This unfortunate man, who has $1,300 checks landing in his postbox! He'd love to give the money back, but it would just go to someone else... I suppose the checks just arrived as part of the title when he bought his house. It's not like he, or his accountant or lawyer, had to apply for them, right? The U.S. government simply goes around finding people who it wants to give money. And the checks cash themselves. He never had to make arrangements to have direct deposit or anything, certainly.

Such hypocrisy is revolting. But it's a hallmark of rich Texans. And BTW, I don't make fun of the French. I find them more sophisticated than most Americans.
Bukko in Australia | 07.02.06 - 2:02 am | #

Another big irony: Corn and other ag subsidies to US farmers are destroying Latin American farming, devastating the rural economy and increasing dramatically the number of unskilled workers who come to the US illegally. The biggest thing we could do, IMO, to reduce unwanted immigration would probably be to eliminate those ag subsidies. (It'd certainly help more than expanding the Border Patrol.) They have distorted the economy in many unhealthy ways.
Gritsforbreakfast | Homepage | 07.03.06 - 8:23 am | #

The Post should have a headline like this every day. Something like:

[Program Name] Pays $[##] Billion to People Who Don't [Do What Program Was Ostensibly Created to Fund]



Baylen | Homepage | 07.03.06 - 10:38 am | #

---

Not to be too critical, but come on - the French considered "more sophisticated"?

What one person calls sophistication, others call arrogance.

The last time the French heard of anything remotely close to the word 'liberty', it was something being shipped off to sit in NY harbor.
colson | Homepage | 07.03.06 - 9:06 pm | #

Careful with that idea of eliminating ag subsidies. Think of the damage that could do to the foodstamp industry.

The US and European Ag subsidies effectively dump commodities on poor nations at below the cost of production, thus pricing the local farmers out of the market and inhibiting the overall growth of infrastructure.

When latin american nations import beans from the US, you know something is wrong. Wait, that sounds kind of racist so let me think of another example.

The West African cotton industry has been severely...
Oh hell I give up.
Terry | 07.04.06 - 2:09 pm | #