Good Intentions 3of3 The Welfare System and Conclusions with Walter Williams

Walter Williams' PBS documentary Good Intentions based on his book, The State Against Blacks (1982). The documentary was very controversial at the time it was released and led to many animosities and even threats of murder.

In Good Intentions, Dr. Williams examines the failure of the war on poverty and the devastating effect of well meaning government policies on blacks asserting that the state harms people in the U.S. more than it helps them. He shows how government anti-poverty programs have often locked people into poverty making the points that:

- being forced to attend 3rd rate public schools leave students unprepared for working life
- minimum wages prevent young people from obtaining jobs at an early age
- licensing and labor laws have had the effect of restricting entrance of blacks into the skilled trades and unions
- the welfare system creates perverse incentives for the poor to make bad choices they otherwise would not

Dr. Williams presents the following solutions to these problems:

Failing Public Schools - Give parents greater control over their children's education by setting up a tuition tax credit or voucher system to broaden competition in turn revitalizing both public and non-public schools

Minimum Wages - Remove the minimum wage from youngsters to give more young people the chance to learn the world of work at an early age instead spending their free time idle an possibly falling into the habits of the street

Restrictive Labor Laws, Jobs Programs - Eliminate government roadblocks that prevent new entrepreneurs from starting their own business

Welfare Programs - Enact a compassionate welfare system such as a negative income tax which would remove dependency and dis-incentives for the poor to get themselves out of poverty

Scholars interviewed in the documentary include Donald Eberle, Charles Murray, and George Gilder.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1r-r6iLBEI&feature=channel_page
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DS0XXFdyfI&feature=channel_page
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqMuLNWL_Qo&feature=channel_page

Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?pi=0&ps=20&sf=&sa=0&sq=&a...

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[Brantoc]

According to Mr O, its better that people stay in the ghetto and depend on 'The One' for life, food, etc.

According to Mr Williams it is better that people learn a work ethic, build wealth, and become independent.

Who is Walter Williams to challenge 'The One' ? (sarcasm? yes.)

[ZeldaFN]

@KDest

'One can only hope' that communism dies.

One only has to look at the states which tried communism to see how much of a failure it is.

The decline in the US economy coincides with government intervention and manipulation of the markets. America is not Capitalist. Today's economy is mixed, and more Corporatist and Socialist. And while I'm sure you're anti corporatism, communism and corporatism are two sides of the same coin. You're still stuck on collectivist ideology.

[OnlyAPawn1970]

Politicians need to listen to people like Walter Williams and the late Milton Friedman.But politicians dont care for facts and common sense,just votes.Tell'em what they want to hear.

[OnlyAPawn1970]

"the black family did not start falling apart until the 1960s,as more blacks were lured into the welfare cuture"

[MaddDogg81]

stop having kids people and I mean all races

[10Weedeater]

Bingo!!

[BelieversinThings]

@kDest The standard of living for everybody is much better under systems that lean toward capitalism. The last congressional election demonstrated that our government isn't a plutocracy. You can say whatever you want, but voucher systems where the structure of the education system is less centralized yield much better results. It's been demonstrated everywhere it's been tried. It's not that I disagree with you, but observable reality disagrees with you.

[kDest]

@BelieversinThings

>>The further the country leans toward capitalism the better off it is, and the more it leans toward socialism the worse off it is.

[For whom?]

Answer: rulers, plutocrats.

>>We fall behind in education

Because: our education lacks a central standard. Our education is constantly under assault by creationists and conservative revisionists. Certain legislation favors cheating schools. Our educators' paradigm is to blame teachers instead of students.

[kDest]

@ZeldaFN

>>The decline in the US economy coincides with government intervention and manipulation of the markets.

Look up the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act.

>>and more Corporatist

A form of capitalism taken to its logical ends.

>>communism and corporatism are two sides of the same coin

One is a voluntary association of people, the other is plutocracy.

>>You're still stuck on collectivist ideology

That's because it produces a better society than the travesties of capitalism.