THE DOABLE WE REFUSE TO DO: END POVERTY, CONFRONT PRIVILEGE
Since I have recently challenged the word magic behind claims that education is the one true path out of poverty and that the free market can ever address poverty and inequity, I want to highlight that the unwillingness of political leaders and the public to acknowledge the importance and potential of the Commons results in a refusal to end directly poverty and confront privilege.
Austin Nichols offers a powerful argument that We can end child poverty. Or, at least, do more:
We could effectively end child poverty now, at least in the short run. The question is whether we’re willing to do that.If the United States offered cash benefits to children in poor families, we could cut child poverty by more than half. According to calculations using the 2012 Current Population Survey, poor children need $4,800 each, on average, to escape poverty. That’s $400 a month for each child.If we issued a $400 monthly payment to each child, and cut tax subsidies for children in higher-income families, we would cut child poverty from 22 percent to below 10 percent. If we further