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Old 05-07-2013, 06:35 AM
 
Location: Planet Earth
2,776 posts, read 3,041,689 times
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Was this an effective policy?
Did it work, if it did why?
If it did not work, why?
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Old 05-07-2013, 02:58 PM
 
31,387 posts, read 36,939,123 times
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This is going to be a long and protracted debate and since I don't have the time or the patients for composing one of those NJGoatesque long but exceptionally informative post let me say this.

The poverty rate in the U.S. was in decline following the recovery from the recession of 1960 but its steepest post war decline occurred during the Johnson administration:



But as Johnson biographer Robert Caro, Johnson escalation of the Vietnam war effectively damaged Johnson's efforts. This was rapidly followed by the War on the War on Poverty that reached its high point during in the mid-70's.



So what have been the next effects, I would argue that outside of the subsequent recessionary years, the Roosvelt/Johnson programs have ameliorated both the level and effects of economic downturns and has for the most part stabilized poverty in the U.S.
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Old 05-07-2013, 03:47 PM
 
9,981 posts, read 8,550,088 times
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what is the meaning of "poverty" when you are "poor" (on the books)
but all your needs are met ?
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Old 05-07-2013, 03:57 PM
 
Location: NE Mississippi
25,381 posts, read 17,049,978 times
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Johnson's War on Poverty was an idiot's policy, and one I wish America would quite trying.
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Old 05-07-2013, 05:10 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
13,562 posts, read 10,291,979 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Listener2307 View Post
Johnson's War on Poverty was an idiot's policy, and one I wish America would quite trying.
Can you explain why?
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Old 05-08-2013, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,153,431 times
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I'm betting those who think it was a bad idea probably have no concept of how poor a lot of people were back then, from rural Appalachia to the inner cities. Also, because of political compromises with racist Southerners in Congress, before then most minorities were excluded from programs like social security.
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Old 05-08-2013, 05:14 PM
 
Location: NE Mississippi
25,381 posts, read 17,049,978 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
I'm betting those who think it was a bad idea probably have no concept of how poor a lot of people were back then, from rural Appalachia to the inner cities. Also, because of political compromises with racist Southerners in Congress, before then most minorities were excluded from programs like social security.
I have a pretty good idea about how poor people were "back then", since I was born in 1945.

The highlighted part of your post is so far off that I will not respond.
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Old 05-08-2013, 05:29 PM
 
Location: NE Mississippi
25,381 posts, read 17,049,978 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by silverkris View Post
Can you explain why?
If you are asking why providing federal aid to impoverished people fails, then no, I cannot tell you why it fails.

The fact that it does, and did in this instance, can be illustrated by the passage of a Clinton era bill call the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, which was passed in 1996, and signed by Bill Clinton. Clinton announced that the bill would end welfare as we know it. If the Great Society programs of Johnson were succeeding, then such a bill and such a comment would not be necessary.

The War on Poverty singled out black people and did them no favors by doing so. Black people quickly filled up public housing facilities and then settled in for the long haul on government benefits. Maybe these sorts of programs fail because of the people who are so attracted to them; maybe they fail because they are never policed properly.
Whatever the cause is, they don't work.

I'll tell you what did work. The economy of the 90's. We had almost full employment. There were people working who would be virtually unemployable in a normal environment.
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Old 05-08-2013, 05:34 PM
 
Location: The Triad
34,090 posts, read 82,592,203 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowball7 View Post
what is the meaning of "poverty" when you are "poor" (on the books)
but all your needs are met ?
In short... a lack of self sufficiency.
That term and what it implies, demonstrably doing for yourself, is a far better gauge of success.
On that basis however we are doing very poorly indeed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodricks
It's our official national lie — the number of Americans we consider poor.

Even as the U.S. Census Bureau prepares to report the highest level of poverty in 50 years,
we are lying to ourselves about the number of Americans who can't make ends meet without
government help or charity. LINK
Having occasional assistance available for the lower level needs is a wonderful thing.
Becoming dependent on them however and especially for generations... not so much.
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Old 05-08-2013, 08:01 PM
 
12,999 posts, read 18,825,608 times
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Johnson will always be remembered for prosecuting the unpopular and often futile Vietnam war. Johnson spent a lot more on that than the "war on poverty."
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