Money is poured into inner-city schools, after all, and still kids don't graduate. Many health problems of the poor (alcohol, drug abuse) are self-inflicted, so why should we pick up the tab? After 30 years of trying, the government has not won Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty and ignorance, so why continue the project? Better to rely on the personal salvation and private charity our pastors and radio commentators emphasize. Those are the arguments I hear. These seem like excellent arguments to me; it would appear that he cannot refute them, since he doesn't even try.
If I was on the left, I would have to ask why our policies are such horrid failures and what we can do about it. Instead, the left makes excuses and asks for more money. We simply point out that we already tried it and it didn't work, and then the left demonizes us.
It looks to me like increasing numbers of people are figuring this out ...
D
Despite the bitchy tone of the article this is great news. The Liberal who wrote this piece is confessing frankly the intellectual bankruptcy of the Left.
The timing is now perfect for the agressive promotion of school vouchers, enterprise zones, and other Conservative approaches to social problems. The Liberals should welcome these initiatives but they won't since it will imply a loss of power.