how does it ignore it? It seems like it just communicates that the only way out is to work through it and that while difficult, you can do it with the right state of mind. I don't see how that's ignorant.
First off I would argue against the notion that "the only way out is to work through it." I think we can both agree actually that this is demonstrably false. I say that because the United States has more that 10 million people currently considered
"the working poor," and
millions more who earn enough to not be considered poor, however, live in substandard conditions due to rising housing prices and are thus left with very little money after paying their expenses.
So with that being said, I think Carson's comments are keenly ignorant because Carson is in a position of power as a cabinet secretary tasked with
solving these issues. Instead, like the EPA Administrator, he presents an ideology as an excuse, a non-solution, to avoid actually addressing real policy issues.
Simply put, poverty is a function of economics far more than it is of psychological mindset. We can increase or decrease the quality of life as well as the quantity of those experiencing poverty by changing large-scale economic policies. As an example of this in a political sense, Donald Trump
and Bernie Sanders both presented the populist and protectionist economic argument that railed against rapid globalization and used unfair trade deals as an example of winners in the wealthy globalists and losers in the poor/working class. In fact, outside of taxes, there's not much between Trump's and Sanders' economic rhetoric.
So now that the election is over, one would think Carson would have more of a solution to the problems of the poor, along the populist rhetoric of the President; however, instead, his suggestion that poverty is a state of mind simply misses the point of
his job.
The only reason it discounts circumstances is because you can't be focused on circumstances, it does absolutely nothing for you, what yiu can do needs to take priority. Yes it absolutely could have been communicated better, but that absolutely is the only way out. Is there another way that you can think of?
I can think of a few solutions that are used in most of the social democracies in the West to address the poverty issues we face today and will face in the future..
For starters, many cities have to work out rent control deals (see L.A.) with investment firms building new properties as well as buying up and gentrifying older communities. Affordable housing is of the utmost importance to keeping people out of poverty. This doesn't mean every home is rent controlled, but there needs to exist ample affordable housing without 10-year waiting lists. Cities need to control this through their zoning commissions and permit programs.
Additionally, we need universal (not means tested) child care services (via vouchers) throughout the nation, like the rest of the Western World. This would allow both parents, whether married or unmarried, or single parents who don't have support from large / stable families to work without spending half their weekly salary on child care (which can be the most expensive service in many households).
Universal multi- or single-payer health care services are absolutely a requirement. Poor and working class families can end up spending thousands upon thousands of dollars a year in health care expenses. Implementing single-payer would be like doubling the EIC for most American households making the median wage or less. Moreover, decoupling employers from primary health care coverage would reduce employer liability and improve the overall job market by lowering the cost of hiring new staff -- this should have positive effects on employment rates.
Expanding Social Security into a true 50-50 partially-private pension program (see George W. Bush's program, but modified, and backed by federal loan guarantees). Effectively Social Security should be turned into half-insurance, half-pension with half of the investment going into a private 401(k) like investment fund. This brings me to another solution which is:
Expanding available credit services offered to the poor and middle class. By creating a private pension and investment fund for every single American, you could expand their borrowing capacity using a portion of their retirement as collateral on their debt. This was proposed by the Republicans back in 2002. Moreover, the post office should expand it's operations into that of a public credit union and very limited banking service. This is not a new idea.. Prior to 1966, the post office held 10% of all commercial banking assets! We should return to this model, allowing the poor and working class, as well as rural families to have access to (1) emergency lending at low interest rates rather than payday loans, (2) simple low-interest credit card services rather than ultra high-interest predatory credit cards, (3) subprime-FHA backed lending services without predatory terms... etc, etc.. This point is crucial because you'd be talking about the poor being able to "lift themselves up" with the same tools that the better off have at their disposal.
Reforming our education system from the ground up, from integrated head start, to community-based latchkey programs giving parents time to work nonstandard shifts, to individual-tailored educational programs, to apprenticeships out of high school rather than standard 4 year HS degrees being the norm....
Reforming our collegiate system and tailoring more towards a hybrid 2/3-year degree for technical programs and leaving 4-year bachelor programs more for those who need that much time and experience. Also, reducing the elective requirements in place at most technical schools and community colleges which, while useful, can serve as more of a barrier to success than an eye-opening educational experience.
State collegiate schools, from community colleges, technical schools and 4-year universities should be free to attend for all; and this must include adults.
We must have education, vocational and training programs for
adult workers who need to be re-trained into a new profession. We need job counselling programs the same way we have for students so that people can understand what the economy looks like, and how they fit in it.
The unemployment office should be reformed such that it becomes an employment service that can evaluate, train, and place workers into job openings and not just pay out insurance benefits.
We should implement a new civil service program for those who (1) want to serve their country but not fight in wars; and (2) frankly, for those who need a more regimented environment to get their shit together but aren't up to the standards of the US military either due to being single parents, having a mild criminal record, or not being sufficiently physically fit. Such a service program could do exactly what the military does for so many, in training of both skills, personal character, and work ethic.
I could go back to health-care again as it relates to Medicaid and CHIP (which should be absorbed into Medicare and offered to all people).... And again, with respect to the cost of pharmaceuticals...
Energy prices could be lowered through a national infrastructure and energy program, like John McCain ran on in 2008 when he argued to build 50 new and modern nuclear power plants across the country, which would
significantly reduce the overall cost of energy in the United States. Not only would this create a shit ton of jobs and infuse trillions of dollars of capital into the economy, but it would greatly reduce the cost of energy across the board.
We absolutely need a national transportation infrastructure re-haul in this country. We are falling behind most of the industrialized world in this respect. We should have high-speed rail systems throughout most of the country, and every major city and it's surrounding suburbs should have a timely, clean, functional and affordable transit system both intracity and to the surrounding areas.
But.. again, I could go on .. and on ... and on...
There are real-world solutions, policy solutions, to the problems faced by America's poor. And that's why Ben Carson's comments were perceived by so many as simply being ignorant, because he's in the position of power to offer such solutions; not to speak to the mindset 20+ million Americans who are living in substandard conditions as if that's why they are where they are, rather than socioeconomic policies that have shaped our economy the way it is today.
