Comments on: Defining the Family Down http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6518.html Some Chicago Boyz know each other from student days at the University of Chicago. Others are Chicago boys in spirit. The blog name is also intended as a good-humored gesture of admiration for distinguished Chicago boys including those pictured above. Fri, 25 May 2012 16:07:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: veryretired http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6518.html/comment-page-1#comment-286469 veryretired Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:44:55 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6518#comment-286469 Political correctness aside, although I would guess that "sensitivity" was a powerful motivator for this drivel of a report, there is also an important political purpose here. The Great Society, that huge welfare and maintenance regime created in the '60's, has been an unmitigated disaster for many poor people, especially in the black community. The "War on Poverty" might just as well been named the "War on Young Black Men" for all the damage it has done. How, then, to rehabilitate the idea of big government programs in general, and welfare programs in particular? Why, just blur out all those meaningless, old fashioned classifications like married or unmarried, father or current boyfriend, parent or "just passing through". After all, a family is just some people who have a relationship. Nothing else is required, except maybe a well-paid staff of social workers and therapists and counselors. Can't have too many helpful civil servants advising our poor about the hazards of life in the modern world, now can we? There now, see--- things have improved already! Political correctness aside, although I would guess that “sensitivity” was a powerful motivator for this drivel of a report, there is also an important political purpose here.

The Great Society, that huge welfare and maintenance regime created in the ’60′s, has been an unmitigated disaster for many poor people, especially in the black community. The “War on Poverty” might just as well been named the “War on Young Black Men” for all the damage it has done.

How, then, to rehabilitate the idea of big government programs in general, and welfare programs in particular?

Why, just blur out all those meaningless, old fashioned classifications like married or unmarried, father or current boyfriend, parent or “just passing through”.

After all, a family is just some people who have a relationship. Nothing else is required, except maybe a well-paid staff of social workers and therapists and counselors. Can’t have too many helpful civil servants advising our poor about the hazards of life in the modern world, now can we?

There now, see— things have improved already!

]]> By: Ginny http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6518.html/comment-page-1#comment-286459 Ginny Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:54:34 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6518#comment-286459 The terms began grounded in either tradition or biology. When you believe neither describes reality, then the definitions, too, can mutate. The terms began grounded in either tradition or biology. When you believe neither describes reality, then the definitions, too, can mutate.

]]> By: Shannon Love http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6518.html/comment-page-1#comment-286424 Shannon Love Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:13:56 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6518#comment-286424 Most of political discourse is conducted using highly ambiguous terms. For example, what does it mean when a person is "unemployed"? The definition used by the department of labor fills a large binder. Moreover, the definition changes over time so that you can't honestly compare unemployment rates from say 1970 and today. Almost all the definitions used in the soft sciences i.e. economics, sociology, psychology etc use highly ambiguous definitions which makes their findings often nonsensical. Most of political discourse is conducted using highly ambiguous terms. For example, what does it mean when a person is “unemployed”? The definition used by the department of labor fills a large binder. Moreover, the definition changes over time so that you can’t honestly compare unemployment rates from say 1970 and today.

Almost all the definitions used in the soft sciences i.e. economics, sociology, psychology etc use highly ambiguous definitions which makes their findings often nonsensical.

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