Originally posted on June 19, 2023.
Permanently Relying on Government Handouts
In his Manhattan Contrarian, Francis Menton asks,
“Should the purpose of government “anti-poverty” programs be to help the beneficiaries rise from poverty and become successful and independent, or alternatively should the purpose of such programs be to entice the recipients of aid into a life of permanent dependency upon government handouts?”
Not a Trick Question
From its inception, the anti-poverty programs back in the 1960s, the programs were sold to the public as being a temporary boost by which the poor could be helped to escape from poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.
Let’s look at what has happened over six decades:
The rate of poverty never seems to go down, and the number of program beneficiaries grows inexorably.
Did something change along the way? Well, by golly, it did, explains Mr. Menton. He has just finished reading a new book documenting a 180-degree reversal of our government’s policy on the purpose of the anti-poverty programs since the time they began. The book is “The Myth of American Inequality,” by authors Phil Gramm, Robert Ekelund, and John Early, published in September 2022.
Mr. Menton, who himself has written extensively on Poverty and American Inequality in the Manhattan Contrarian, explains how the book refers to the statistical legerdemain by which the government statistical bureaucrats (mainly in the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics) are able to make poverty and “income inequality” in the U.S. appear far, far greater than they are.
Menton’s Caveat
Before you rush out to buy “The Myth of American Inequality,” Mr. Menton implores that you understand that the authors do not forcefully state that the statistics on poverty and income inequality as presented today are fundamentally fraudulent and deceptive. No blame is attributed to anyone for allowing these statistics to over time become so distorted and misleading.
It’s like it was just some (natural-occurring) process, and things just turned out this way.
Mr. Menton’s own posts on these subjects, he admits, do not give that kind of the benefit of the doubt to our self-serving bureaucrats.
The Challenge
If you buy the book, advises Mr. Menton, you will be among the several dozen or so people in the U.S. who are on to the ”statistical scams by which the bureaucracy manipulates the voters into supporting more and more government spending.”
By the way, none of this, Mr. Menton assures readers, ever can or will reduce “poverty” or “income inequality” as the government measures them. But what better way to bore everyone at the next cocktail party you’re expected to attend?
These few dozen of us will then only need to bring around the tens of millions who have fallen for the scams in order to get some reforms going.
Let’s get to it!
If you’re willing to fight for Main Street America, click here to sign up for the Richardcyoung.com free weekly email.