Social services used to build character — now they blame society

New York Post ^ | September 14, 2019 | Howard Husock

[TBP]

Brace opened the Newsboys Lodging House at 9 Duane St., in the building then owned by the New York Sun. At this location, he would do much more than provide a clean bed. He opened savings accounts for the kids, gave them books and healthy food — all part of a larger vision.

“Those who have much to do with plans of human improvement,” he wrote, “see how superficial and comparatively useless all assistance or organization is which does not touch . . . the inner forces which form character.”

Many of his charges (including girls, housed in their own “industrial school”) went on to prosper.

“They had earned property; some received good salaries, most were married and were respected in their communities.” They had benefited from the approach, which he described as “to avert rather than cure.”

We have come to neglect the promotion of these values. This is largely because our civil society has been changed, drawn into an embrace with a vast social-service state on which government spends tens of billions of dollars — even as the country struggles with an opioid crisis and a retreat, by prime-age adults, from work and purpose.

[TBP]

As we've retreated from civil society that builds character, we've substituted Big Government programs that simply blame society and subsidize activities that keep people in need.

[polymuser]

We’ve retreated from the faux guilt of saying “work or starve”.

That, of course, does not and never did apply to those with physical or (true) mental handicap that honestly kept them work.

[TBP]

Voluntary, private action is almost always better than a government system.

[Gay State Conservative]

Today's social workers tell their “clients” that it's “the man” that's keeping them down.

[TBP]

We need to move back towards civil society and teh kind of system the writer describes.

[AbolishCSEU]

my husband’s ex shrew is a social worker. she worked for CPS and now she’s a “foster parent counselor.”

Problem is she can’t parent her OWN kids to save her life. She acts like mother of the year but all of the kids are truant, failing with IEPs and on ADHD meds.

[hal ogen]

Much of “social work” is an ineffective , pathetic joke.

[Fred Hayek]

And often, when you dig down a bit, the social workers turn out to be “the man” who is holding them down.

[loveliberty2]

Americans, in the beginning, tried socialism. Like every other people who tried such a non-starter for providing individual incentives, individual freedom, and prosperous economy, they failed. Here is the story:

The Economic Dimension Of Liberty Protected By The Constitution

"Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are the most thriving when left most free to individual enterprise."

- Thomas Jefferson

"The enviable condition of the people of the United States is often too much ascribed to the physical advantages of their soil & climate .... But a just estimate of the happiness of our country will never overlook what belongs to the fertile activity of a free people and the benign influence of a responsible government."

- James Madison

America's Constitution did not mention freedom of enterprise per se, but it did set up a system of laws to secure individual liberty and freedom of choice in keeping with Creator-endowed natural rights. Out of these, free enterprise flourished naturally. Even though the words "free enterprise' are not in the Constitution, the concept was uppermost in the minds of the Founders, typified by the remarks of Jefferson and Madison as quoted above.

Already, in 1787, Americans were enjoying the rewards of individual enterprise and free markets. Their dedication was to securing that freedom for posterity. The learned men drafting America's Constitution understood history - mankind's struggle against poverty and government oppression. And they had studied the ideas of the great thinkers and philosophers.

They were familiar with the near starvation of the early Jamestown settlers under a communal production and distribution system and Governor Bradford's diary account of how all benefited after agreement that each family could do as it wished with the fruits of its own labors.

Later, in 1776, Adam Smith's INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS and Say's POLITICAL ECONOMY had come at just the right time and were perfectly compatible with the Founders' own passion for individual liberty. Jefferson said these were the best books to be had for forming governments based on principles of freedom.

They saw a free market economy as the natural result of their ideal of liberty. They feared concentrations of power and the coercion that planners can use in planning other peoples lives; and they valued freedom of choice and acceptance of responsibility of the consequences of such choice as being the very essence of liberty. They envisioned a large and prosperous republic of free people, unhampered by government interference. The Founders believed the American people, possessors of deeply rooted character and values, could prosper if left free to:

acquire and own property have access to free markets produce what they wanted

work for whom and at what they wanted travel and live where they would choose acquire goods and services which they desired

Such a free market economy was, to them, the natural result of liberty, carried out in the economic dimension of life. Their philosophy tend­ed to enlarge individual freedom - not to restrict or diminish the individual's right to make choices and to succeed or fail based on those choices. The economic role of their Constitutional government was simply to secure rights and encourage commerce. Through the Constitution, they granted their government some very limited powers to:

