Here is a fact that should disturb everyone, regardless of their
politics: Today, about one out of every seven Americans receives food
stamps. That’s a population of 45 million people — roughly the size of
Spain — who rely on government help to feed themselves.
There
are two ways to interpret this number. On the one hand, you could take
it as evidence of just how crucial the social safety net has become in
the wake of the Great Recession, as families are quite literally
struggling to put food on the table. On the other, you could just read
it as an example of government welfare run amok.
Guess which view is popular among conservatives these days.
