The government employees working in the poverty industry need the poverty to keep their jobs.
Milton Friedman had something to say about government statistics.
He was right.
L
Manhattan Contrarian Ping
A lot of people make a good living on the poverty industry.
Poverty used to mean struggling to have enough to eat, to have shelter, to afford clothes.
Now it means having a used car, only one phone per person, and no official job...
The main purpose of government appears to be to lie to its public in order to get them to approve its wishes to expand its power. “When matters get important, you have to lie.” - some IMF functionary
I used to tell my Freshman econ students I could end poverty overnight. Back then, poverty was defined as an income of about $12000 for a family of four. The students asked me to tell them how I could end it.
I said: “Simple. You line up everyone who makes $12000 or less and you shoot them.” Their eyes went as big as hubcaps. I went on to ask: “How long will it take before the person making $12001 starts bitching because they are the poorest person in the country?” We went on to have a meaningful discussion of how poverty can’t be eliminated because it is artificially defined: politicians continually move the goal posts. Indeed, poverty now allows the poor to own a car, flat screen TVs, and cell phones. Compare that to the “poverty” seen in many Third World countries. The measure in this country is a bad political joke.
Read later.