real income drops. I don't feel you addressed the issue. I'm mystified at your apparent naivete --- the analogies I've seen are children who say "Your mouth moves funny when you're mad" when being yelled at. Are you on the level, Mr. Sykora? If you are, then I'm a fool for arguing with you, and I'm getting that queasy feeling. -- Oded Feingold {decvax, harvard}!mitvax!oaf MIT AI Lab oaf%oz@mit-mc.ARPA 545 Tech Sq. 617-253-8598 work Cambridge, Mass. 02139 617-371-1796 home
mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora) (05/27/85)
>/* oaf@mit-vax.UUCP ([Oded Anoaf Feingold]) / 3:26 pm May 22, 1985 */ >>Before the subject is dropped I'd like to state that I feel I did address >>this issue in my response. I said something on the order of -- >>I don't see how not helping someone can be construed as hurting them. > Denial of cost-of-living increases in social security benefits > hurts them. Recipients' real income drops. Yes, but who is doing the hurting? If I don't give them $100 then I'm hurting them. But if I don't give them $1000, then I really must be making them scream. In fact, I'm actually hurting nearly 4 billion people. What a rotten person I am! > I'm mystified at your apparent naivete --- the analogies I've > seen are children who say "Your mouth moves funny when you're > mad" when being yelled at. Please elaborate. The analogy is not clear to me. > Are you on the level, Mr. Sykora? If you are, then I'm a fool > for arguing with you, and I'm getting that queasy feeling. >Oded Feingold {decvax, harvard}!mitvax!oaf Yes, I'm on the level. As far as your possible foolishness is concerned, if you meant that as an insult, why bother bringing it up? If you didn't mean it as an insult, why bother bringing it up? Mike Sykora
nrh@inmet.UUCP (05/29/85)
>/**** inmet:net.politics / mit-vax!oaf / 3:26 pm May 22, 1985 ****/ >>Before the subject is dropped I'd like to state that I feel I did address >>this issue in my response. I said something on the order of -- >>I don't see how not helping someone can be construed as hurting them. >> Mike Sykora > > Denial of cost-of-living increases in social security benefits > hurts them. Recipients' real income drops. > True, in one sense. Not paying social security recipients EVEN MORE than they were scheduled to receive has the same effect, however -- their income drops from what it would have been. Of course, the government (via the Fed) has long had the option of NOT INFLATING, but the idea of a government that does not take advantage of its people in this way seems alien to modern discourse.