Generous but naive experiment.

We appreciatively pass on yet more insight from Michael Bates, someone who deserves a wide audience. Check out what he has to say on the economic naivete of (gasp) media opinion leaders:

Miss [Oprah] Winfrey knows from personal experience that there aren’t uncomplicated solutions to poverty. A decade ago, she generously pledged a great deal of money to a program intended to help 100 families living in public housing get off public aid. There were 1,600 people who applied. Two years and $1.3 million (more than half from Oprah) later, a grand total of three families succeeded in getting out of public housing.

Some as yet undiscovered defect of the capitalist, free enterprise system is surely to blame.

Wait!

We've got it. Not enough money was spent to help these poor people improve themselves.

Or . . . could it be a poverty of the spirit that is causing the difficulties here?

"Oprah blends confusion with compassion." By Michael M. Bates, Oak Lawn Reporter, 4/20/06.