--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, you might say – “But why should we…" description: "\"Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” It’s a fair question – but think of it this way: Every othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/michael-bloomberg-1293_built_now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay_19189.png" --- # Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for… ![“Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” It’s a fair question – but think of it this way: Every other anti-poverty program that’s been tried has failed to get the national poverty rate below 11 percent... Why shouldn’t we experiment with a program…” quote by Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/michael-bloomberg-1293_built_now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay_19189.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/michael-bloomberg-1293_built_now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay_19189.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/michael-bloomberg-1293_built_now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay_19189.png) > “Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” It’s a fair question – but think of it this way: Every other anti-poverty program that’s been tried has failed to get the national poverty rate below 11 percent... Why shouldn’t we experiment with a program built around the one strategy that has proven time and again to work wonders – capitalism?” [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that paying people for work they are already expected to do is a reasonable experiment, especially given the failure of anti‑poverty programs, and suggests leveraging capitalism’s proven success as a strategy to reduce poverty. **In simple terms:** Advocates a capitalist‑based anti‑poverty experiment. Key Takeaway Capitalism can be a tool for poverty reduction. Themes economic policy poverty alleviation capitalism social welfare public debate policy innovation Mood optimistic critical analytical Type policy argument socio‑economic commentary persuasive When to use this quote - designing universal basic income pilots - reforming welfare eligibility - testing wage subsidies for low‑income workers - evaluating job guarantee schemes - comparing anti‑poverty models Key Concepts incentive structures market mechanisms government programs social equity Practical Applications - policy design - impact evaluation Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports capitalism’s effectiveness in reducing poverty? - How might incentive‑based programs affect social cohesion? A Different Perspective Critics argue that paying people for expected work may distort labor markets and reduce intrinsic motivation, potentially undermining long‑term productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-poverty-391741/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Fairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairs/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [National Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-poverty-391743/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Percent Shouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent-shouldn-391744/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-program-391742/) [Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/program/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Proven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proven/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [You can't lift people out of poverty simply by tweaking the tax system, or by raising the minimum wage by a few cents, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/you-can-t-lift-people-out-of-poverty-simply-by-tweaking-the-tax/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [The best anti-poverty program is a world-class education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-best-anti-poverty-program-is-a-world-class-education/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Unions have been the best anti-poverty program that actually worked and did not cost the government a dime. 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