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Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
More than $7 trillion has been spent on poverty programs since Lyndon Johnson declared his "war on poverty" 40 years ago, with effectively zero impact on overall black poverty. Yet 40 years of failure doesn't seem to be enough to suggest to liberals, black and white, that their approach to poverty might be wrong.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former Democratic Sen. John Edwards, among others, riding the post-Katrina poverty-in-America theme, are making predictable speeches calling for yet more government poverty programs. I'm not sure I want to let these folks off with an insanity plea, but you really have to wonder what it takes for liberals to add one and one and get two.
It's a bit hard to buy the claim that Katrina suddenly made Americans aware of poverty.
The Washington Post reported this week that the federal government has in place over 80 poverty-related programs on which we spend in the neighborhood of $500 billion annually. Given the 37 million Americans that the Census Bureau tells us live in poverty, my calculator tells me this comes out to $13,500 spent per poverty-stricken person. Hardly indifference.
Yet, says the Post, "despite" all this spending, tens of millions of Americans remain poor. And despite 40 years of bloated government and massive spending, with no impact on structural black poverty, Obama concludes we need even more of the same.
At least as incredible as the insistence of liberals on perpetuating failure is their absolute refusal to consider a single new idea.
Black politicians and black entertainers are jumping on President Bush for allegedly being "indifferent" and not caring about blacks. But they have fought proposals that the president brought to Washington that would tangibly improve the condition of black America.
One of the single biggest issues for blacks today is education. Few would argue that education is the key to every kid's future.
Black kids are trapped in hopeless, failing inner-city public schools. There is only one answer here, and that is school choice. We need voucher programs that would let black parents send their kids to school wherever they choose. The marketplace delivers the best products in the world to American consumers. We need to let that same marketplace deliver education.
The No Child Left Behind law was enacted with limited choice provisions. When a school loses accreditation, parents can choose another public school in the district. The challenge, under these constrained circumstances, is to find one. My assistant, with great difficulty, just moved her son to a new school after his school failed. She tells me about the change in this child as a result of showing up in a positive school environment every day.
No Child Left Behind had broad choice provisions as initially proposed by Bush. However, these provisions were gutted as a result of Democratic opposition.
Blacks themselves understand the importance of vouchers and choice, and regularly poll over 50 percent in favor of them. Yet the Congressional Black Caucus remains opposed to any plan that would give black parents choice and black kids an open field of alternatives for school.
Social Security private accounts is another issue, proposed by Bush, that the Black Caucus has fought to the detriment of its own community.
Black politicians, if they really wanted to lift the economic shackles off their own constituents, would be fighting to free them from the regressive payroll tax that deprives them of ownership and wealth creation. Despite the political smoke, this reform is for poor people, not rich people. The wealthy can pay the tax and have plenty spare cash left over to save in 401(k)s and IRAs. But for someone making $25,000 a year, that's not the case. The only cash that could be available for saving is taxed into Social Security.
But, here again, the Black Caucus tells blacks that it is too risky to get off the government plantation.
Any finance professor will make clear that over 40 years the risk of a savings account that is half bonds and half stock index fund is minimal and is virtually certain to produce retirement income many times greater than what Social Security promises (and does not have to give). So why do black political leaders, who supposedly care about black economic well-being, uniformly fight this?
Black liberals should give Einstein a little credit, even if he was white. It is indeed insane to repeat past failures and expect different results. It's time for black leaders to start believing in their own people.
Bonnie said:Let's have some new thinking on fighting poverty
Star Parker
September 26, 2005
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/StarParker/printsp20050926.shtml
Kathianne said:One of the things that Nixon started and Reagan picked up on, that I liked was the 'ownership' deal for the working poor. Qualify them for something they can pay and buy into. Surprising how much better one keeps up one's own home.
