In formulating his approach, John does a huge disservice to the poor he would help.
To try and describe the welfare products of much of Europe as neo-liberal, is just plain nonsense.
One recalls that at the height of its industrial success, German unemployment benefits climbed to around 80% of the average wage, and affordable in a climate of overfull employment and a trade-off, that eliminated unfair dismissals, as was the case in most of socialist Scandinavia.
Even so, he has identified an area, where we must now head, as we can no longer rely almost exclusively on population growth, or highly flawed neo-liberal trickle down theory or economic rationalism, that is anything but rational?
There was a time when the most senior executive salaries never exceeded thirty times that of the lowest paid on the factory or shop floor! And to make management worth much more than that, is just plain humbug/horse feathers/birds fur!
It is just as difficult to make decisions for 5 as it is to make decisions for 50 or 500!
All that changes is economies of scale!
Simply put, finding and eliminating poverty in all its forms and guises, will create additional economic activity, in all those areas around the world, we might describe as post code poverty traps, and in so doing, advance the financial prospects of everybody, further up in the economic food chain.
Some have proposed a tiny Tobin tax to pay for it.
And in truth, the actual amount of money needed to lift the poorest from begging to growing self reliance, is not all that much.
Particularly if you can bypass corrupt officials; or middle men profit takers; professional paid management or humbugging parasites.
We for our part need to produce and grow a strong economy, if only to be able to extend the sort of financial help needed.
Part of that story is genuine and vastly overdue real tax reform, coupled to cooperative capitalism; plus investing in our own people and their better ideas.
Plus, a charity starts at home model!
Rhrosty.

Daffy - referring me to other writers with the same bent world view does not excuse your support for the writer on this site.. the article is just nonsense and not even well argued nonsense.. the fact that the writers you cite make similar points is a problem from them.. I just hope they can make a better case..

My problem with poverty in the uncivilised developed world is that those who are poor due to policies get persecuted even more whilst those who are poor because they're lazy hangers-on get the attention of the social benefit crowd.
It really is all ar$e-about.

Allowing for Inflation, the GDP of Australia has doubled from 1965 to December, 2011. But something rather interesting happened in the intervening years.

Overall since 1965 the country is 2X richer, while the number on welfare is 5X.

The ageing population would be one explanation, but most baby boomers have yet to retire. The fashionable "dole bludger" surfie and hippie mentality that still exists among young people, could be another. But welfare social security has cracked down on that. Could the answer be, that the prime reason for poverty in Australia, with all of its attendant intractable social problems, is because we insist on importing it?

Afghans alone have employment rates in Australia of only 6% after five years of residence. Iranians are the next group most at risk from long term unemployment and poverty, with 88% still unemployed after five years. In Europe, 50% of the Muslim population is on welfare. Angela Merkel summed it up nicely. The reason for European stagnation, she said, was because "Europe had 12% of the world's population, 26% of the world's manufacturing capability, and 56% of the world's welfare recipients."

In 1965, 3 % of the working age population in Australia was on welfare benefits of one sort or another. Now 16 % of adults rely on welfare. Another take on this – in 1965 there were 22 taxpayers for every one person on welfare; now the number is 5.

Extrapolate forward and you see a vision of Greece, Spain, Cypress, and Ireland, with their own open borders and "refugee" programs, and their own national insolvency problems. The populations of these countries and their elected representatives were acutely aware of their financial insolvency, decades ago. But like irresponsible creditors with a new credit card, they borrowed until they could borrow no more, and they wished away their problems until the bailiffs arrived.

The Australian government is charged with the responsibility of looking after its own people. Not every other nations people. We either get real about protecting our borders or we go broke.

The Australian government is charged with the responsibility of looking after its own people. Not every other nations people. We either get real about protecting our borders or we go broke.
Lego,
I wonder why the present Government doesn't know about that ? Or perhaps they are aware of it but simply haven't a clue how to go about it because they're all of academic upbringing ?
Well, the situation can not be allowed to continue & we can only hope that some voters will develop a brain by September 14.