Friday, January 14, 2005
Tom Responds To TLC
TLC, you asked how I think the breakdown of the family can be fixed. The short answer (without getting to far afield of the education question) is exactly what I suggested would fix education: Personal responsibility. For too long we have subsidized behaviors that are contributing to the problem. Although Welfare reform is now in place, it used to be that we had a bit of Communism (or at the very least, Socialism) running amok. The deal was: Have more babies, you get more money. Humm...I wonder that's going to work out...
The only way to fix this problem is to create a societal situation where the consequences of having more children than you can support (from both the male and female prespective, of course) are unacceptable. How do we do that, you ask? We first warn everyone that we're about to take some drastic action. Then we give them a chance to shape up with continued warnings. Then, we follow through with our drastic action, namely we stop supporting them beyond what we are already giving away.
[Warning-Preemptive Strike Imminent] Before anyone levels the nasty charge of racism at yours truly, this sort of thing applies to everyone. I have no problem with short-term safety nets (we don't want children starving in the streets); they are at least less noxious, harmful (and, might I add slightly 'less unconstitutional' (if such a thing exists)) than what we had been doing in the past.
The only way to fix this problem is to create a societal situation where the consequences of having more children than you can support (from both the male and female prespective, of course) are unacceptable. How do we do that, you ask? We first warn everyone that we're about to take some drastic action. Then we give them a chance to shape up with continued warnings. Then, we follow through with our drastic action, namely we stop supporting them beyond what we are already giving away.
[Warning-Preemptive Strike Imminent] Before anyone levels the nasty charge of racism at yours truly, this sort of thing applies to everyone. I have no problem with short-term safety nets (we don't want children starving in the streets); they are at least less noxious, harmful (and, might I add slightly 'less unconstitutional' (if such a thing exists)) than what we had been doing in the past.
