Economics & The Poor.
I was reading this morning in Radical Compassion where the point was made that the economy should always be directed in such a way that the poor and the “least of these” should be the primary focus. Or at least should be the first “group” to get taken care of before other “groups”.
I know I’ve been talking the economy for a while (2007: Josh’s Year of the Economy), but that idea sums up what I’ve been thinking about in regards to big business and economies. So it’s not that I’m against capitalism . . . I just fear that the version of capitalism that we have today has little to no regard for the poor. And instead is structured, designed, and maintained by the wealthiest 20% who have 80% of the capital.
So it’s not that I have communist or socialistic leanings. It’s that I think capitalism places to high of an emphasis on the upper and middle classes. While I certainly enjoy the benefits of capitalism (it’s still relative as I’m sure most “rich” people would look at our modest existence and think we were lower class) over 30% of the U.S. population is born into poverty.
So what about an economy that keeps the poor out in front of it and that uses the successes and rewards of it’s capitalism to funnel back towards to the poor instead of lining the walls of 2nd and 3rd homes. Filling closets with 50 pairs of shoes. I’m not talking about free “give-aways”, although there is certainly a place for unconditional gifts that are both material and financial given to the poor. But the “rewards” of our economic system should be used to fund housing, job development, health care, skill training, tax breaks, etc.
I could also say something about what I am beginning to perceive as some of the problems of privatization of these services, and privatization in general. And how it only contributes to the funneling of resources and people away from the poor. But I’ll save that for another morning besides Saturday.
Joe Kennedy
Saturday, 9. June 2007 um 5:21 pm Uhr
Some questions… that may come across more confrontational than intended:
1. Have you ever lived in a high-poverty place? Suburban Atlanta and the Eastern Shore don’t count. Think inner-city Atlanta, New Orleans, or a place where you’re confronted with extreme poverty (usually minority-based, but they are the majority… Eastern Kentucky/West Virginia are also good examples).
2. Have you read any books on economics other than those that discuss it through the lens that you prefer- regarding the poor or more social concerns?
Okay, those two questions out of the way…
I want to suggest some books for you.
1. Ruby K. Payne: A Framework for Understanding Poverty
2. Michael Levine : Broken Windows Broken Business
3. Kelling and Coles: Fixing Broken Windows
4. Levitt and Dubner: Freakonomics
5. Richard Niebuhr: Christ and Culture
6. Jared Diamond: Collapse
Of course, pick and choose. But I definitely suggest the first, third, and last. The system is broken, man. But it’s created an entire culture of poverty and welfare that can’t be broken without some kind of worldview shift.
When you figure out how to change the culture of poverty without feeding it, you write a book. And you give it away.
Tim
Monday, 11. June 2007 um 12:38 pm Uhr
josh,
i agree and ask many of the same questions. i think the biblical economy is one that takes care of the poor far better than capitalism (sabbath years, year of jubilee, allowing the poor to glean the fields, etc.). however, here’s what i currently believe about economic systems:
1.systems will always disappoint because it takes responsibility away from people and directs our hope toward the system itself. this is why systems fail or fail to live up to our expectations. contrast communism or capitalism with a small community (which probably blends both). when you are in relationship with people and feel responsibility toward one another, economic justice is more easily realized. most of us, on the other hand, are part of a huge, broken system where people feel anonymous and are left to fend for themselves. hence, the poor and powerless lose out.
2.there are nations that do a better job than we do, so it’s not completely a lost cause. much of western europe is progressing toward taking better care of the poor and i think there is much we can learn from them.
3.no matter how broken the system is, we can still act as individuals and communities to bring about microeconomies that create greater justice and hope.