George Will's "New Paradigm" of Poverty: Scarcity of Habits and Mores

[BurtWorm]

:eyes:


http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2006_03/008357.php

PARADIGMS OF POVERTY....Mike Tomasky's working class cred aside, I was amused by this paragraph from George Will's column today. He is contrasting the "old" paradigm of poverty — that the poor need housing, transportation, training, etc. — to the new paradigm:

The new paradigm is of behavior-driven poverty that results from individuals' nonmaterial deficits. It results from a scarcity of certain habits and mores — punctuality, hygiene, industriousness, deferral of gratification, etc. — that are not developed in disorganized homes.

In other words, the poor are poor because they're lazy, dirty, weak, and come from bad stock. Is Will seriously trying to pretend that this is a new view of the poor?

[etherealtruth]

1. Each new generation must be introduced to the simple concept ...

... If you're poor, it's because you are lazy, stupid and evil. Bad "things" don't happen to good people.

:sarcasm:

edit: I forgot the sarcasm "smiley"

[MADem]

2. And the assholes who write columns such as these will go down in history

for stealing debate notebooks.

He denies it, but I believe Jimmy Carter.

Read all about the ethically challenged Mistah Will at this link:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0102-10.htm

You'll likely want a shower after you're finished the article.

[Hobarticus]

3. George Will is an old-school asshole....

I cancelled Newsweak because they'd put this fragile blowhard in a weekly column.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. Well, of course they don't have those skills

because that is what they are...skills. Not moral values. Somebody has to teach you that stuff.

[gizmo1979]

5. Those aren't new Charles Murray

has been spouting that crap for 15 years.