The only two knee jerk things going on are Dickey's transparent distortions, inability to interpret and use statistics honestly and effectively and his stalking of Bobert. (See the resurrection of the 'Bubba" thread as an example.)

Root cause does matter. dickey can read even if he can't think, so he know I know that. Root cause=lack of resources. When there are enough resources to assure minimal needs are met, but a small minority of the population hoards a hugely disproportionate share of those resources, a disproportionate number of the rest of the population are gonna be cold, hungry and sick.

Again acknowledging that Dickey knows how to read, Dickey knows that no one on this thread has advocated for absolutely equal distribution of resources. He makes a falicious (spelling?)arguement, grossly distorting what Bobert, especially, but others of us in general have been saying, in a failed attempt to make Bobert look like a fool. All he does is undermine his own, already shakey credibility.

If Mr. Corporation has 70% of the resources, 80% of the readily assessible power, and Mr. Corporation chooses to hide behind the non-entity that corporations actually are, then all the skill building through education, 'family' values, putative laws, and social control to make sure everyone is 'safe' and living according according to what promotes Mr. Corporation's well being is not going to make a dent in the poverty rates in this country. Talk about 'feel good' actions. What little of their resources big money interests 'donate' are for pr purposes. Corporations are amoral, and the people who run them hide behind the 'corporation' so they can say 'not me'-it's just business-I'm not responsible personally.

The Dickey's of the country, and they are, unfortunately, legion, only look at the surface of the realities of our society and our times, buy into, and are co-opted by, the propoganda machine of the prevailing power structure, and say "Look what Exxon, or Target, or Microsoft are doing to try to help these poor fools who won't help themselves.

The poor, the working class, and more and more, the lower and middle middle class are held accountable by the blood and the flesh. The corporation, is held accountable by the dollar. WHO is the corporation? Values? You want to talk about values?

This society is going to be ripped apart. And for a long time, no one will emerge as better off for it. And those at the top of the heap will be mostly to blame, because they had the power and the influence to intervene effectively, responsibly and in a value driven manner, but chose not to.