Steven Green, the first American soldier charged and convicted under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, died from attempting suicide at the Tucson federal maximum security prison in mid-February.
Green was serving multiple life sentences for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and young sister when he was stationed in Iraq in 2006. Along with four other soldiers, one of whom stood guard, Green sexually assaulted the teenager and then shot her parents, younger sister and eventually Abeer herself.
In an attempt to hide their crime, the soldiers burned her body and blamed the attack on Sunni insurgents, a lie which hid their actions until fellow Private Justin Watt informed a psychologist during health counseling session.While the other four soldiers directly involved in the crime, James Barker, Paul Cortez, Jesse Spielman and Bryan Howard received lengthy sentences in military prisons, most upwards of a century, Green’s sentencing was unique in the fact that the charge came after his honorable discharge from the military due to a diagnosed antisocial personality disorder.
Because of his discharge, prosecutors were able to charge him under a 2000 law that gave federal government jurisdiction to pursue criminal cases against United States citizens and soldiers for acts committed in foreign countries.
According to the Justice Department, the law allows prosecutors to establish Federal jurisdiction over offenses committed outside the United States by persons employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces, or by members of the Armed Forces who are released or separated from active duty prior to being identified and prosecution for the commission of such offenses.
While this law may provide some comfort to victims of the Armed Forces, it does little to address the conditions that may have spurned the crime in the first place.
At the time of the Qassim al-Janabi family murder, the American soldiers stationed near their home lived in a remote area known at the “Triangle of Death,” near Mahmudiha, so christened by U.S. servicemen because of the large number of American casualties.
During an interview with the Associate Press, Green expressed how the deaths of his comrades affected him and “messed me up real bad,” he said.
He dehumanized Iraqis to such a point that “[he] wasn’t thinking these people were humans.”
Green’s crime, conviction and death illustrate an ongoing problem experienced by organizations working abroad. While Green’s assault and killings occurred while employed as a U.S. military employee, his actions not only impact the military but also negatively impact other efforts made by humanitarian organizations operating internationally.
Past acts of military malfeasance have already maligned America’s reputation abroad, a recent example being the U.S.’ subterfuge involving an ersatz vaccination doctor in Pakistan. Under the guise of routine examinations and with the help of a local Pakistani doctor, military personnel verified Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts at the expense of future humanitarian efforts in the country.
Regardless of the merits of their operation, the military’s ruse has unquestionably gravely damaged America’s reputation in Pakistan. Now, World Health Organization vaccination teams increasingly face violent confrontations from Taliban insurgents. As one of the world’s most endemic regions to polio, stunted vaccinations may potentially lead to the virus’s resurgence around the globe.
Government inability to address these issues will lead to even greater repercussions for U.S. and many western-associated humanitarian organizations. While the Military Extradiction and Jurisdiction Act may provide additional security in holding ex-military personnel responsible for their crimes, it does little to address the issues that created, and lead to, his crimes in the first place. Instead of creating laws that punish violent behavior, programs and procedures should be established to prevent potential crimes committed abroad, thereby protecting possible victims and also ensuring that other humanitarian efforts may continue unimpeded.
– Emily Bajet
Sources: TIME, Los Angeles Times, United States Department of Justice
Photo: Nick Mooney
5 Things to Know about Sughar
At the age of 25, Khalida Brohi has already made a difference in improving women’s rights. In 2009, she founded a nonprofit organization called Sughar, dedicated to empowering women, giving them opportunities to become future leaders and ending honor killings. Here are a few things to know about Brohi and this organization:
1. It grew out of tragedy
When Brohi was 16 and living in Pakistan, she witnessed an honor killing; more specifically, that of her friend who had decided to marry someone she loved rather than choosing someone her family had approved.
Brohi has said, “In a society where I live, life for a girl is a continued struggle, especially for a girl who chooses to do something ‘different’ – she has to fight the hardest and often has to pay a heavy price.” Brohi decided to stand up against the custom of honor killings in Pakistan and instead promote the honoring and empowerment of women.
2. Its best-known program is the Sughar Women Program
Based out of Balochistan and Sindh in Pakistan, Sughar makes it its mission to created Women Learning and Skill Development Centers in rural communities in the country. Each center teaches a six-month course to tribal and rural women to improve their skills. These women are given access to a basic education, which includes developing literary skills, learning about enterprise development and promoting awareness.
