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How to Eradicate Poverty
July 11, 2007
A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, a vision and a task is the hope of the world.
-Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas
-Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas
"On the far right of the spectrum are those folks who don't see inequality as much of a problem at all: the trickle-down conservatives.... This theory holds that markets work at maximum efficiency when left to their own devices, enabling some of the money flowing into Wall Street and corporate boardrooms to 'trickle down' to the middle class and poor through spending and investment.
"In the center would be those...who make up what could be called the redistribution camp. This group...subscribes to John Kennedy's dictum that 'the rising tide lifts all boats.' They share the conservative philosophy that growth at the upper echelons of society is good for everyone, but with a significant difference: government has to redistribute some of that wealth by progressively taxing the affluent and giving that money back to the poor through carefully incentivized social programs and tax breaks.
"The redistribution folks think of globalization as inevitable, a transformation as unstoppable as industrialization was at the turn of the century. That's why they generally embrace free trade, and it's also why they believe that more workers will have to go to college in order to compete for some high-paying jobs.
"On the left end of the spectrum are the populist Democrats who...espouse a philosophy you might call 'predistribution' �" using the tools of government to divert money from the wealthiest Americans before they earn it. According to these Democrats, the rising tide stopped lifting all boats sometime in the 1970s, when manufacturers, challenged by foreign competitors, began to seek out cheaper labor overseas. That's when the fortunes of American employers and their workers, so closely aligned throughout much of the 20th Century, began to diverge....
"Predistribution Democrats dispute the notion that the effects of globalization are inevitable; to them, the decline of American industry was inflicted on the country through policies that favored business at the expense of wage earners. And, they think it's still possible, by reversing those policies, to live in a country where a guy with a high-school degree can have a rosy economic future."
To boost your economic prospects, how about checking out the many employment options available for you in the "Job Opportunities" section on our web site.
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsEdu-Fit Consulting Services
Carlsbad, CA, United States
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ said in Matthew 26:11, "For the poor you will always have with you...". There is nothing dishonorable about being poor. I grew up very poor with lots of "hand-me-down" clothes, and no car until after I had graduated from college. There is too much emphasis in our society of worshipping wealth, rather than finding our place as a good productive member of that society.
George Gilder said, "Greed is an appetite for unneeded and unearned wealth and power. The truly greedy seek comfort and security first. They seek goods and clout they have not earned. Because the best and safest way to gain unearned pay is to get the state to take it from others, greed leads, as by an invisible hand, toward ever more government action - to socialism, not capitalism."
It doesn't sound like our politicians have anything to offer, in light of our changing global dynamics. We teachers must keep encouraging our students to stay in school and learn as much as possible so that they can effect their own societal and economic change on their own level.
Sonshine Child development Center
Lititz, Pennsylvania, United States
Wow, nothing sounds good from this article. As an early childhood educator it does make me wonder even more about our education system. At this time, I think the policy makers want us to educate our young children to be "good global employees". If we educate them to be problem solvers, innovative, creative will there be a place for them in the future economy? Those who come from a more priviliged background maybe able to succeed, but those from the middle or lower economic background will not have the same opportunities. This is a social and cultural delema, not just a matter of economy.
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