Reversing the Family Spiral

A family lies in destitution.

The father has lost his job.  The mother attempts to take care of five children.  The car is in desperate need of repair, and there is no money to fix it.  There is no health insurance to cover their illnesses.

The solution?  Why, cut the family budget!

Of course, the father will not have the transportation to look for new work or get to a job if he should find one.  The children's illnesses will have to go untreated.  Food will be increasingly more difficult to obtain.  But as long as the family budget is balanced, who cares?

Could they get help from private charity?  Maybe, but they are a proud family.  And there is not enough private charity in the world to to take care of all the people in this situation. Receipts to private charities are declining, and you know, they have to balance their budget too.

What about the government?  How can they help?  We have decided that the primary thing that a government has to do is balance it's own budget.  As we spiral down to austerity, we have increasingly decided that we can't help people get in position to help themselves.

Without jobs programs and other assistance, the father cannot find work.  without the earned income credit, they do not have the resources to repair the car.  Without food stamps, they cannot feed their children.  Without health care, they cannot heal their sick.  If they do go, it is an emergency, and they will be seen (eventually), but at a much greater cost to the rest of us than would otherwise be the case.

Without this family being assisted and lifted out of poverty, the spiral downwards continues.  And they will not be spending money, increasing demand, helping to pull the country out of recession.  Which will reduce the money coming into the government.  Which will cause new budget shortfalls.  Which will cause more budget cuts.

And we will continue to spiral down, recession without end, amen.

Austerity doesn't work.

Community works.  Caring works.  Love works.