The ultimate goal to enable these women to become better decision-makers, larger contributors to their households and live more successful lives. The women also practice traditional embroidery as part of their Rural Fashion Brand and are marketed across Pakistan. Additionally, every course offers a minimum loan to each woman after she has graduated to both promote entrepreneurship and a decrease in violence.
3. It also works to strengthen women’s land rights and food security in Pakistan
In Pakistan, tribal women especially suffer from a lack of ownership rights, as many are not permitted to own anything in their homes, let alone rights to property. Sughar works to change this societal and cultural norm by encouraging these women to change the way they think about themselves.
Furthermore, Sughar works with the local communities in Pakistan as well as the government and media to allow women to purchase land and act on their ownership rights. These women are also given training on farming innovations, which could have an impact on improving the standard of living.
4.The organization also works to raise awareness on climate change
Sughar’s relationships with local communities extend to its work to educate men and women about climate change. Women are becoming increasingly effected by climate change because they are being forced to deal with extreme weather changes. They also provide information for them about how to cope with the growing number of natural disasters and how women living in rural communities should react.
5. The word “Sughar” is translated to mean skilled and confident woman
Brohi has said, “The future woman is Sughar (skilled and confident) who knows where she is stepping to and what she wants from life. She is aware that in the past there have been women fighting for the rights she is enjoying currently and therefore she would be grateful and willing to contribute to the betterment of society.”
The label “Sughar” is rarely used in Pakistan, but Brohi’s organization believes that every woman is worthy of such coveted recognition.
– Julie Guacci
Sources: Women in the World, Ashoka India, Sughar, The Daily Beast, Forbes
Photo: Sonya Rehman
Wasting Food Makes Ending Poverty Difficult
According to a report by the World Bank, 25% to 33% of the food produced for consumption around the globe is wasted every year.
The Food Price Watch report argues, “Between one-fourth and one-third of the nearly four billion metric tons of food produced annually for human consumption is lost or wasted.”
The World Bank claims that such waste mainly occurs during the production, transport, retail and consumption stages of food. This is bad news, considering millions of people around the world are dying of hunger, particularly in countries throughout Africa and South Asia.
Sadly, the report also argues that most of the food is wasted in developed countries.
“Overall, some 56% of total food loss and food waste occurs in the developed world; the remaining 44 percent across developing regions,” said the report.
The president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, said that the large amount of food wasted around the world is shameful.
“Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry every night, and yet millions of tons of food end up in trash cans or spoiled on the way to market,” Kim said.
Apart from the food insecurity that such waste can create, the World Bank claims that wasting and losing food also harms the economy and environment, and makes fighting poverty even harder.
But, how guilty are Americans when it comes to wasting food?
According to NPR, people in the United States waste around $165 billion worth of food each year. On one of the agency’s radio programs, Jonathan Bloom, author of “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What we Can do About It,)” said, “We often don’t tend to realize that we’re throwing away perfectly edible food, especially when we’re paying attention to those expiration dates and when we’re thinking of those as the gospel truth.”
He believes that expiration labels are placed on food items for quality reasons, not safety.
But returning to the report by the World Bank, consumers often fall victim to the deals pushed by advertisements. Since consumers tend to buy more food than they need, many perishable items tend to expire by the time they are finally willing to eat them.
It is ultimately up to the consumer how much food to purchase and how long to wait before eating it. However, the consumers can make a big difference in the world if they stop wasting so much food.
This can be achieved by paying closer attention to their own eating patterns and simply buying less food.
– Juan Campos
Sources: NPR, The World Bank, Yahoo News
Photo: Enterra Solutions
Kashmiri Students Arrested Over Cricket Match
Tension over Kashmir resurfaced in the form of a cricket match, as 67 students were charged with sedition after cheering on a Pakistani team at their university in Meerut, India on March 2. The Kashmiri students, who were attending the College of Swami Vivekan and Subharti University in India’s Uttar Pradesh region, faced life sentences before widespread outcry from other students across the country.
