This article by Michael Hiltzik in the LATimes caught my eye. He very carefully lays out the evidence that private charity is not the solution to the widespread problems of the needy, that, in fact (spoiler alert!) giving to private charity falls just when it is needed most. Compounding that, giving to private charity is just as likely to be beneficial to the giver (think of giving to the school your child attends) rather than beneficial to someone less fortunate in society.
Our society built the social safety net when it was needed most due in large part to the failure of private charity to meet the needs of a society facing the worst and most prolonged depression in its history. It appears that we need to be reminded often of our history to avoid destroying our useful institutions and repeating the errors of our ancestors.
And, it is worth noting: men like Paul Ryan, having won the economic lottery, don't care about people in general, nor about maintaining those institutions that support them. Note how easily Hiltzik refutes Ryan's myths...leaving no doubt that Ryan says what Ryan believes will help Ryan, everyone else be damned.
