Here's how we wove together a themed show today: We started with National Journal magazine's "The Return of the Welfare Queen," positing that Republicans were reviving the 1980s Reaganite rhetorical relic, and held that up against the "Affluenza" story out of Texas. Which one of these crazy items is the worse "entitlement" anecdotal horror story? Armando joins in to link the discussion to Hobby Lobby, the Bain economy, tax breaks for passive income, the 1% versus the rest, etc. And from there, the Swiss proposal to adopt a national policy of a minimum guaranteed income. Is it contemptible socialism? Or an ultra-conservative "block granting" of all welfare programs into one? At least one conservative says that's just what it looks like. But of course if you bring it up as a liberal, conservative support will disappear, as it has with everything else. About which, see today's Jonathans Report: Chait on the "The Heritage Uncertainty Principle." Also: the NYT smuggles Snowden documents, but is awesome when it does it, unlike Glenn Greenwald, who was clearly so communist-y.
