Moynihan and LBJ's solutions to deterioration of black family life

Patrick Moynihan was Asst Secty of Labor in the Johnson Administration and subsequently a Senator from Massachusetts.  His study and report on failing black family life created a major stir in the '60's and resulted in major welfare programs directed to this segment of the population, as I recall.  Professor Patterson's article  briefly describes the results of Moynihan's report in 1965 and the reaction to it by the black community (Moynihan's blaming the victims) as well as the failure of the Johnson Administration to act upon the report as a result of the resource demands of the Vietnam War.  But didn't Johnson pass many new welfare affecting the black and elderly communities shortly after he became POTUS after Kennedy's assassination?  And also, isn't it also true that many of these programs merely served to create a co-dependency status with blacks that if anything impeded, rather than helped them make progress?  Patterson lays the blame for a worsening of the black famiy condition in all these intervening years on the financial demands of the Vietnam War and the negative reaction of black leadership.  Still, it seems to me there were many programs passed then, Aid to dependent Families, etc, that proved either worthless or worse over the years, since the condition of the black families is worse now than it was at the time of Moynihan's report.  At any rate none of these programs are remarked on by Patterson in his article here.

Mark Steyn on stupidity

Mark Steyn, a Canadian born American naturalized citizen (I believe) writes here about the crises now facing the middle class in the world.  This is an astute summary of where we are at this point in history.  The big question is how do we get out of this predicament?

Ted Geary

Patricia Geary Johnson's father Ted Geary, a world famous naval architect as well as a designer of many yachts and beautiful sailing vessels, is profiled here, and here.

Marc Faber -- Investor

Marc Faber has been around forever, so it seems.  He recently showed up at the Ludwig von Mises sponsored meeting in NYC and gave forth with the ideas and sentiments captured in this article  by Big Government.