Monday, November 22, 2010

Ending Poverty: The Globe and Mail Jumps The Shark

"To end poverty, guarantee everyone in Canada $20,000 a year. But are you willing to trust the poor?"

In a word, no.

Unearned handouts, especially to the young and healthy, are de-moralizing. They do not end poverty; they institutionalize it; they turn poverty into a growth industry; they create a sub-class of citizens who are dis-incentivized to work unless "society" can offer them a job that pays significantly better than the 20K they're entitled to for merely breathing and taking up space. They make irresponsible and immoral behaviour a live lifestyle choice, which too many will take.

And, of course, the $20K a year, once established as an entitlement, will never be enough. It will be seen as a matter of simple justice to raise it to $22, $24, $26K a year.  Here's a thought -- why not raise it to $80K a year, and make everyone wealthy?

You can see the leftist bias of the reporter:  "It's a bold idea, and it runs counter to the paternal approach to poverty that polices what is done with “our” money and tries to strong-arm the poor into better lives."

Wow, what a load of emotive, biased words: bold idea vs. paternal approach, policing what is done with "our" money, and strong-arming the poor.

If it's not our money, just exactly whose does she think it is?

Welfare for the able-bodied should not be convenient and comfortable. It should be something you kick yourself for needing and do everything in your power to get out of. Your goal should be to get out of it and pay back society for its "loan".

As is invariably the case in articles such as this, the journalist fails to ask the basic questions:

1. Job losses? What job losses -- why were these jobs lost?

2. Where is the child's father and why isn't he shouldering his responsibilities?

3. Where are the young woman's parents, and why aren't they supporting their grandchild and their daughter's efforts?

4. Where is the extended family if the young woman's parents are unwilling or unable to help out?

5. How much has this case-study example cost tax-payers so far, and when is the end in sight?

Welfare begins with the immediate family, followed by the wider family circle. Only if these break down should governments step in.  The issue of personal, family, and extended-family responsibilities for dealing with poverty rarely if ever get a mention by Canadian journalists.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

(full article is below)
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4 comments:

dmorris said...

I heard about this rather insane idea a few days ago,and thought it must be a joke.

Social workers/socialists think "the poor" are victims of someone else's unfairness or cruelty,they never expect the "victims" to answer for their actions or lack of them.

Most "poor" need only look in the mirror to see their real enemy.

Ask any recent Chinese immigrant about how to succeed in this Country,the answer is invariably,"work hard",something unknown to most of "our poor".

Anonymous said...

I work full-time at a bank and only make 25k a year. If I was getting 20k a year for doing nothing is it really worth those 2,000 hours a year for an extra 5k? Hardly.

If this ever happens then I guarantee you there will be no more service people in the retail industry.

What a moronic idea.

Anonymous said...

"Unearned handouts, especially to the young and healthy, are de-moralizing. They do not end poverty; they institutionalize it; they turn poverty into a growth industry; they create a sub-class of citizens who are dis-incentivized to work unless "society" can offer them a job that pays significantly better than the 20K they're entitled to for merely breathing and taking up space. They make irresponsible and immoral behaviour a live lifestyle choice, which too many will take."


The Liberals in Canada need "poop" people who will vote for hem.

The Liberals and leftists in general do more damage to the human soul than anything one could do to himself.

Don said...

Well, it's good to know that my tax dollars will be put to so much good use. I know that if I lost my job under such a system I'd consider moving a smaller community where $20k would be enough to make ends meet.

Hey, why work when you don't have to?

"... nothing intellectually compelling or challenging.. bald assertions coupled to superstition... woefully pathetic"