July 30, 2007
Anthony Bradley vs. John Edwards In the Detroit News
(NEW ORLEANS - 15 Jul 2006--
Elizabeth Edwards, John Edwards, Tynya HarrisPhoto by Sean Gardner/Getty Images). Wow, whatever would disadvantaged blacks ever do if middle-class white people didn't try to save them?
I wrote a few comments explaining why John Edwards' recent poverty tour may serve as good rhetoric but, in the end, demonstrates very poor economic thinking. His ideas essentially represent the failed "war on poverty" initiatives that came out of LBJ's "Great Society" foolishness. It's a 2007 remix of a few old, tired, played out ideologies. The programs didn't work in the 70s and 80s and they won't work if Edwards becomes president. Edwards wants to raise the minimum wage to nearly $9.50/hour. Where does Edwards expect that money to come from? In the long run, these ideas eventually hurt the poor as we witnessed before Congress overhauled welfare in 1996.
You can read my comments at the Detroit News as well an extended version of the same editorial at the Acton Institute.
The minimum wage DOES NOT help poor people!! It CANNOT reduce poverty. Why don't people see this?
Posted by anthony at July 30, 2007 04:43 PM | TrackBackYou're starting to sound like Walter Williams and making since. It would be nice to see politicians that want to help the poor by doing things that would not strip them of their diginity and not be motivated by scoring political points and getting as many black votes as possible without solving the problems of that community. How has voting Democrat as a block worked out for the African American community?
Posted by: Kevin B. at July 30, 2007 05:22 PMKevin B. said, "You're starting to sound like Walter Williams"
That's one of the greatest compliments ever! Thanks!
Kevin, my sense is that the dems assumption of "the black vote" is beginning to slip a bit but it's still strong.
Posted by: Anthony at July 30, 2007 05:34 PMSo I have never understood Edwards the man is worth something like $60 million he made from litigation and then worked for an off shore hedge fund(good for him), Yet he talks against all that has made him wealthy. The man is smart money maker I just cannot understand his politics. It is like Soro once you make your fortune in the marketplace you can say how bad it is and how much the government should help people because they cannot really help themselves. When I lived in New Orleans I did not see a bunch of people that could not take care of themselves they ran companies though many not legal. You can say they are lazy when they take welfare, but maybe the welfare is worth more to them then working. When it comes to money and taking care of themselves people of all levels do it amazingly. Yet us rich white folk carry the racism forward thinking the poor old black man cannot do it on his own without our help; it imakes me sick.
Africa is the same way, what is the country investing money into the region? It is not us we give to currupt governments and send aid and missionaries but little if no support for true economic development. It is China the country working to shape Africa in its image not ours. But hey that is the beauty of globalization and free trade us Americans are not the center of the universe and become less and less so. The world is coming alive.(Great article today on this topic in WSJ). Example the Church is no longer American or even Western but more and more global and diverse. I wonder when my church the PCA will drop the A from its name?
Posted by: Brian Hewes at July 31, 2007 06:53 PMBrian, it's nice to see you back! I got your text about the churches. I'm checking on it!
Posted by: Anthony at August 1, 2007 08:36 AM