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Dr. King's dream: A basic income guarantee is still something America needs
San Jose Mercury ^ | 08/23/2013 | Allan Sheahen

Posted on 08/25/2013 11:22:56 AM PDT by artichokegrower

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, we are sobered by the fact that 46 million citizens are living in poverty and that we have become two Americas, one for the rich and one for the rest of us.

King had a solution to poverty and to the bleak economic conditions faced by many Americans today.

"I am now convinced that the simplest solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a new widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income," he wrote in his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" "A host of psychological changes inevitably will result from widespread economic security."

In 1969, a Presidential Commission recommended, 22-0, that the United States adopt a guaranteed annual income, with no mandatory work requirements, for all citizens in need. The report was buried and forgotten.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
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To: skeeter
a minimum wage.

A "minimum wage" applies to people working for wages. It most assuredly does not apply to people sitting on their fat behinds, expecting a stipend from taxpayers because they successfully metabolize carbohydrates and oxygen.

Next?
GtG

21 posted on 08/25/2013 12:16:51 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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To: Henry Hnyellar
There never was a war on poverty. It was and is a war on prosperity.

Shhhhh! That's supposed to be a secret!

22 posted on 08/25/2013 12:19:40 PM PDT by Standing Wolf (No tyrant should ever be allowed to die of natural causes.)
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To: rlmorel; artichokegrower

The articles prior to that mentioned that there were places in the country where it made more economic sense to stay on welfare than to get a paying job.


23 posted on 08/25/2013 12:21:28 PM PDT by thecodont
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To: CatherineofAragon

When an objective history of the 20th century is written sometime in the future, one of the more remarkable aspects of it will be the recognition that the so-called “Civil Rights Movement” in the U.S. basically spent the better part of a hundred years putting themselves back into slavery.


24 posted on 08/25/2013 12:22:11 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've never seen such a conclave of minstrels in my life.")
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To: Alberta's Child

Absolutely right.


25 posted on 08/25/2013 12:25:10 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.)
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To: artichokegrower
"I am now convinced that the simplest solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a new widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income,"

Dr. King's statement shows a significant gap in both his understanding of basic economics and basic human nature, sorry to say.
26 posted on 08/25/2013 12:25:22 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: skeeter

Who is to say he wouldn’t have endorsed all of it? Why do people on FR think he was some kind of conservative?


27 posted on 08/25/2013 12:27:34 PM PDT by chasio649
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To: artichokegrower
In 1969, a Presidential Commission recommended, 22-0, that the United States adopt a guaranteed annual income, with no mandatory work requirements, for all citizens in need. The report was buried and forgotten.

Forgotten because it is an idiotic idea. Oh, wait, that's right. How about welfare with no work requirement? Same thing. If you give people a free handout, there are those who will be quite satisfied to take it and never lift a finger to work to try to make something better of themselves other than being a freeloading leech on society. Oh, they'll lift their fingers to use their obamaphones though to complain they're not getting enough of a handout....

28 posted on 08/25/2013 12:37:05 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Stop obarma now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: artichokegrower
he wrote in his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" "A host of psychological changes inevitably will result from widespread economic security."

I seriously doubt Dr. King thought these "psychological changes" would result in dependence, blight, illiteracy, out of control non married birth, crime, gangster rap, black genocide by abortion...I could go on and on and on...

29 posted on 08/25/2013 12:50:19 PM PDT by Popman (PTRD (Post Traumatic Racism Disorder)....coming to a court room soon....)
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To: Alberta's Child
“Civil Rights Movement” in the U.S. basically spent the better part of a hundred years putting themselves back into slavery.

Well said!

Regards,
GtG

30 posted on 08/25/2013 1:14:16 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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To: artichokegrower

Minimum wage, living wage, guaranteed income, right to health care, kids shouldn’t have to pay for college. Enough.

Abolish all income. Ban money. Everybody gets anything he wants by just calling a government telephone number. No more working, no more studying, no more tax forms, no more IRS. Just one telephone number.

Isn’t this where we’re heading, anyway? Everything’s free, nobody pays for anything. Ignore the details.


31 posted on 08/25/2013 1:26:15 PM PDT by DPMD
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To: artichokegrower

From those according to their ability, to those according to their need!


32 posted on 08/25/2013 1:59:14 PM PDT by Retired Chemist
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To: artichokegrower

Doesn’t the word ‘income’ involve working for a living?


33 posted on 08/25/2013 2:07:33 PM PDT by Gumdrop
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To: Rockingham

“That is just what the underclass yearns for: free money, free medical care, free child care, and all with no work required for the recipients.....”

Just what we need; more ‘bored’ teenagers with guns to shoot joggers and other innocent people in the back.


34 posted on 08/25/2013 2:09:38 PM PDT by Gumdrop
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To: artichokegrower
"that the United States adopt a guaranteed annual income, with no mandatory work requirements, for all citizens in need."

It's been in place for decades. It's commonly referred to as 'welfare'.

35 posted on 08/25/2013 2:12:17 PM PDT by 0.E.O
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To: artichokegrower

Welcome to Greece west.


36 posted on 08/25/2013 2:47:23 PM PDT by Vaduz
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To: chasio649

Where did I say that?


37 posted on 08/25/2013 2:52:11 PM PDT by skeeter
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