Ben Carson, the shy, calm-natured neurosurgeon, proved once again how a brain surgeon may not always be the smartest guy in the room. After being called out by one of moderators during the third debate for supporting a subsidy when he claimed he does not, Carson went on the defensive:
Well, first of all, I was wrong about taking the oil subsidy. I have studied that issue in great detail. And what I have concluded is that the best policy is to get rid of all government subsidies, and get the government out of our lives, and let people rise and fall based on how good they are.
And — you know, all of this too big to fail stuff and picking and choosing winners and losers — this is a bunch of crap, and it is really causing a great deal of — great deal of problems for our society right now. And you know, it goes back to the whole concept of regulations, which are in everything. The reason that I — I hate them so much is because every single regulation costs in terms of goods and services.
Ben Carson hates subsidies because he sees them as regulations that cause a “great deal of problems for our society.” And he wants to do away with all of them.
That’s funny, coming from a guy who has, it seems, received almost every federal subsidy known to man to get ahead.
In his autobiography “Gifted Hands” (so it’s straight from the horse’s mouth), Carson acknowledged that his family was on heaps of welfare, and it took many years to wane themselves off government assistance until it was only food stamps they received. Carson received free glasses from a government program which helped his academic scores, and wrote:
By the time I reached ninth grade, mother had made such strides that she received nothing but food stamps. She couldn’t have provided for us and kept up the house without that subsidy.
As I’ve said, we received food stamps and couldn’t have made it without them.
So let’s go over what we know. Carson:
- Was fed with food stamps
- Lived in subsidized housing
- Got his glasses from the government
- Benefited from affirmative action
And now, because he’s made it, he wants to do away with these very subsidies that help millions get a leg up, like him and his mother.
Maybe Carson is right, maybe subsidies do create problems in society - it gave us Ben Carson after all.
Featured image via Flickr
Well dangit anyway. More of that mainstream media, that those republicans hate, doing their job. The republican hypocrisy just never seems to end.
Another Republican whose life was improved by federal subsidy programs (Lyin Paul Ryan) and now want to end subsidy programs. What is wrong with these guys?
Afgail
What’s wrong with them is they are trying to save us from the progressive ideology that irresponsibly spends more than they have to win votes by offering free stuff to get elected.
What the debt that Obama has accumulated has done has trapped us into government control of all aspects of your life.
The debt is not only unsustainable it is the destruction of the middle class all for the sake of the leeches that feel entitled to plunder your money and blame the rich for their failure to make their own mark on society.
How nice of you to be so generous with other people’s money.
Decry democrats as you will, Joe, but you need to get YOUR numbers straight.
I’m going to provide NUMBERS that you are welcome to research.
Here’s what happened. When Reagan took office, he inherited
a DEFICIT to Gross National Product (considered the gold standard of the
strength of an economy) ratio of 2.5%. When he left office that deficit/GNP
ratio had grown to 4.3% … his economic policies FAILED as the deficit
increased that ratio by over 50%!!
Then, you have the audacity to condemn Obama for his economic policies because the debt has grown while he has been in office. Well, time for you to get schooled, Joe. Obama inherited a deficit/GNP ratio from W Bush of
nearly 14%. Due to Obama’s economic policies, that ratio has fallen to only 2%, which is DRAMATICALLY less than Reagan’s, and, of course about 83% LESS than W Bush.
Until we eliminate deficit spending, we cannot even START to pay off our debt. At least Obama has demonstrated greater fiscal restraint than EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN POTUS in over half a century!
So, let’s look at the NATIONAL DEBT. Your ilk call Obama’s debt increase unacceptable. Well, YES, Obama’s policies have increased our national debt (the amount we OWE other countries) by about 77%. But, Reagan increased our national debt by 189%!!!! You and your ilk, however, conveniently ignore those FACTS.
Actually, over the past half century, EVERY republican POTUS’s national debt increased more than any democratic POTUS.
Time to get your story straight, Joe.
Academicjock
I have research it and your numbers are misleading and untrue.
Anyone can manipulate data if the exclude certain expenses and that is what your doing.
Just like the unenployment rate that is manipulated that only count people active on unemployment insurance.
The U-6 data from the C.b.o.shows it at 10.2%
Deficit has gone down because taxes are at a all time high and revenue has increased by contrast
Spending by this administration is triple of what Reagan spent and he inherited a economy far worst that OBama did.
