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1、貧窮是多么昂貴 About50yearsago，PresidentLyndonB.Johnson1madeamovethatwasunprecedentedatthetimeandremainsunmatchedbysucceedingadministrations.HeannouncedaWaronPoverty，sayingthatits“chiefweapons”wouldbe“betterschools，andbetterhealth，andbetterhomes，andbettertraining，a
2、ndbetterjobopportunities.” Sostartingin1964andforalmostadecade，thefederalgovernmentpouredatleastsomeofitsresourcesinthedirectiontheyshouldhavebeengoingallalong：towardthosewhoweremostinneed.LongstandingprogramslikeHeadStart，LegalServices，andtheJobCorpswerecre
3、ated.Medicaidwasestablished.PovertyamongseniorswassignificantlyreducedbyimprovementsinSocialSecurity.2 Johnsonseemedtohaveestablishedtheprinciplethatitistheresponsibilityofgovernmenttointerveneonbehalfofthedisadvantagedanddeprived.Buttherewasneverenoughmoney
4、forthefightagainstpoverty，andJohnsonfoundhimselfincreasinglydistractedbyanotheranddeadlierwar―theoneinVietnam3.Althoughunderfunded，theWaronPovertystillmanagedtoprovokeanintensebacklash4fromconservativeintellectualsandpoliticians. Intheirview，governmentprogra
5、mscoulddonothingtohelpthepoorbecausepovertyarisesfromthetwistedpsychologyofthepoorthemselves.BytheReaganera，ithadbecomeacornerstoneofconservativeideologythatpovertyiscausednotbylowwagesoralackofjobsandeducation，butbythebadattitudesandfaultylifestylesofthepoor
6、.5 Pickinguponthistheory，punditsandpoliticianshavebemoanedthecharacterfailingsandbadhabitsofthepoorforatleastthepast50years.6Intheirview，thepoorareshiftless，irresponsible，andpronetoaddiction.7Theyhavetoomanychildrenandfailtogetmarried.Soiftheysufferfromgriev
7、ousmaterialdeprivation，iftheyrunoutofmoneybetweenpaychecks，iftheydonotalwayshavefoodontheirtables―thentheyhavenoonetoblamebutthemselves. Inthe1990s，withabipartisanattackonwelfare，thiskindofprejudiceagainstthepoortookadrasticallymisogynisticturn.8Poorsinglemo
8、therswereidentifiedasakeylinkinwhatwascalled“thecycleofpoverty9.”Bystayingathomeandcollectingwelfare，theysetatoxicexamplefortheirchildren，who―importantpolicymakerscametobelieve―wouldbebet
