We’re right in the middle of National Anti-Boredom Month. If you have a family of four and want to escape into interesting air-conditioned spaces it will probably cost you at least $100 per day. Unless…
A young friend who lives in the Boston area had a period of unemployment after finishing a degree and before moving to another city. She signed up for what used to be called “food stamps” (now SNAP) and received an EBT card. The expectation of what used to be called the “welfare system” is that an American will stay on it for the rest of his/her/zir/their life. Therefore, the card has no expiration date. “I haven’t been on SNAP for years,” she said, “but I still keep the card because it gets me into almost every museum for free.”
From my July 2022 post Why you want to be on SNAP/EBT:
Related:
- https://museums4all.org/ has a partial list of museums that are free to those who, at least at one time, signed up for the benefits to which they were entitled
I still don’t care about Black Lives Matter!
35 years ago, Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Bavaria (significant collection of Old Master paintings) was free for everybody (not just poor or allegedly poor people) on Sundays. I think it was great thing, I used it as a student. It was great experience, seeing those paintings, I would not have paid for it then, if I had to. 10 years ago, it was not free any more, on any day of a week, it was no problem for me to pay it then, but it is still a shame.
Some person told me how she told her husband that not everything in communism was bad, it was mostly bad, but there were also some goodies. Her husband explained her that all those goodies from communism where there also in (West) Germany in 70-ties, and in much better form and way then in communism, but not any more in the 90-ties.
In those times, many big firms were family-owned. There was some healthy balance between unions and factory-owners. Some German guy explained to me, that downfall begun when those firms were forced, or talked into going to stock exchange. Different bred of people came then, people with mentality of locust swarm, which destroy everything at one place, for short term gain, and then simple move on.
Welfare state was something completely different then monstrosity you are depicting now.
In 1983, at 19 y/o, I was in college and working part-time, when I broke my foot playing basketball. I applied for, and was awarded, one month’s worth of “emergency” food stamps – an actual booklet of paper coupons – a total of $60 worth.
Nothing is free in this country! Oh wait, I’m so wrong: “Waltham Teens, Kids Can Get Free Meals This Summer” [1], and “Here are all the places you can get free meals to go and groceries in Waltham this week, 7/15-7/21” [2].
#2 is a weekly event and has been ongoing since COVIDFear with no end in sight!
When my I immigrated, legally, to the USA in 1981, the high school gave my father forms to fill so my brother and I get discounted (not free, “discounted”) meals at school. My father forcefully declined it saying I can feed my kids and I don’t want my kids to be seen they are in need in front of all other kids.
[1] https://patch.com/massachusetts/waltham/waltham-teens-kids-can-get-free-meals-summer
[2] https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/home/news/here-are-all-the-places-you-can-get-free-meals-to-go-and-groceries-in-waltham-this-week-69