Protesters argued the seriousness of the sedition charges, which many did not feel their actions warranted, eventually succeeding in getting them dropped to a misdemeanor disturbance of public harmony. Prior to the charges being dropped, the students’ defense claimed that they never threatened to bring down the government nor tried to hurt India’s national integrity.
The case quickly gained national attention after the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party publicly demanded leniency and an apology from the University and state officials for their acts of “fascism.” Also, active in demonstrations were the Kashmir University Students Union as well as several chief officials from the northeastern regions of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu. The Pakistani Government who has offered to welcome their own universities to the students at hand.
Many critics feel as though the charges were motivated by ethnic and political discrimination, since the students committed no actual illegal act outside of rooting for the wrong team. The contentious Kashmir region has been the subject of controversy since it was divided between India and Pakistan in the 1947 partition and has prompted two Indo-Pakistani wars in the decades since.
According to the Student Union, the scenario “is nothing new, but a testimony to the fact that we have been in a perpetual state of war with India for the past 67 years.”
Since 1989, popular insurgency has been fighting for either Kashmiri independence or a complete merge with Pakistan. Sentiments of nationalism resonated in the arrested students’ actions, which reports say consisted of cheers of “Long live Pakistan” and “We want freedom.”
Vice chancellor of their university, Manzoor Ahmed, holds the students responsible and supports the sedition accusations, stating “You cannot pass judgments against your own national team. Their behavior was not conducive to peace on campus. It creates bad blood with the local boys.”
However, the students themselves claim the cheers were not political at all, but rather inspired by loyalty to their cricket team alone. Cricket is the national pastime of India, and has enjoyed popularity in South Asia due to the lingering legacy of British colonial rule. Cricket events, like the Asia Cup in which the two national teams were competing at the time of the arrests, are valued as one of the only spaces for tolerance and friendship between India and Pakistan, who both share a love of the game.
– Stefanie Doucette
Sources: Al Jazeera America, Times of India, New York Times
Photo: The Star
The National Food Security Act in India
Food has become a right, rather than a luxury, in India. Parliament approved the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in September 2013, requiring the government subsidize food for nearly 800 million people. Success of this program will lead to greater food security for nearly 70% of the Indian population and a political advantage to the ruling Congress Party.
Yet critics fear the program asks too much from an economy “burdened by a weakened currency and a large fiscal deficit.” This monumental step toward food security “relies on an unwieldy network of farmers, buyers, storage facilities, and sellers.” NFSA requires this network to supply an estimated 60 million tons of subsidized grains a year. Individuals receive an average of five kilograms per month. Those occupying the lowest income bracket receive more as well as assistance from state-run programs.
Supporters of NFSA highlight the past success in government food subsidies. In the 2011, more than 500 million Indians benefited from government programs. Delivering 51.3 million tons to those in need, the government provided 10 times more than the World Food Programme.
Those in opposition cite the 2005 incidents of “theft, corruption and difficulties identifying the needy.” In this fiscal year, the government estimates a 60% loss in grain, yet researchers returned to analyze recent government efforts, reporting gradual improvement in food delivery.
This program began at the start of the 2013 fiscal year and will cost the government an estimated $20 billion annually.
Supporters contend this modest increase from past years fulfills the “moral obligation of the government” to protect its people. Sonia Gandhi currently serves as the leader of the Congress Party and stands in staunch support of the program.
More than 100 million children attending school currently receive midday meals and a “take-home ration,” according to the New York Times. NFSA strengthens these entitlement programs, expanding access and improving efficiency. A number of studies support these school-based food programs, pointing to increased attendance and healthier development. The program also proposes revitalized efforts to protect maternal health, allocating 1,000 rupees, or $16.43 per month, for six months.
Maternal health during and following pregnancy directly affects the health and development of infants.
The success of NFSA depends on the strict government supervision and reform. Gandhi understands this and regards access to food as a fundamental right.
“The question is not whether we can do it or not,” she asserts. “We have to do it.”
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: TIME, New York Times
Photo: Commodity Online
Suicide of War Criminal
Steven Green, the first American soldier charged and convicted under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, died from attempting suicide at the Tucson federal maximum security prison in mid-February.
Green was serving multiple life sentences for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and young sister when he was stationed in Iraq in 2006. Along with four other soldiers, one of whom stood guard, Green sexually assaulted the teenager and then shot her parents, younger sister and eventually Abeer herself.
