Unemployment

[kandrathe]

Is the situation better or worse than if we'd done nothing?

I don't know. It's hard to speculate on that parallel universe's outcome. My gut tells me things are perhaps better (not so harsh), but not good at eliminating the problems that cause it. I think we've been inefficient, and have misapplied our efforts.

What is poverty? Starvation? Inadequate clothing? Lack of shelter? Because I suspect those are rare and would be even rarer if people knew and took advantage of available programs.

It depends on who you ask. I think the definition has changed over time. Today, lack of TV and high speed Internet access is considered poverty. Also, geographically, things are vastly different between urban and rural, coastal and heartland, north and south, southern border or not.

Birth control? There's a strong negative correlation between affluence and fertility. So, unless you propose forcing birth control on the poor, it will not work.

Agreed. Yet, things won't change for the poor unless we can prevent more teen pregnancies, and give them an opportunity to get themselves educated before they are locked in to a life of perpetual welfare with a dozen little house imps. Our culture of high teen pregnancy skews many statistics in the US, including poverty, education, infant mortality rates, crime, etc.

Education? Mostly it doesn't work because of the stresses of the milieu of the poor. It's a catch 22: for education to work, they need to not be poor, and for them to not be poor, education needs to work. You could take them out of their milieu -- say, round them up and put them in ranches in Arizona. I'm not sure how well compulsory sterilization or mandatory state run boarding schools fit into the libertarian idea, but I'd guess not too well.

There are things that do work, without force of law or rounding poor people up in box cars. What we are doing is failing. We need to reach youth to change the dialog about society, whether it be drug use, education, birth control, etc. These are cultural issues, and we are not connecting with youth on their role in taking charge of their own destinies. Maybe one problem is that we force them into government run institutions (that we call schools) at age five. The product that comes out after 12 years is not what we wanted or need.

I think one thing is clear to me, it takes the very best teachers to work at the worst schools. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening.

Besides, who pays for it all?

I'm offering the alternative to "giving them fish". So, how do we "teach them to fish"?

Yeah, in my lifetime the progressives have been in continuous power. Except, of course, the Eisenhower, Nixon, Regan, Bush, and Shrub years. Oh, wait, that's 36 of the last 58 years -- I guess the progressive conspiracy still needs a bit of work.

Being President doesn't allow you to undo all the laws that came before. So, still, in that bunch I'd give you Eisenhower and Regan. The others were just progressive Republicans in the pattern of Teddy.

"Rationing"? Whatever. I'll answer your question if you answer mine: how much money will you need next year for food, clothing, housing? How about for medical expenses? A couple of bottles of generic aspirin? A week's stay in the hospital? A major procedure?

$22,000. $2400 (max deductible for family is $5000). $3. $30000 (but, again $5000 max). Same.

While I agree with you in principle, I don't think that our society will accept that. So, in looking for a solution, you are either constrained to what is doable or your solution is just a worthless pipe dream.

I don't know that it was realistic for Kennedy to dream "the New Frontier" or Johnson to believe he could wipe away all travails with "The Great Society". Yet, that vision has been the modus operandi since 1964 (most of my lifetime).

It takes people discussing what is possible coupled with the experience of what has worked and what has not worked to craft changes in our laws that will bring about the society we desire. I'd like to live in a society where people can work hard and get ahead. Or as Adams said, "that American dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank." I'm not crafting a new vision, but trying to reclaim the original one.