Galt's Gulch

War of Poverty

Posted by fivedollargold 12 years, 2 months ago to Economics
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Fifty years of the nanny state and we have exactly the same poverty rate as when it began. Notice that the poverty rate was DECLINING before LBJ started the so-called "Great Society."

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  • Posted by fivedollargold 12 years, 2 months ago
    I rather doubt that anyone prefers poverty. It's a matter of resources diverted from the private sector which was creating opportunities and jobs to the government sector which skims a healthy cut off the top before redistributing the rest. Perhaps an even larger factor is that the welfare laws created an economic incentive for single-parenthood. The destruction of the family unit has caused enormous damage, particularly to father-less males. I don't have the stats handy, but it would be interesting to superimpose a chart of the incarceration rate upon the poverty graph.
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    • Posted by $ WillH 12 years, 2 months ago
      I don’t know as I would agree that no one prefers poverty. I have seen more than one person who falls into that group make the most obviously self-destructive decisions that keep them in that position, things like passing up job offers or skipping out on interviews. I am not so sure that there is not a new group of people who see a virtue in being in that situation. As the era of being reliant on self continues to pass I think we will see a lot more people place a virtue on the “poverty stricken” masses. It feeds directly into the entitlement due to need philosophy imo.
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      • Posted by Rozar 12 years, 2 months ago
        As much as I wish I was not in poverty, I am at least one who enjoys it. It's hard to be rich in this environment. I've had a lot of opportunities to excel in life, but failed to leap in favor of enjoyments I could have while still young. I may not prefer poverty, but I prefer it to struggling to succeed in this climate.
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        • Posted by fivedollargold 12 years, 2 months ago
          Thanks for posting on this topic, Rozar. I work with young people daily, and you are correct, the prospects for them are not what they were in past times. Pretty much the same story for my friends over 50 as well.
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      • Posted by Robbie53024 12 years, 2 months ago
        Not sure that it's really a preference for poverty as it is fear of success. Some folks don't want to take the chance of bettering themselves as they may ultimately fail, or they fear the work that it takes to succeed. Much easier to not risk it and live on handouts.
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  • Posted by LetsShrug 12 years, 2 months ago
    Define "poverty". Poverty is not what it used to be either. No one is going hungry, probably almost all, if not all, aren't homeless, have t.v.s, microwaves, heat, a/c...and a car. I do not think that is poverty..it's just the lowest end in America. Compare it to any other place on earth were there is "poverty" and you will find people living in tarp huts and their kids playing in the laundry/outhouse pond. I've said this many times in here... hunger is a great motivator. Until people fear going hungry they will continue to be comfortable living off the dole..which comes off our backs.
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    • Posted by Robbie53024 12 years, 2 months ago
      Right on, Shrug. Most of the 3rd world would give anything to be at the level of American "poverty." What is considered poverty here is a disgrace. In fact, at the turn of the 20th century, the type of living conditions for the "middle class" in America would be considered sub-poverty.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 2 months ago
    I know it hasn't worked, but I think we should keep trying new approaches, not give up.
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    • Posted by Robbie53024 12 years, 2 months ago
      What new approaches? Giving people things does nothing beneficial for them, and only teaches them that they don't have to work to survive.
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      • Posted by $ WillH 12 years, 2 months ago
        Right now the way it is set up the best most common people can hope is to land a government job and leave the public sector. Those jobs have the reputation of stability, and clearly better pay than in the private sector. Over taxation of productive people and companies is what makes this possible.

        It seems to me that this whole thing can be reversed. I would terminate all unemployment, welfare, foodstamps, and reconfigure government jobs. A person with no education or practical experience could get a government job making minimum wage. We could also help them with technical training. They could then work their way into the private sector and become productive.

        Would we do this out of guilt? Not at all. It is serves us all to get the dead weight in our society retrained to become productive members of society, and to discontinue all these entitlement programs.

        Just an opinion mind you.
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  • Posted by flanap 12 years, 2 months ago
    The War on Poverty wasn't about poverty...unfortunately, most have gone through public school, but never the debrainwashing program required to think for themselves. Oh...just in case someone wants to know, I went through public school.
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