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I'm of the opinion that the government has become the de facto charity of last resort. In essense, it always has been, but it's possible to argue that it's more humane of late. If we assume that poverty will always exist, then what are some feasible alternatives to our current solution?
Victorian times had the poorhouses.
Old-testament Biblical times had the concept of leaving extra grain on the fields for the widows to gather.
In new testament Biblical times the church took care of the widows.
Personally, I'd love to see a change to charity being concentrated at the community level. However, given our society, as it exists today, I don't think you can get there from here. I don't think I'd be willing to accept the idea of workhouses and poor farms to get there, either.
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