Despite spending over twenty trillion dollars on various federal entitlement programs since 1964, the War on Poverty has been a complete and utter failure.
Today marks the fifty year anniversary of the War on Poverty that was launched by President Johnson as part of his Great Society initiative that included Medicaid and Head Start. The number of poor people in the United States today is about that same as it was in 1964.
Under President Obama, the poverty rate has remained the same for three consecutive years even as food stamp spending has dramatically increased to the highest level in history. Forty-seven million Americans receive food stamps today. A record number of people are also on disability.
The poverty rate is not the fault of President Obama. The fault lies with a flawed Progressive philosophy that believes poverty can be cured through the redistribution of income alone. It cannot. Poverty is a cultural and a class problem as much as it is an economic problem.
Watch this address from Charles Murray, libertarian sociologist, talking about the growing class divide in the United States that he believes can only be lessened if we adopt cultural solutions.
From the hills of Appalachia to the slums of Philadelphia we are seeing a growing underclass in the United States that is falling behind because it has abandoned the values and habits that lead to success. Hard work has been replaced by entitlement thinking. Marriage has been replaced by cohabitation. Fathers have been replaced by social workers. Pastors have been replaced by lawyers and therapists. Food has replaced spirituality. Television and the internet have replaced family togetherness and traditions. Drugs and alcohol have become the primary entertainment for many.
Unless we address these social maladies, we will have little impact on poverty. The underclass will continue to grow and the entire country will continue to be affected.
Surrender the failed redistributive War on Poverty and commence the war to rebuild character and community.