Maybe, maybe not. Hard to tell on that one Bonnie. I know that Park Forest was a 'planned' community-which did let some 'working poor' buy into small homes in the 70's. They are still voting Democrat, though it was Nixon who made it possible.Bonnie said:Absolutely Kathianne, that's true of anyone!! But an ownership society doesn't translate into votes for liberals
Kathianne said:Maybe, maybe not. Hard to tell on that one Bonnie. I know that Park Forest was a 'planned' community-which did let some 'working poor' buy into small homes in the 70's. They are still voting Democrat, though it was Nixon who made it possible.
Then again, maybe not. They or rather their children, could be my neighbors here in DuPage County.
William Joyce said:Blacks are perpetually poorer because they're inherently less intelligent. Read "The Bell Curve." This, of course, is a great taboo, so the neocons at townhall.com won't go near it, but that doesn't mean it's not true.
William Joyce said:Blacks are perpetually poorer because they're inherently less intelligent. Read "The Bell Curve." This, of course, is a great taboo, so the neocons at townhall.com won't go near it, but that doesn't mean it's not true.
dilloduck said:How much longer can America pretend that blacks are poor and uneducated because whites have deprived them ? It's the huge lie that black leaders continually try to perpetrate but it's still a lie. Even white leaders have joined the bandwagon to appear PC and attract the liberal vote. Mass poverty will exist all long as America refuses to accept the truth. The generations of welfare families that have been created out of white guilt do not want to work.
One of the things badly needed in LA right now is LABOR. Will the welfare population jump at the chance to earn a living for themselves and their children? Maybe the hispanics will simply push them out by working harder.
Nuc said:It's cute how you two pat each other on the back. It's like Hitler and Goering giving each other 69. You guys are so cute......now go execute each other.
dilloduck said:Instead of flinging around stupid comparisons to Nazis, why don't you try to refute what has been said?
Nuc said:Actually I think Joyce is the Nazi. You're not, but why do you like to prop him up? So do you want me to refute that blacks are inferior to whites, or that Nazis are inferior to blacks?
dilloduck said:I want you to explain to me why such a large percentage of black people are poor and what YOU suggest we do about it.
Nuc said:In this country they are poor because they refuse to learn to read and write proper English, refuse to use birth control, refuse education. Wealth begets wealth and they started out with none, so that's somewhat of an excuse. Even in that context however they are underachieving. What should we do about it?
Most of the people on this board who have never been to Europe, but nevertheless like to rag on it, would not know that Europeans have done one thing right. They build their ghettos out of town. Where we put suburbs they put ghettos. It's a shame to see downtown areas of cities like Detroit in the shape they are in. Here in Milwaukee every house I lived in as a child is now in the ghetto, in fact the first house I lived in is now a crackhouse. That's how the cities have lost their souls.
As long as blacks are willing to live in their self-imposed squalor there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Nuc said:In this country they are poor because they refuse to learn to read and write proper English, refuse to use birth control, refuse education. Wealth begets wealth and they started out with none, so that's somewhat of an excuse. Even in that context however they are underachieving. What should we do about it?
Most of the people on this board who have never been to Europe, but nevertheless like to rag on it, would not know that Europeans have done one thing right. They build their ghettos out of town. Where we put suburbs they put ghettos. It's a shame to see downtown areas of cities like Detroit in the shape they are in. Here in Milwaukee every house I lived in as a child is now in the ghetto, in fact the first house I lived in is now a crackhouse. That's how the cities have lost their souls.
As long as blacks are willing to live in their self-imposed squalor there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
dilloduck said:LMAO--this sounds like an idea that WJ would come up with--congratulations!
Nuc said:The difference between me and the likes of you and Joyce is that I don't hate blacks because they are from a different race than mine. If they ever get their shit together I will be happy for them and for America. You and Joyce on the other hand will be jealous and still full of hate because you are racists. You like it when blacks and Hispanics have a hard time because it fuels your race hatred. You don't want them to succeed.
no1tovote4 said:I think you have the wrong idea about dillo and don't care about Joyce...
Nuc said:You know what they say about birds of a feather, dillo was slapping Joyce on the back so I spanked him. Is there a problem?
