In the midst of Republicans attempting to destroy the social safety net, it's important to keep in mind the difference between wealth and merit. Here's House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy giving us an object lesson:
McCARTHY: We should tighten our belt like every household in America. Imagine for one moment the hopes and dreams of everything we could achieve if we did not have this debt.... What could we invest in and what could America look like?
FOX: Sure. Such a good point. You would actually know something about the American dream because going... in the Wayback Machine for a moment... you won the California lottery.
McCARTHY: On my first ticket. I was 19. I won the lottery. I could do one of two things: I could become Charlie Sheen and throw a big party, but I chose to invest in the market, and after a while... I decided to invest in the American dream and open my own small business. [Despite] the challenge of government regulation, luckily I was successful, and at the end of two years, I then had enough money to pay my way through college.
That is lucky. And one of the things programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and Pell Grants are supposed to do is make it so that people don't have to be lucky enough to win the lottery before age 20 in order to be successful or even get basic needs like food and medical care met. Most people I think conceive of the American dream differently than lucking into millions and then getting into Congress so you can cut taxes on yourself while lecturing everyone else on the importance of working hard and saving your money, but it's a big country.
