Jerry Brown from 1995
http://biggovernment.com/mrichmond/2010/06/10/jerry-brown-flashback-we-need-more-welfare-and-fewer-jobs/
The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs. Jobs for every American is doomed to failure because of modern automation and production. We ought to recognize it and create an income-maintenance system so every single American has the dignity and the wherewithal for shelter, basic food, and medical care. Im talking about welfare for all. Without it, youre going to have warfare for all. Without a universal health care like every other civilized country, without a minimum level of income, this country will explode. You cant blame the guy at the bottom forever. At some point theres a reaction and well see that the real criminals are those calling the tune, making the rules, and walking to the bank. We have the money, we have the brain power. The United States now has the highest measured wealth of any nation ever in the history of the world. We could rebuild our cities, we could create the kind of buying power and community well-being that will provide for peace. The guaranteed income is one way.
Another way is to have always the availability of work in a nonprofit, in community service. A third is to start giving people training to develop skills where they can be self-supporting. You could come up with a cash supplement. Even conservatives have suggested a negative income tax to cut out the bureaucracy. If we were smart, wed get rid of welfare and give people a family assistance like they do in Europe
The problem isnt even a problem. Automation and technology would be a great boon if it were creative, if there were more leisure, more opportunity to engage in raising a family, providing guidance to the young, all the stuff we say we need. America will work if were all in it together. Itll work when theres a shared sense of destiny. It can be done! Its all there! What isnt there is the leadership to create the kind of social network, the safety net, the distribution that would truly create a just and equal society
We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity, of lets-take-care-of-one-another. Thats the creative challenge. First, expose relentlessly the big lie that comes over the tube every night-that if you just go out and find that job, and work harder, itll all be fine. It wont! Theres not enough work to go around and a lot of the pay is not fair. Unless you totally yank up that system and create a better one, unless the spirit changes, unless the heart opens, unless we confront power with the truth of our own unarmed but absolute fearless truth, were not going to overcome it. Evil is too embedded to be overcome by anything other than a spiritual challenge.
Evil is too embedded to be overcome by anything other than a spiritual challenge.
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He said a mouthful there.. The truth hurts.
Sadly he fails to see he is its agent.
Amen.