tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9265258.post114213626785187804..comments2024-03-24T02:20:57.798-07:00Comments on jennifer's uncreatively-titled weblog.: How we can be pretty sure it's not about "life"Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01947039846875003496noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9265258.post-1142373480344516332006-03-14T14:58:00.000-07:002006-03-14T14:58:00.000-07:00Things that the government provides every day help...Things that the government provides every day help you (and me) to be independent: education (even if you went to a private school), roads, police, public sanitation. You are dependent on the government.<BR/><BR/>If public sanitation, education, etc, are legitimate government expenditures, why is health care any less important to our independence? <BR/><BR/>Is this making sense?<BR/><BR/>We don't need the state to "give women" things that a man "gives" to a woman. Women are systematically disadvantaged in relation to men, and to the state, in a way that prevents independence for many. <BR/><BR/>Most women are a man away from poverty. Also, governmental policies that protect men, such as social security, fail to protect women who do the hard (and important for society) work of family (non-paid) labor. This is not a "personal" or "altruistic" labor that only benefits her family. Society benefits through the reproduction of human capital.<BR/><BR/>Is, for instance, allowing women to collect SS (or not penalize them for) working in the home, making women dependent on the govt? No more, I would argue, than men are dependent on the govt for SS when they retire (or become disabled, etc).<BR/><BR/>So, where do you draw the line at what is creating dependency and what is a legit govt expenditure? What's your standard?Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01947039846875003496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9265258.post-1142372766153307832006-03-14T14:46:00.000-07:002006-03-14T14:46:00.000-07:00Policies that would help children and unborn babie...<I>Policies that would help children and unborn babies would also help women to be independent (day care, prenatal health care, welfare, etc).</I><BR/><BR/>Interesting definition of "independent". Since when does the independent woman need the state to provide for her every need? Gee, seems like the independent woman doesn't need a man, she just needs the state to give her the things that a man would.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com