In the pursuit of “free market ideals,” there has been the imposition of economic policies to cut taxes on the wealthy, to do away with fiscal and other business regulations, to shred the social safety net – all while singing the praises of self-reliance and individual responsibility. As a result the rich got richer and the poor got poorer and became more numerous.
Te capitalist economic system is condemning millions of people to high rates of un- or under-employment, poor performance in school and at work (when it is available), poor nutrition and eating habits, high instances of drug abuse, high crime rates, homelessness, high rates of preventable diseases, shorter life-spans, and all the other vicissitudes typically associated with a life of poverty. Almost 50 million Americans are now so impoverished that they cannot feed themselves without government assistance.
Yet the allies of the wealthy say none of this is society’s fault or responsibility, rather it is the fault of the individual who, living in a “free” economic environment, makes his or her own choices and then must live with the consequences. If you work hard enough, you can make it, they tell us which in other words mean if you don’t make it, you didn’t work hard enough (ignoring statistics of increasing worker productivity) Just this week the House of Representatives voted to cut the Food Stamp program by some $40 billion and apologists for the reduction argued that poor people don’t deserve to have children. The notion that the poor can make “free and rational choices” and thus can be held responsible for their situation is incorrect. There is accumulating evidence that poverty literally messes with the brain in a way that obstructs responsible choices. In fact, the “free market” contributes to an environment that makes the poor decidedly un-free: confused, preoccupied, and feeling overwhelmed and hopeless.
AJJ
Te capitalist economic system is condemning millions of people to high rates of un- or under-employment, poor performance in school and at work (when it is available), poor nutrition and eating habits, high instances of drug abuse, high crime rates, homelessness, high rates of preventable diseases, shorter life-spans, and all the other vicissitudes typically associated with a life of poverty. Almost 50 million Americans are now so impoverished that they cannot feed themselves without government assistance.
Yet the allies of the wealthy say none of this is society’s fault or responsibility, rather it is the fault of the individual who, living in a “free” economic environment, makes his or her own choices and then must live with the consequences. If you work hard enough, you can make it, they tell us which in other words mean if you don’t make it, you didn’t work hard enough (ignoring statistics of increasing worker productivity) Just this week the House of Representatives voted to cut the Food Stamp program by some $40 billion and apologists for the reduction argued that poor people don’t deserve to have children. The notion that the poor can make “free and rational choices” and thus can be held responsible for their situation is incorrect. There is accumulating evidence that poverty literally messes with the brain in a way that obstructs responsible choices. In fact, the “free market” contributes to an environment that makes the poor decidedly un-free: confused, preoccupied, and feeling overwhelmed and hopeless.
AJJ
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