What you're referring to is more about social injustice as a result of a fiercely meritocratic, free market capitalist society. Yes, I think that healthcare and

What you're referring to is more about social injustice as a result of a fiercely meritocratic, free market capitalist society. Yes, I think that healthcare and education should be free (I come from Australia where they both are, and my family was "poor" and I had access to a University education - there's a debt there but it's not as bad as what you guys call student loans). Incidentally I wonder how many of your college buddies would vote in favour of healthcare or education funding reform? (My guess is very very few but that's beside the point). This is a completely different problem from what the original article is discussing. The original article is talking about the fact that in areas where the poverty is so absolute, giving people things like access to schools or social programs has virtually no impact, but giving them access to a tractor and a herd of cows generates a huge economic benefit, and creates a position from which they can later do things like build schools and run their own social programs. In other words the people have skills, are willing to work and have a plan to make money and feed themselves predictably and reliably. Giving them cash makes sense. Now I agree that giving this guy free access to education and not having a double standard for students who pay versus those who don't (which has, incidentally, crept into the Australian system too since Howard fucked everything up) is a good idea. But giving him cash isn't. First world poverty can and should be solved institutionally, because it is an institutional problem.