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from the better-than-growing-up-to-be-a-sink dept.
Scientists at Kings College London performed a longitudinal study to test the 'Pareto principle' and found that adults who were greater users of public services were most likely to have had a low score on the intelligence and impulsivity test administered at age three.
"About 20 per cent of population is using the lion's share of a wide array of public services," said Prof Terrie Moffitt, of King's College and Duke University in North Carolina. "The same people use most of the NHS, the criminal courts, insurance claims, for disabling injury, pharmaceutical prescriptions and special welfare benefits.
"If we stopped there it might be fair to think these are lazy bums who are freeloading off the taxpayer and exploiting the public purse.
"But we also went further back into their childhood and found that 20 per cent begin their lives with mild problems with brain function and brain health when they were very small children.
"Looking at health examinations really changed the whole picture. It gives you a feeling of compassion for these people as opposed to a feeling of blame.
"Being able to predict which children will struggle is an opportunity to intervene in their lives very early to attempt to change their trajectories, for everyone's benefit and could bring big returns on investment for government."
Full Paper: Childhood forecasting of a small segment of the population with large economic burden DOI: 10.1038/s41562-016-0005
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @06:23PM
No one argued that the idea of entrepreneurship is bad and everything should be owned by the government.... But there are also a lot of other variables at play throughout history.
Personally my take on this "analysis" (sorry, but a short article that is very light on details doesn't make the grade) is that giving humans freedom to pursue their own best interests is what made things better. Unshackling people from the state's oppressive dictatorships (Kings, Queens, Despots, Etc.) is what led to greater prosperity.
Capitalism itself is a tool, the free market is a tool, and they must all be used properly. The US is the result of nearly unchecked capitalism, and it is tearing our country apart. Welfare programs are not a replacement for doing something with your life, they are to help the people in need. But why am I arguing with you, you're a true believer of free market capitalism and anything others say will be interpreted as "everyone on welfare forever!!!" which is of course impossible to sustain.