Free land is not welfare? Giving you a tax break by taking more from someone else (and giving it to you or not taking it from you) is not welfare? Whatever helps you sleep at night...

Lina, I am not a big fan of Walmart, Home Depot, or other big box sotre business practicess. Just remeber, they employ a lot of people directly and indirectly (suppliers). But what that mom and pop store competition has to do with current conversation?
Again, you r linking earned money to welfare, and that is wrong

Lina - where did you study economics? very fascinating view.. *-)
Speaking of big guys - look at circus city - they had to fire 34000 people, who had a job for years and years,,,, so big guys are not always bad...

Giving you a tax break by taking more from someone else (and giving it to you or not taking it from you) is not welfare? Whatever helps you sleep at night...
Lina, help me out here, how do you feel about what you just wrote? Is that a good thing or bad?

Again, you r linking earned money to welfare, and that is wrong

You received your bonus because the company you worked for was receiving government subsidies - that money is hardly earned.
And you receiving a bigger tax rebate check from the government because they took more from someone else to give to you, also sounds a lot like welfare.
But what that mom and pop store competition has to do with current conversation?

Because everyone is so against welfare to the poor without realizing that the government gives a lot more than that to the wealthy corporations, and then to you in form of bonuses and dividends.
Mom and pop is one of the little guys whom we so hate to see be the recepient of government help... and just speaks to their unfair treatment

How do I feel about it - fine, if I'm the one getting the check. But I'm not gonna be a hypocrite by saying that all is well as long as im or some big business is the recepient of government help but not a welfare mom.

Marina, there are many schools of economic thought... One of the reasons I dislike economics is because its not an exact science, and frequently contradicts itself. I studied economics in one of the oldest institutions in the US, not that it necessarily says anything.

so, i have a question, if my company layed off people in order to increase the profit margin, but i still got a hefty bonus at the end of the year, am i suppose to feel bad?

p.s. just to avoid any confusion - my company is not affiliated with any government organization and it isn't even traded on NYSE, only on London Stock Exchange.

Славик - oh yeah? you can never be done! you can't escape. xa xa xa (evil laugh)

Zoya, whos talking about feeling bad? We're discussing government subsidies to big corporations and their similarities to welfare.