[attachment=81 Wrote:jj82284 pid='1171203' dateline='1542920876']

(11-22-2018, 12:05 AM)TJBender Wrote: Welfare is a special kind of disaster, but wouldn't you attribute the actions of whites before and during the Civil Rights era to the decline? A few key points here:

1. Neighborhoods were drawn up in ways to keep black families out of the desirable areas
   
2. Real estate agents colluded to refuse to even show houses in "white" parts of town to black individuals
   
3. Banks and mortgage companies engaged in redlining to make sure that black families couldn't afford houses in the nicer areas
   
4. Schools remained segregated long after Brown v. BOE, with much of the south redrawing districts clear into the '90s so they could "integrate" without really integrating
   

That's not to dismiss the obvious effects of welfare at all, but to say that African Americans were given an immediate opportunity would be glossing over what really happened. On paper, they were given a chance. In practice, it was made incredibly difficult for that chance to be taken. You could make a strong argument that they were effectively pushed into small, dark corners and told they weren't welcome, then had welfare thrown out there as a way of shutting them up.

Black economic progress against the tide of discrimination was greater than the progress under so called HELP.  the leading cause of poverty is single parent homes you can't gloss over the negative effects of the welfare system and current black popular culture.

This.

The factors that lead to poverty have been proven.  It's about life choices.

- graduate high school
- don't have children out of wedlock
- show up to work and provide value/have (and hold) a full time job

Culture (in terms of environment, peer pressure, etc) and government intervention certainly play into pressure/incentive to make poor decisions that lead to poor outcomes.  Those are the causes of the disproportionate outcome.

Otherwise, these are decisions anyone of any background can make anywhere.  What's more, there's nothing difficult about making these decisions.

You either value those decisions above that will determine your fate, or you do not.

You will rightly be rewarded or you will hold yourself back/create obstacles for yourself depending on your choices above.

To get back to the topic...

Cortez is the real life Idiocracy gift that keeps giving.  Unfortunately, there are those just as uninformed as her eating it up.  It's both entertaining, yet concerning at the same time.

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