Could resurgent Socialism in Europe = Comprehensive American Social Programs (for the first time)?

To begin to alleviate poverty in America, I propose a universal pension for those below the poverty line, modeled after Brazil’s “Una Bolsa Familia” program be implemented. One tenet of liberalism is that governments should provide a public good when the private market fails to meet demand. We do not have universal health care programs, full employment, or enough quality, cheap daycare.

While it is obvious that we would all reap the benefits in the future from a society in which today’s children are well-nourished, citizenship status and work-eligibility more often determines if your demographic group receives benefits from the state (and children are not franchised, working citizens so politicians don’t have to provide for them as they do retirees). Of course,  access to the basics—like food--should be a human right. I’d love to talk to anyone who says that they are “pro-life” yet refuses to support a universal program which would help meet the minimum subsistence requirements for the lives of the poorest in this country.

However, Brazil is not a model welfare state, despite its more humane policies. For example, a recent economist article critiqued the Brazilian pension system for privileging the elderly over children:

 “Brazil spent twice as lavishly on each pensioner as the OECD average, but only two-thirds as generously on the education of each child. The only handout a poor child can hope for is the Bolsa Família, a grant averaging 115 reais per family per month. If he were over 65 his family would receive over five times as much. As a result, very few old people are below the poverty line, but a third of children are.” http://www.economist.com/node/21551093

Nevertheless, Brazil’s social policy is indicative of a world where there are policies like the ones Robert Reich describes in The Resurgent Liberal: and Other Unfashionable Policies

"With the liberal resurgence will come a new appreciation of the importance to society of loyalty, collaboration, civic virtue, and responsibility to future generations...Resurgent liberals will adopt a different set of organizing principles. Avarice will be discouraged (there will be no shame, for example, in enacting a very high marginal tax rate on princely incomes). The pain and fear of economic dislocation will be eased (through extended unemployment insurance, job training coupled with day care, health insurance for the unemployed and working poor, and similar programs)."

We’re seeing Reich’s predicted widespread desire for a human-driven (instead of market driven) state. Just look at the recent elections in France: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/07/world/europe/20120507_FRANCE.html?ref=europe#2 and the possibility of a Greek socialist government: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/world/europe/greeks-look-to-socialist-leader-evangelos-venizelos-to-form-government.html?ref=europe

When will American politicians listen to the similar American sentiment echoed during the occupy protests? When will Americans stop buying into the shame/protestant work ethic guilt trip from the republicans and start demanding a reasonable safety net?

Check out Robert Reich’s more recent thoughts on American inequality compared to European safety nets… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-answer-isnt-socialism_b_1491243.html