Healthy family life confers unfair advantage, claim lefty philosophers

[Ricter]

Low-Income Programs Not Driving Nation’s Long-Term Fiscal Problem
Programs Outside Health Projected To Decline Relative to Economy

UPDATED
March 12, 2015
BY
Robert Greenstein, Isaac Shapiro, and Richard Kogan

"Low-income programs are not driving the nation's long-term fiscal problems, contrary to the impression that a narrow look at federal spending during the Great Recession and the years that immediately followed might leave. Lawmakers should bear this in mind as they consider proposals that may emerge in coming weeks for deep cuts in this part of the budget.

"Low-income program spending grew significantly between 2007 and 2010 in response to the severe economic downturn, helping to mitigate its worst effects. Since peaking in 2010 and 2011, federal spending on low-income programs other than health care has fallen considerably and will continue to fall as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as the economy more fully recovers. By 2018, it will -- based on Congressional Budget Office estimates -- drop below its average over the past 40 years, (from 1975 to 2014) and continue declining as a share of GDP after that. [1] (See Figure 1.)"

"Specifically, federal spending for low-income programs outside health care (including refundable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit) rose from 1.9 percent of GDP in 2007 to a peak of 2.9 percent of GDP in fiscal years 2010 and 2011. This rise reflected the increase in need during the downturn as well as policies adopted in response. But such spending has dropped to an estimated 2.3 percent of GDP in 2015, and it is projected to return to the prior 40-year average of 2.1 percent by 2017 and then fall further, to 1.7 percent, by 2025."

More>>

So much for the nanny state.

 

[achilles28]

In the music video below, Ice Cube makes fun of the idea that gangsta rap is responsible for violence and criminal behavior.
However, we know from scientific research that a subset of mirror neurons fires when they see someone else's actions. People do learn by imitation. When black kids see criminal behavior promoted in their entertainment, there is a residual influence left in the brain.
One of the greatest series on Showtime, Dexter, was based on the idea that Dexter's gruesome experience of watching his mother being murdered resulted in his subsequent dark urges. Young children, with their brains still developing, are more susceptible to environmental influences, both good and bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron
http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization?language=en

Yup. Good points. Advertising is a trillion dollar industry for a reason. It works. Music and entertainment industry know they define what's cool and avant guard. Gene Simmons said rappers are the new rock stars. Which they are. 20 years ago adults brow beat guns and roses and motley crew for glorifying devil worship. The rock stars back then didn't take any responsibility either. Its just A joke to them.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Something, or some things happened in the black community between 1970-1985 that began the family meltdown. Got to run out, but I'l return tonight to explain why I believe that is the target timeline.

Some background first. I was a teenager in the 60's living in Gary, IN., a city about 20 miles S.E. of Chicago and for all practical purposes a suburb of Chicago. All city high schools, except for one, were and had been integrated for several years, mostly due to multiple ethnicities living throughout the city. The one school that had not yet been integrated was the one I went to. That changed when my class entered that school during our freshman year. Out of about 550 students in that class, about 60 were black. All were bused in. We had all went to school together in Jr. High so we all knew them. For us there was no issue. There was a big issue for the black kids that first year of high school. There suffered ass whipping and blatant racism the entire year. There were several small, but violent, riots is too strong a word, but it was bloody. By our sophomore year things cooled down and by our junior year it was no big thing. Each class coming in had black students.
The school had fairly strict rules at the time. Dress code and the like. There were no real vocational type students going there, white or black. All were taking what would be considered college bound course work. Okay, enough of that. Safe to say I saw with my own eyes black kids who suffered blatant racism and violence, yet they were able to endure. hell, most of them excelled. They were driven by their new found opportunities. There parents had obviously suffered through discrimination and violent racism, yet they had jobs and most all kids had both parents in the house.
Nearly every one of these kids I went to school with went to college. Many became quite successful. All I knew/know of did ok for themselves. Most all did better than there parents.
Okay, so this is the group that went on into the 70's and 80's having families. In one generation it all went to shit in the black community. One generation. By the mid 80's most all of Gary was and still is a crime infested ghetto. Other than blaming all of this on "white flight". which is truth played a role, but wasn't the whole picture. Something else happened to the black family structure during that period and it had devastated that community to this day. People who suffered far worse discrimination and racism did better than those that come after even though those coming later had far greater opportunities presented to them. This continues today.
We can argue about what this something is, but it, to my observation, happened during the period of 70 to about 85 and whatever this is, it has completely destroyed black communities and did so in one generation, now going on two.

 

[Tsing Tao]

The social safety net is not a trap, as evidenced by all who have recently benefited by it and stepped out of it.

In your opinion. In my opinion government in its present state is not a "monstrosity" (lol), certainly not a nanny-state.

You want proof that fewer people are getting food stamps and such today, than were at the depth of the GR?

So you're saying the numbers of SNAP users not at record highs?

What does the "twice nothing is still nothing" comment supposed to mean? You said:



Then you said:



So far you haven't proved either. All I'm asking is that you prove your statement.

If you don't want a discussion and just want to make shit up, let me know and I'll bow out.

Ok, so you just want to make up shit and ignore inconvenient data. I guess the ol' Ricter is back in full force. Carry on bs'ing, dodging, ignoring questions and obfuscating. Let me know if you ever want to try to discuss something seriously.

 

[fan27]

Abolish the family. It's been done before. Let's listen to a little Dead Kennedy's to remember the result.

fan27