Quote:
Originally Posted by AmeliaG
Government programs are about giving a man fewer fish than he needs to survive and patting themselves on the back and too few are about teaching the man to fish.
|
Teaching a starving man to fish is pointless. He will learn nothing as long as he is starving. First you must feed the starving man enough fish so that he is still hungry but not starving... then you can teach him how to catch his own fish if he can actually learn to do it.
Some government programs should be about giving every person *exactly* the number of fish they need to have a safe but austere life. Other government programs should be designed to provide training and tools needed for the person to progress beyond that minimal level.
That does not change the simple fact that many people will never be able to catch their own fish... poor genetics, lack of parenting, failed education, mental illness, etc leave plenty of people without the ability to fish. In a civilized society that doesn't mean they should have 4000 square foot houses with waterfront views... but it also doesn't mean they should starve, be unable to get medical care, etc...
The gap between rich and poor is important, but not nearly as important as the gap between poor and prisoner.
