As we begin the new year I am thinking of a comment I heard a minister make a couple of months ago: “We spent millions and millions of dollars on the war on poverty in the 1960’s that was a complete failure,” he said, “and today we have more poor people than ever.”
There are so many things wrong with what he said.
In the first place, the War on Poverty was anything but a failure, and in fact was a major success in significant ways, what with the start of Food Stamps, the WICK program, Head Start, Aid To Dependent Children, and Medicaid, to cite several examples. So the minister was simply wrong about that effort.
And even though he was right in saying we have more poor people than ever, he was wrong again about why.
While many factors account for why we have more poor people than ever, a major one is because these successful social programs have had to fight for their lives every year a new budget has been passed by Congress, the results usually being that they have barely held their own over the last fifty years or been cut.
But guess what. The new Republican Senate and House are promising more of the same.
Have you been listening to what they have been saying? They’ve replaced “the sky is falling” cries they were making about the deficit a couple of years ago (which they got completely wrong) with alarm bells because of what they say is America’s dangerous debt, all in service of their desire to cut more taxes to help the rich and cut more social programs to pay for them.
It is clear now that the “new” Republican Congress will spend its energies doing what Republicans have been doing all along, protecting a system rigged in favor of wealth flowing to the top.
I suspect the minister I quoted above is one of those who put Republicans in power. But I have a question for him and others like him. “Really?”
I would love for him to help me understand how this is what his faith told him was the right thing to do, how what the new Congress wants to do contributes to economic and social justice.
It is bad enough for anyone to support the outrageous economic inequity that is the new America, but from where I stand it is unconscionable for anyone who claims to be religious to do so.
Republicans say we have become a nation of entitlements. They are exactly right, only it is not the poor who want a handout. It is today’s wealthy Americans who believe they got where they are with nobody’s help and are entitled to make as much money as they can regardless of how it affects those not so fortunate or the economy as a whole.
There are exceptions to this rule, wealthy people who care about others, who worry about such wealth being concentrated at the top, and are ready to pay higher taxes themselves to help create more equity in the system.
The problem is, none of them is a Republican member of the House or Senate.
You would think that would trouble people of faith who helped put them there because they say they believe in the Jesus who said the priority of anyone who follows him should be caring for the poor.
Perhaps it does, but it’s difficult to see how given what the people they voted for are already saying about their priorities for 2015.
linnposts.com 
As usual Jan, your words ring true. I believe many of the social and economic problems we are facing today go back to Ronal Reagan’s policy that even George Bush called Vodoo Economics. Taking from the poor and from the middle and giving to the rich does not create a healthy economy.
Economic fairness is arguably the social issue of our time in America — the third inalienable right stated as “the pursuit of happiness” by Jefferson.
Something many politicians and their constituents have not learned from our history.
Although there are supposedly more wealthy folks looking at the dangerous negatives of the metastasizing wealth disparities in America it will still be up to ordinary citizens to come out in numbers and demand changes; actually, a reversion to “balance”. It’ll take either that or collapse to create change, though the outcome of collapse would be dubious.
Many of these people in charge are a selfish, lethal and pathological threat to the lives of ordinary people! I truly think many of the secretive “Skull and Bones” and Bilderberg” ilk actually want most of us gone; dead!
It’s hard not to think that in light of the mass exploitation, plunder and infinite war perpetrated on most of the world’s peoples for the benefit of about 1 million out of about 7.3 billion of us. There is positive and informed churn everywhere but the old mentality of aristocracy is tenacious and brutally resists effective efforts at real change. It’s ungodly!
Thank you, Jan, for continuing to inform and lift up the spiritual message of brotherhood. Peace!
Just trying to give voice to those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Thanks for your comment, Bob.
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You have it right Jan! Head on.
Louise
Thanks, Louise.
Thanks for your article, Jan!
At one time I worked for one of those wealthy persons you mention in your article who happens to care about others. He was glad to profess that he was willing to pay more in taxes because of his wealth!! He knew there was a large divide in the system. You know what, he was a good man, from a poor background, who once had to partake of “big government” programs! In business he “walked the talk” and didnt wear religion on his sleeve! Refreshing to know of others that are the exception And do the right thing!!
Thanks for this story, Virginia. We need more wealthy people like this man. They are the ones who can change prevailing attitudes.
And I think that Same Old, Same Old is going to continue until several things happen: 1) The influence of money on our politics is stopped ,e.g., Citizens United is overturned and dark money is abolished. 2) The influence of the Religious Right and the Tea Party on our politics is drastically reduced. 3) The voters begin to vote based on knowledge rather than on TV ads, lawn signs, . , etc. 4) Along with raising the quality of our electorate, the quality of those elected must be drastically improved. 5) The influence of lobbyist money must be drastically reduced. 6) length of our political campaigns is drastically shortened. 7) I think we need to go to public financing of political campaigns, although I’m not so naïve as to think that will ever happen. 8) We somehow get rid of the war mentality that I think has gripped our country.
I think there are many more ideas that could be brought to bear on this problem, but unfortunately, I expect quite a long run of Same Old, Same Old.
Public campaign financing would change everything, but, as you suggested, Wally, it won’t happen…unless people rise up and demand to have our democracy back.