• assure that the ground rules were fair (a fixed standard of weights and measures)
• encourage initiative and inventiveness (copyright and patent protection laws)
• provide a system of sound currency with an established value (gold and silver coin)
• enforce free trade (free from interfering special interests)
• protect individuals from the harmful acts of others

Adam Smith called it "the system of natural liberty." James Madison referred to it as "the benign influence of a responsible government." Others have called it the free enterprise system. By whatever name it is called, the economic system envisioned by the Founders and encouraged by the Constitution allowed individual enterprise to flourish and triggered the greatest explosion of economic progress in all of history. Americans became the first people truly to realize the economic dimension of liberty.

---

Footnote: Our Ageless Constitution, W. David Stedman & La Vaughn G. Lewis, Editors (Asheboro, NC, W. David Stedman Associates, 1987) Part III: ISBN 0-937047-01-5

[onyx]

Seriesly, folks, we need to start wrapping this baby up. Donate today. [FReepathon LXXVII]

[Rebel Egg]

Of course they don’t want to touch on the real issue, which is always inner-forces at the root of the problem. You take away the Holy God out the equation, you got nothin, but an empty illusion. Then people try and fill that emptiness with all sorts of vices. Then hell is brought to earth, instead of heaven. And then the only thing to lean on is global warming and gun control propaganda in between sinning all day. People need to sit in silence and shut up and ask God to help them work on themselves. It’s a simple thing.

[Taxman]

The “Social Justice Welfare Warrior” industry is, as the essay demonstrates, destroying America!

Private charities, before the federales created the “Social Justice Welfare Warrior” industry, required the beneficiaries of their “largess” to perform, if able, a chore, i.e., chop a cord of wood, mop the floor, etc. etc. And, there was likely a moral lesson involved as well!

In other words, stuff wasn’t FREE!

Today, there is no cost to the recipients; stuff is FRee! And, as the explosion in “homeless, shiftless” people in certain LIEberal Democrat “led” cities/states clearly demonstrates, the “Social Justice Welfare Warrior” industry continues to grow in size and cost!

At some point, enough “normals” are going to get pissed off that put a stop to this foolishness!

[polymuser]

“At some point, enough “normals” are going to get pissed off that put a stop to this foolishness!”

Well, Romney’s 47% are the 47% that pay no net income tax. April 15 for them is a “make more money” date. It’s baby mommies, college students and immigrants, of all colors.

The 47% will get out and vote stronger to keep it, than normals will to end it. Sadly.

[Taxman]

We’ll find out on Nov. 3, 2020, won’t we.

My prediction: Trump in a landslide; Senate less RINOery; House run by Conservative Caucus!

[Tammy8]

And often, when you dig down a bit, the social workers turn out to be “the man” who is holding them down.

Job security. Funding is based on need, when it is cut jobs are cut. The summer food program lady was literally trying to chase people down that had kids and get them to eat the food they had there. She plainly said their money was based on how many kids they fed. People were telling her they didn't need food, taking kids to restaurants or whatever and she was insisting they get some of that "free" food. One woman read her the riot act that it is not "free" for the taxpayers paying for it and was intended for kids that needed it. She did not seem to understand that concept at all.

[AlanGreenSpam]

Food stamp fraud:

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/sharia-shoplifters-busted-video/

From the comments:

The story is true and this behavior needs to be stopped.

Ahmed Alshami, 37, is charged with criminal possession of public benefit cards, misuse of food stamps and criminal use of a public benefit card for defrauding the welfare system.

Alshami is the owner and operator of IGA Express Mart, a corner deli at 271 Ludington in the City of Buffalo.

According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, between October 9, 2014 and March 21, 2016 Alshami is accused of buying EBT (food stamp) cards from people willing to trade them for cash. He usually paid people half of what the cards are worth. The people could then use the cash he gave them to buy drugs or alcohol ,which cannot be bought with the EBT card.

It is alleged that Alshami would use the food stamps to buy items to be sold in his store. Alshami’s wife, captured by television cameras at a court hearing, appears to be the same woman as the one seen in the video.
Alshami’s bail was set at two million dollars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bccQhZDpWrc

[polymuser]

I appreciate your optimism!
I hope truth is trumping the leftists.

[Taxman]

It is up to US to make that happen!

We can do it!