So, throwing all that money at poor people. It didn’t do a thing.
Or did it?
quote:
In fact, from 1963 when Lyndon Johnson took office until 1970 as the impact of his Great Society programs were felt, the portion of Americans living below the poverty line dropped from 22.2 percent to 12.6 percent, the most dramatic decline over such a brief period in this century. Since then, the poverty rate has hovered at about the 13 percent level
Well, yeah, but it ended up creating a ‘dependency’ society:
quote:
These programs assure a steady supply of educated individuals who provide the human resources for our economic prosperity. When these programs were enacted, only 41 percent of Americans had completed high school; only 8 percent held college degrees. This past year, more than 81 percent had finished high school and 24 percent had completed college. By establishing the federal government’s responsibility to finance this educational surge땇nd the concept that access to higher education should be determined by ability and ambition, not dollars and cents땧e have amassed the trained talent to be the world’s leading industrial, technological, communications and military power today.
But what about old people? What about abortions?
quote:
Taken together, these programs have played a pivotal role in recasting America’s demographic profile. In 1964, life expectancy was 66.6 years for men and 73.1 years for women (69.7 years overall). In a single generation, by 1997, life expectancy jumped 10 percent: for men, to 73.6 years; for women, to 79.2 years (76.5 years overall). The jump was highest among the less advantaged, suggesting that better nutrition and access to health care have played an even larger role than medical miracles. Infant mortality stood at 26 deaths for each 1,000 live births when LBJ took office; today it stands at only 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, a reduction of almost 75 percent.
So why is Johnson almost universally villified (and I’ve left the Civil Rights and Environmental agendas as well as the demographic changes of the 60’s off the table for the moment)?
That’s easy: Vietnam.
Johnson left us a dual legacy that allowed conservatives to hate him and liberals to hate him.
But if we’re going to talk about rolling back the New Deal and the Great Society maybe we should try to remember where we were before them.
Obviously we need more governmental involvement in our lives not less. Government should be bigger and individual rights should be eroded even further.
Most have a high school diploma because the standards have been drastically reduced; ditto for university and college students. Sure more have diplomas, but they often can not read, write, understand science basics, nor basic math.
I’m not certain we have a right to anything Brad. Just know that I will defend the ends of my productive and creative means from being taken from me by force.
How about tax dollar infrindgement? The programs created the “victimhood” bs, and give me, give me, you owe me, with no work ethic.
Yes! LOL, at the moment, they are giving “Certificates of Attendance” no diplomas for those with insufficient credits and who do not pass the Proficiency Exams. At the moment community colleges have a 60% drop out rate because the students cannot hack learning the material and passing a closed book, no note test. The UNLV as a 50% fail rate because the students cannot hack it. That is, high schools do not prepare students for university nor real time. Shit! I attended school in So. Cal. during the 60’s, and my ass was grass if I didn’t pass the instrucotor’s tests; that is no diploma and California was the top ranked state in the union for education at that time.
Hence, busnesses are putting the heat on schools and are justified.
Ah man, I had this whole argument set out against property rights, but that ‘promote the general welfare’ means the government has a duty to protect them anyway. Why? Because it creates capital and thereby creates more wealth. That is, the ends justify the means.
But, no, you have to go and argue the value of your labor.
At any rate, the point was that there’s nothing in principle wrong with the Great Society. I was thinking of Hayek’s argument here. The Hayek from “The Road to Serfdom” at least.
Hum, is it really voluntary in Western Civilization, or in some way forced by strikes, etc. At the moment many are losing or have their pensions frozen. Luckily, the casinos pay for mine, one benefit to living in Nevada. I California I had to pay.
Alternatively, you could view it along the lines that the USA is like a large ‘country club’. To be a member you have to pay your fees and follow their rules, which you will happily do if you happen to like this particular ‘club’.
Of course, if this ‘club’ isn’t doing it for you anymore, why not try one of the others…the Cayman Islands do look very appealing.
PS It’s my birthday today, Jerry, so I’ll be paying for the beer if you fancy a drink
I am wondering where in the hell the “Screw Deal” helped American society. (taking into account that there were actually two(2) Screw Deals)
Overbroadening of American governmental powers has eroded this society far faster than the natural social decay could ever have done.
If wealth redistribution is an infringement upon individual rights, what exactly does one define governmental abolishment of civil liberties as? Pious rectification?
The simple fact is that any form of taxation is a form of redistribution.
Mastriani,
I’m not sure what you mean. Read the article I posted, it explains the benefits created and shows the problems created at the same time – a little bit better than whining about the poor becoming rich and the rich becoming poor.
I’m not here to argue rights or needs. It infringes on somebody’s life, their capacity to live as they themselves see fit is reduced if the ends of their productive means are stripped from them.