He hat a 20 interest rate a oil embargo and a depleted military that carter demolished .
Yet in two years had the economy back on track.
Results can’t be manipulated like your attempting to do.
And results prove Obama recovery is failed.
He has put us 10 trillion more in debt with new entitlements the labor participation rate is the lowest in 35 years medium income is down almost 2 500 food stamps are up 25 million
Poverty rate has increased
So if that’s what you want to call being schooled I’m glad I did not attend that school.
Your being played by false numbers to hide the failures of this administration.
To have a healthy eComo my you need to have a 4% growth. We are at 1.5%
So maybe you should get the story straight.
You mean like the “regulation” that requires doctors to be licensed?
We know you have no respect for your own mother, since you keep demonizing single parents.
The empathy that was shown after and during the great depression is a foreign concept to republicans.
I’ve got mine ( with the taxpayers help), now go get yours on your own. What a POS!
Paul Ryan did the same. Im sure there are others.
He wants to “let people rise and fall based on how good they are” - so no inherited wealth then. Communist!
SHY? Try zoned out.
Amazing that a doctor would want to advocate for no regulations. Every piece of equipment he used in his operating room had to be regulated in some fashion. Imagine what the quality of medical equipment would be without safety regulations.
Sukibarnstorm
Nothing like taking words out of context to fit your agenda.
That’s not what he is avocating at all you just have selective reading skills.
It’s the unnecessary and overreaching regulations he is referring to.
Too bad you choose not to use common sense in your thread.
Dr Carson is the only logical one to get it right.
The left don`t think about the ramifications of being 18 trillion in debt because they are totally irresponsible and inept to use logic to see it`s not sustainable to continue spending money we don`t have.
Those damn Libs….. Sending us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan without a way to pay for it….Oh Wait…….
Thatswhatshesaid
Oh wait history repeats itself.
How quickly you forget that L.B.J to pay for the democratic war in Vietnam stole money from the trust fund of social security that we are still paying for besides the fact that 56,000 Americans lost their life’s for what?
And yes I was one of them to get drafted and spend a year of my life getting shot at for what???
how quick you are to blame the one’s you oppose without looking at what you have done ww1 ww2 Korea Vietnam all democratic wars
But yet you just demonize the right.
You sir are brainwashed.
There is nothing in anything Dr.Carson is or has said that allows logic…
That’s what she said
This man’s whole life is based on logic to become a doctor you have to know how to rationalize.
Your just prejudice towards republicans so it blocks your logic and rational thought.
Kinda like the token black Republican SCOTUS judge Clarence “Long Dong Silver” Thomas. Who got a big leg up through affirmative action, and then decided he was against it…after the fact.
Randje k randje
Bernie Sanders? ???
And you probably think that life would be better in a socialist society right?
If you would just take the time and look at the Denmark Bernie want to model us under you would see that the middle class pays almost 80% of what they make to try and create the utopian ideology you crave.
Not realizing till its too late that the promise to just tax the rich is impossible to pay for all he wants.
You must like wanting to become a robot with the government controlling everything you do.
Who hasn’t gotten student loans, unemployment insurance, reduced tuition for being in some ‘special’ group? That’s not usually the problem. As Carson mentioned, he and his family got themselves off the welfare train, and he bettered himselff to the point of being able to give back to the community as opposed to those who LIVE on the welfare train forever and for generations.The incentives to be a professional subsidized resident who never gets themselves of the entitlements teat need to go.
Wow, are you clarifying his statement? He said not a word of what you said. He makes these general ridiculous statements and then needs others to clarify what he really meant??Yeah…okay…
I’m neither for or against Carson. He’s not a professional politician, but is trying to make a point about subsidies, exemptions and carve-outs for special or ‘certain’ people. The point is valid and should be open to discussion. I’d rather listen to someone with morals and character than some professional politico who uses spin, distraction and diversion.
Morals and Character? Maybe you should take a real look at Carson’s history.
They are all hypocrites. They say they will never raise taxes yet every cut in funding for social programs is just that. They are taking away peoples money to shore up their tax cuts to the rich. The party has become predators feeding on the poor, the old and the downtrodden in order to please their rich masters. Millions of American working people are forced to live off of subsidies because the big corporations will not pay them a living wage. I don’t care who you are or where you work. You should NOT have to be on subsidies because your employer won’t pay you.