In an attempt to hide their crime, the soldiers burned her body and blamed the attack on Sunni insurgents, a lie which hid their actions until fellow Private Justin Watt informed a psychologist during health counseling session.While the other four soldiers directly involved in the crime, James Barker, Paul Cortez, Jesse Spielman and Bryan Howard received lengthy sentences in military prisons, most upwards of a century, Green’s sentencing was unique in the fact that the charge came after his honorable discharge from the military due to a diagnosed antisocial personality disorder.
Because of his discharge, prosecutors were able to charge him under a 2000 law that gave federal government jurisdiction to pursue criminal cases against United States citizens and soldiers for acts committed in foreign countries.
According to the Justice Department, the law allows prosecutors to establish Federal jurisdiction over offenses committed outside the United States by persons employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces, or by members of the Armed Forces who are released or separated from active duty prior to being identified and prosecution for the commission of such offenses.
While this law may provide some comfort to victims of the Armed Forces, it does little to address the conditions that may have spurned the crime in the first place.
At the time of the Qassim al-Janabi family murder, the American soldiers stationed near their home lived in a remote area known at the “Triangle of Death,” near Mahmudiha, so christened by U.S. servicemen because of the large number of American casualties.
During an interview with the Associate Press, Green expressed how the deaths of his comrades affected him and “messed me up real bad,” he said.
He dehumanized Iraqis to such a point that “[he] wasn’t thinking these people were humans.”
Green’s crime, conviction and death illustrate an ongoing problem experienced by organizations working abroad. While Green’s assault and killings occurred while employed as a U.S. military employee, his actions not only impact the military but also negatively impact other efforts made by humanitarian organizations operating internationally.
Past acts of military malfeasance have already maligned America’s reputation abroad, a recent example being the U.S.’ subterfuge involving an ersatz vaccination doctor in Pakistan. Under the guise of routine examinations and with the help of a local Pakistani doctor, military personnel verified Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts at the expense of future humanitarian efforts in the country.
Regardless of the merits of their operation, the military’s ruse has unquestionably gravely damaged America’s reputation in Pakistan. Now, World Health Organization vaccination teams increasingly face violent confrontations from Taliban insurgents. As one of the world’s most endemic regions to polio, stunted vaccinations may potentially lead to the virus’s resurgence around the globe.
Government inability to address these issues will lead to even greater repercussions for U.S. and many western-associated humanitarian organizations. While the Military Extradiction and Jurisdiction Act may provide additional security in holding ex-military personnel responsible for their crimes, it does little to address the issues that created, and lead to, his crimes in the first place. Instead of creating laws that punish violent behavior, programs and procedures should be established to prevent potential crimes committed abroad, thereby protecting possible victims and also ensuring that other humanitarian efforts may continue unimpeded.
– Emily Bajet
Sources: TIME, Los Angeles Times, United States Department of Justice
Photo: Nick Mooney
2014 Match Against Poverty
The 11th annual United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Match Against Poverty concluded on March 5 as soccer stars joined together to fight global poverty. With international income inequality at extremely high levels, the United Nations has enlisted the help of famous soccer players and the world’s most popular sport to garner increased attention to combating poverty.
UN Goodwill Ambassadors Zinédine Zidane and Ronaldo are some of the famous players playing in the charity match against local Swiss team Young Boys Bern in Bern, Switzerland. Other players included Czech Pavel Nedved and the Portuguese Luis Figo. The squad of retired players beat the Young Boys 8-6, with two goals scored by Zidane.
The charity match is expected to raise up to $250,000 through the sale of tickets and broadcasting rights for the game, and two-thirds of the funds taken in will go towards rebuilding the Philippines after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan hit in November 2013 and toward reducing poverty in Brazil.
Proceeds will be allocated towards the UN’s short-term work program, designed to provide enough money to cover basic necessities in the Philippines. The 2012 Match Against Poverty was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil and raised $360,000 to support UNDP projects in the country. The first Match Against Poverty, held in 2003, took place in Basel, Switzerland and raised approximately $1 million.
