>>I think you'd be surprised to know that some at NR would acknowledge it might be acceptable to raise taxes on the very wealthy if someone could demonstrate better outcomes. That has been the tragic problem of the "war on poverty" - billions spent and yet is the problem any better?
>>
>>The 500 lb elephant in the room is that we have too many idiots in government who don't know the value of a dollar and how to use money wisely.
>
>a. if we only did things that we were sure would work, we'd probably still be riding horses to work
>b. I noticed that you selected the War on Poverty as an example of a government program that didn't work.
>How about the Iraq war?
>c. do you think that the government has a monopoly on stupidity? Do the names Enron and WorldCom ring any bells?

I selected the War on Poverty because of the longevity.

I agree the Iraqi war was fought badly and incompetently.

No, the government doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity. However, they've certainly "cornered the market" and earned their monicker.

Correct, Enron and others are great examples of where it occurs outside the public sector. However, there's less accountability in the government when money is wasted. The answer is simply to legislate for more money.