Doling for Columbine: Five Reasons Why Welfare Should Be a Free Market Cause

The Prometheus Institute ^ | 7/13/2006 | Matt Harrison

[tang0r]

Welfare discourages crime. Crime is usually the other main source of income for poor people, other than welfare. The poor and disenfranchised have shown themselves perpetually ripe for criminal activity, such as in France's recent riots, the early days of organized crime in Sicily, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the current gestation of jihadism in poverty-stricken Middle Eastern countries, among many others. Junsen Zhang, professor of economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, studied U.S. welfare programs and found a strong negative relationship between welfare programs and property crime.

[Ouderkirk]

Welfare encourages crime. Crime is usually the supplimnetal source of income for poor people on welfare. The poor and disenfranchised have shown themselves perpetually engaged criminal activity, and welfare only makes committing crimes easier.

[Trinity5]

As if Harry Potter is some important piece of literature.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"Milton Friedman was one of the initial proponents of the negative income tax, where such subsidies are coupled with an flat tax. He recognized the economic appeal of such a system, and so should all who, like him, support free markets."

I was going to dismiss this article out of hand, but Milton is my hero.

We ain't gonna get rid of welfare, but I doubt we will ever do it right, just like we ain't gonna get rid of Social Security.

[2banana]

Welfare discourages crime.

Yeah - right!

[wideawake]

The Prometheus Institute clowns have demonstrated themselves to be utter idiots on a number of occasions now.

"Welfare discourages crime"? What planet are these people living on?

[SmithL]

An employed population discourages crime.

[PzLdr]

That's not welfare. That's extortion.

[wideawake]

If I recall correctly, Friedman had the unemployable in mind - people with severe disabilities, etc. - and not the able-bodied slackers that claim 90% of welfare benefits.

[MarkeyD]

Welfare is their "Day Job".

[TSchmereL]

That sounds well-considered. But will anyone actually believe this bullshit?

[bkepley]

--In both countries, poor female heads of households are given substantial lump sum welfare payments, effective as income, in return for keeping their children in school and bringing them to regular doctor visits.--

I like this idea, possibly other such requirements could be included such as regular visits to doctors or some other health specialist by pregnant females.

[Little Ray]

Should include mandatory birth control - if you can't feed 'em don't breed 'em.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

In before the ZOT

[BenLurkin]

Welfare IS crime.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If I recall correctly, Friedman had the unemployable in mind...

That makes sense. Thanks.

However, nowadays it is illegal to say that anyone is unemployable, courtesy of the ADA and the EEOC.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Welfare is so good that the safest place to live or visit are called projects, section 8 or government housing./s

[bordergal]

Yes, that is why everyone in Mexico is headed to the US, because their welfare benefits are superior to ours.

[CaliGirlGodHelpMe]

Wow. What a pantload.

[Dumb_Ox]

Crime is usually the other main source of income for poor people, other than welfare.

For drug addicts, maybe. For working poor, likely not.

The essay was amateurish. I don't even think the functional welfare states he cites are good examples. After Ireland instituted more welfare benefits for unwed mothers, the illegitimacy rate went from trifiling to some twenty-five percent.