Soccer continues to be the most popular sport around the world, partly due to its incredible accessibility. Some kids from poor countries simply use paper and string to make a soccer ball while others use balled-up grocery bags. Soccer is capable of joining people together and making people excited about a topic that seems foreign to people living in developed countries. Increased partnerships between the public and private sectors, along with increased partnerships between the public and private sectors with civil society will continue to be the key in reducing global poverty.
– Jeff Meyer
Sources: Independent, Daily Mail
Photo: MSN Sports
Chinese Security: Terrorist Attack in Kunming
A terrorist attack at a train station in Kunming on March 1 that has left 29 people dead and 140 people injured has stirred up anger and fear in China. The group of eight people, including six men and two women, are thought to have been from the Xinjiang region in the Northwest of China.
Reports claim that the knife-wielding attackers initially tried to leave the country through crossing the border in Yunnan Province and later in Guangdong Province. After failing to leave the country, the killers decided to mount a terrorist attack at either a bus or a train station. The suspects are thought to have been radicalized Muslims trying to leave China to join the global jihad.
Chinese authorities shot and killed four of the attackers, while the other four are currently in custody after being caught in Honghe, a county 174 miles away from Kunming.
The attack drew sharp condemnations from both China and the United States. On March 5, at the opening session of the National People’s Congress, a moment of silence was observed for the victims. The leaders in China have promised to fight against terrorism. The U.S. has also called the attack in China an act of “terrorism.”
Observers worry that the Chinese government will simply use this attack as a further reason to continue its brutal crackdown on the ethnic Uighur minority, living predominantly in Xinjiang Province. Tensions between the majority Han Chinese and the minority Uighurs have always been high, and recent attempts by the government in Beijing to integrate China’s Western regions through repression, development and migration of Han Chinese into historically Uighur areas has only exacerbated the situation.
The Chinese government has not been accepting of Uighur culture. Stdudents are not allowed to fast during Ramadan, religious teaching for children is not permitted and Uighur-language education is dying out. Han Chinese now make up two-fifths of the Xinjiang population and control an out-sized portion of its wealth.
One way of reducing violence in China is not to crack down through increased military presence. The answer lies in giving the Uighurs an opportunity to participate in their local culture without fear of reprisal.
– Jeff Meyer
Sources: Washington Post, New York Times, The Economist
Photo: China Daily
Japan’s Historical Revisionism, ‘Comfort Women’
Japan’s hawkish Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has reignited controversy over the conduct of Japanese soldiers during World War II by engaging in historical revisionism. In particular, one area of contention arises when considering the topic of “comfort women” brought from around Japanese-occupied Asia and forced to become prostitutes to please Japanese soldiers.
Although the 1993 statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kano on comfort women admitted coercion by Japanese soldiers into forcing women into prostitution, the topic has been brought to the forefront of international debate recently as Japanese nationalists have started to deny past wartime actions.
Understandably, Abe and other nationalists who appear to be washing over Japanese actions during World War II bother Japan’s neighbors in the region, namely South Korea and China. Japan refuses to offer South Korea official compensation to individuals affected by the “comfort women” controversy.
Certain cities around the United States have also permitted the erection of statues of comfort women to promote awareness of Japanese crimes during the war. In Glendale, California and in Palisades Park, New Jersey, comfort women have already been commemorated. A small victory was won by Korea when a Virginia school board approved textbooks with the name “East Sea” in conjunction with “Sea of Japan” in an atlas depicting the sea between the two countries.
Japan has historically been confident that with the U.S. as an ally, the country would stand by the position of the Japanese government regarding comfort women. But in 2007, Congress adopted a resolution condemning the practice of taking comfort women and pressed that the government of Japan should “formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Forces’ coercion of young women into sexual slavery.”
Controversy has also arisen in China over the comfort women. In response, China has approved the building of a memorial museum to Ahn Jung-Geun, the person who assassinated Itoh Hirobumi, one of the first prime ministers of Japan. In China and Korea, he is seen as a hero but in Japan he is labeled as a terrorist.
If Japan’s historical revisionism continues, tensions will continue to rise with its Asian neighbors and Japan will find itself increasingly isolated from the protection of its major ally, the U.S.
