Redistribution of Wealth

A guest post by JS:

There's an article going around from National Review Online (link here). It was sent to me by someone who thought I'd appreciate it. The article features an exchange in 2001 from Barack Obama on a radio program (link here) in which he mentions redistribution of wealth and the successes and failures of the Civil Rights Movement.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I don't see what was so bad about what Obama said. He's 100% correct that the major success of the Civil Rights Movement was a vestment of powers (such as voting and anti-discrimination laws) and one of the major failures, and an issue this country is still dealing with, is the disparity between the wealth and power of Whites and Blacks (as well as other minorities). I don't see why pointing that out is "radical" or "liberal." I don't think there's any argument that there aren't poor and disenfranchised Whites, but we're talking about percentages.

Look at this chart from the Census Bureau. For 2006, for people in families (not single mothers) percent of Whites, non-Hispanic below the poverty line is 6.1%, percent of Blacks is 23.1%, percent of Asians is 8.0%, percent of Hispanics is 19.5%. For single mothers, the rates are the following in 2006: Whites, non-Hispanic below the poverty line is 22.5%, percent of Blacks is 39.1%, percent of Asians is 17.7%, percent of Hispanics is 36.9%.

If this doesn't scream disparity, I don't know what does. And the problem is obvious, single-parenthood, lack of opportunities, and lack of education combined with past (and continuing) injustices.

The article has racial overtones even though it tries to couch the argument that America is great because Government doesn't butt its nose into our business. But, you can almost hear the horror of taking money from hard-working Whites and handing it over to lazy Blacks.

What I think this article misses (and those who think like this miss) is that we're all in this mess we call America together. If Blacks and Hispanics and single mothers are doing better, we're all doing better. And if a plan exists or can be formulated where those who are doing better can help those who are not, regardless of race, by creating real opportunities, providing jobs, providing education, etc we all benefit. This isn't charity and this isn't redistribution of wealth. It's making this country better from which we all benefit.

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Buy DB's book. (please)