Good news, Poors! David Brooks has decided to take on the topic of income inequality, and has concluded that 1) income inequality is not actually a problem, and 2) if it were, we shouldn't solve it by giving poor people more money, and also 3) the growing income of the 1% has nothing to do with the shrinking incomes of the rest of us. Hear that? NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
Heh, I make it my business to read it for free at my local cafe. I may be paying $10 for a bowl of soup and a sammich but I'm . . . wait, what?
I'm one of those Lucky Duckies who don't pay income tax, because I've made $110 a week for the past 31 months. I took it upon myself not to bother with filing my income tax but I must get that all taken care of before I can be refused care under ACA because I live in Texas. If I acted like a rich person I wouldn't care about income inequality. I wouldn't care about anyone other than my immediate family and my personal banker.
So, I thought I'd have a look at that "study" he cites. It turns out to be quite long, with lotsa tables and shit, and lotsa "simulations" (funny how simulations are okay for economics, but not for climate modelling), and I am 100% certain that Brooks didn't read further than the first couple of paragraphs (or somebody told him about it), because it is heavy going.
In fact, I didn't read very far into it, because fuck I have that kind of masochism, but I did read the acknowledgements, where they mention that the research was partially funded by the Employment Policies Institute.
Wiki, what do you know about this organization? <blockquote>The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) is a fiscally conservative non-profit American think tank that conducts research on employment issues like minimum wage and health care. EPI was established in 1991[1] and has been described as &quot;a nonprofit research group that studies issues of entry-level employment.&quot;[2] In 2009, EPI became engaged in an education campaign, Defeat The Debt, on the national debt.[3] According to Source Watch, EPI is one of several front groups created by Berman and Company, a Washington, D.C. public relations organization that lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries.[4][5] It should not be confused with the older, similarly named Economic Policy Institute, which is a liberal think tank advocating for low to moderate-income families in the United States.[6]</blockquote>
&quot;This is caused by high dropout rates, the disappearance of low-skill jobs, breakdown in family structures and so on.&quot;
Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Davey boy. I&#039;ll try to remember that my admission to college on a full scholarship, my subsequent two degrees, my 30 years of continuous employment, my experience of working full-time all the way through grad school and later on, continuing to work while providing care for terminally-ill family members and my stable 37-plus year marriage have all contributed to why I&#039;ll be making a trip to the food bank again this month. It&#039;s all my own damn fault, isn&#039;t it? Because obviously I chose the wrong behavioral and cultural norms to follow.
I&#039;ll take his giant brass balls, thanks.
Just got told I&#039;m off for the next four days because &quot;We&#039;re over our hours budget.&quot; Grrr.
On a big pile of money, of course.
It&#039;s interesting that my local fishwrap has finally moved him from the lefty side of the editorials to the wingnut page.
Heh, I make it my business to read it for free at my local cafe. I may be paying $10 for a bowl of soup and a sammich but I&#039;m . . . wait, what?
Gimme a time machine and point me to when it wasn&#039;t?
I thought of that exact aspect of that tragedy when it happened. Kudos for &quot;smegma faced shitbird.&quot; That&#039;s a goodie.
I&#039;m one of those Lucky Duckies who don&#039;t pay income tax, because I&#039;ve made $110 a week for the past 31 months. I took it upon myself not to bother with filing my income tax but I must get that all taken care of before I can be refused care under ACA because I live in Texas. If I acted like a rich person I wouldn&#039;t care about income inequality. I wouldn&#039;t care about anyone other than my immediate family and my personal banker.
I&#039;ll drive the bus, you get the Brookses! We&#039;ll &quot;do a study!&quot;
So, I thought I&#039;d have a look at that &quot;study&quot; he cites. It turns out to be quite long, with lotsa tables and shit, and lotsa &quot;simulations&quot; (funny how simulations are okay for economics, but not for climate modelling), and I am 100% certain that Brooks didn&#039;t read further than the first couple of paragraphs (or somebody told him about it), because it is heavy going.
In fact, I didn&#039;t read very far into it, because fuck I have that kind of masochism, but I did read the acknowledgements, where they mention that the research was partially funded by the Employment Policies Institute.
Wiki, what do you know about this organization? <blockquote>The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) is a fiscally conservative non-profit American think tank that conducts research on employment issues like minimum wage and health care. EPI was established in 1991[1] and has been described as &quot;a nonprofit research group that studies issues of entry-level employment.&quot;[2] In 2009, EPI became engaged in an education campaign, Defeat The Debt, on the national debt.[3] According to Source Watch, EPI is one of several front groups created by Berman and Company, a Washington, D.C. public relations organization that lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries.[4][5] It should not be confused with the older, similarly named Economic Policy Institute, which is a liberal think tank advocating for low to moderate-income families in the United States.[6]</blockquote>
Gee, how&#039;s that for a correlation?
Very well, thank you. One of the benefits of not having a soul.
&quot;This is caused by high dropout rates, the disappearance of low-skill jobs, breakdown in family structures and so on.&quot;
Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Davey boy. I&#039;ll try to remember that my admission to college on a full scholarship, my subsequent two degrees, my 30 years of continuous employment, my experience of working full-time all the way through grad school and later on, continuing to work while providing care for terminally-ill family members and my stable 37-plus year marriage have all contributed to why I&#039;ll be making a trip to the food bank again this month. It&#039;s all my own damn fault, isn&#039;t it? Because obviously I chose the wrong behavioral and cultural norms to follow.
So true. It&#039;s obvious that giving money to the poor will corrupt them -- after all, look at what it&#039;s done to the rich.
Who should educated poor people marry?
Obviously. Some of the poorest excuses for people are those with great monetary wealth.
Amazing what you can do with a 3D printer nowadays.