– Jeff Meyer
Sources: The Diplomat, MOFA, GovTrack
Photo: Los Angeles Times
Twittersphere: International Women’s Day
The month of March, along with the end of winter, is a time to reflect and appreciate all the women in our lives and throughout the world. Women’s History Month began in 1987 after the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress and it has been reauthorized or designated every year since.
It is critical to recognize the importance of women throughout the world. They are the keystone to every healthy family, often taking on both the roles of mother and caregiver while also contributing to the household income base. They are teachers, CEOs, mothers, sisters, aunts, military personnel, athletes and just about every other job under the sun.
March 8 was International Women’s Day and people from all over the globe took to Twitter to voice their support and raise awareness for women’s issues. Here are some of the top tweets:
@OneCampaign: Happy International Women’s Day! Find out why women are the secret weapon in ending poverty https://ow.ly/iyrZ5
@Oxfam: Women perform 66 (percent) of the work, produce 50 (percent) of the food, but earn only 10 (percent) of the income & own 1 (percent) of the property #IWD pic.twitter.com/r9M4ShlUjf
@stephRWolf: International Women’s Day 2014: What kind of world do YOU want to build? https://cnn.it/1jZBHvy via @cnni #CNNwomen
@JuxDotCom: Happy International Women’s Day from Jux. Because without women who would we be, what would we become, when would we eat, why would we live?
@PREVNet: Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s reflect on how we treat the girls & women in our lives. Are we acting with kindness? We can do better
@YWCA_Canada: Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, but advocate for women’s rights every day. #IWD pic.twitter.com/aEnthxbs8K
@NadhieraYoung: Happy International Women’s Day! Be yourself, bcs you are already beautiful just the way you are :)
@AJLucaci: “There is only one known cure for poverty, known colloquially as ‘The Empowerment of Women'” Happy International Women’s Day, everyone!
@kassiehernandez: Happy International Women’s Day, Ladies! Let’s continue empowering women and eliminate gender inequality https://3bl.me/kde948 #IWD
@ECA_AS: Meet the 10 extraordinary recipients of the 2014 Int’l Women of Courage Awards: https://owl.li/ucTfL #IWOC #IWD
Studies have shown that women are vital to the health of a society. Increases in women’s education help the entire family make better choices and lead healthier lives. We cannot thank them enough for all that they give and we as a society must stay vigilant of the continued struggle women face throughout the world.
– Sunny Bhatt
Sources: Twitter, Women History Month
Photo: Presse Box
Paul Ryan’s Fight Against Anti-Poverty Programs
Rep. Paul Ryan published a 204-page report that criticizes the U.S. government’s anti-poverty programs and proposes cuts to welfare expenditures.
Ryan (R-Wis.), who is also the chairman of the House Budget Committee, believes Washington should focus on reforming the welfare program and recommended “a sweeping overhaul of social programs,” according to the Washington Post.
“There are nearly 100 programs at the federal level that are meant to help, but they have actually created a poverty trap,” said Ryan. “There is no coordination with these programs, and new ones are frequently being added without much consideration to how they affect other programs.”
Moreover, he continued, “This document is a precursor not only of our budget but of our larger project to introduce poverty reforms over the course of this year. The president may focus on inequality because he can’t talk about growth. We’re focused on upward mobility, speaking directly to people who have fallen through the cracks.”
The following day, however, President Obama unveiled a $3.9 trillion budget for next year. According to Investopedia, Obama’s budget would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help a million Americans get out of poverty.
“Under the new plan workers would get 15.3 cents credit for each dollar earned up to $6,570, for a maximum credit of $1,005,” said Investopedia. “That amount would be set until the worker earned $18,070.”
Unfortunately for Ryan, his report was not well received by many economists. Jared Bernstein said that it is misleading to tell the American people that anti-poverty programs result in even more poverty.
“While much of the commentary suggests that federal antipoverty efforts have failed and are fraught by wasteful duplication, the evidence – some of which is in here and much of which is conspicuously missing [sic] – belies that facile claim,” said Bernstein.
In the meantime, it is uncertain which direction Washington will take to address the growing inequality in America’s biggest cities as well as the poverty that is already present throughout the country. However, many economists who have more experience than Ryan believe that his report is inaccurate.
– Juan Campos
Sources: The Washington Post, Media Matters
Photo: Mother Jones