How Would One Define "Social Realism" Today?

It has been documented that "Social Realism developed as a reaction against idealism and the exaggerated ego encouraged by Romanticism. Consequences of the Industrial Revolution became apparent; urban centers grew, slums proliferated on a new scale contrasting with the display of wealth of the upper classes. With a new sense of social consciousness, the Social Realists pledged to “fight the beautiful art”, any style which appealed to the eye or emotions. They focused on the ugly realities of contemporary life and sympathized with working-class people, particularly the poor. They recorded what they saw (“as it existed”) in a dispassionate manner. The public was outraged by Social Realism, in part, because they didn't know how to look at it or what to do with it." Kathleen Grisham

"The Industrial Revolution began an era of per-capita economic growth in capitalist economies." Robert Lucas.

"The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I. It is considered to have begun with Bessemer steel in the 1860s and culminated in mass production and the production line." Wikipedia

Economic historians are in agreement that the onset of the Industrial Revolution is the most important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of animals and plants."Deidre McCloskey

Today: "The Digital Revolution is the change from analog mechanical and electronic technology to digital technology that has taken place since c. 1980 and continues to the present day.[1] Implicitly, the term also refers to the sweeping changes brought about by digital computing and communication technology during the latter half of the 20th century. Analogous to the Agricultural Revolution and Industrial Revolution, the Digital Revolution marked the beginning of the Information Age.

Central to this revolution is the mass production and widespread use of digital logic circuits, and its derived technologies, including the computer, digital cellular phone, and fax machine." Wikipedia.

So, here, I have given you the documented historical background. Today, 2011, the nation is $14 Trillion in debt. Information accessibility is not limited to the upper class and entitlement is the norm. The Digital Revolution and the establishment of numerous government funded agencies has redefined the classes. We no longer divide the populous into "the haves and have nots". And what is the upper class today? At all levels the world community survives off of handouts and living off of other people's money. Equality is not achieved through a balance of work and output, but rather through government programs and indebtedness.

I wrote the following in October of 2009 and realized it would fall on deaf ears, however, I share it now in hopes that this forum will be more receptive:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Re: U.S. Welfare System: Giving Back

Dear Sir:

Those receiving benefits from the U.S. Welfare System should be required to give back based upon what they received, thus contributing to the cost of their aid.

Both the elderly and the impoverished utilize the current welfare system. Many of the elderly have already given by paying taxes and contributing to Social Security. They have contributed through channels already in place.

The impoverished should have similar requirements. Perhaps utilizing the current model of Federal Work-Study and Federal and Private Student Loans is sufficient in order to achieve this goal. The model I am suggesting takes into account the current guidelines cited at http://www.welfareinfo.org/
“Eligibility Requirements for State Welfare Program
Eligibility for a Welfare program depends on numerous factors. Eligibility is determined using gross and net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment. A case worker is assigned to those applying for aid. They will gather all the necessary information to determine the amount and type of benefits that an individual is eligible for.
The Federal government provides assistance through TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). TANF is a grant given to each state to run their own welfare program. To help overcome the former problem of unemployment due to reliance on the welfare system, the TANF grant requires that all recipients of welfare aid must find work within two years of receiving aid, including single parents who are required to work at least 30 hours per week opposed to 35 or 55 required by two parent families. Failure to comply with work requirements could result in loss of benefits.”
I am suggesting a compliance program effective at the onset of receiving assistance or subsistence and continuing when employment occurs after receiving aid.

Compliance Program:

TWO PHASES:

RECEIVING SUBSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

First of all welfare recipients should be required to perform services in order to receive subsistence. Just because they are unemployed or not able to work does not mean that they cannot contribute in other ways. They need to be accountable and responsible in order to receive assistance. For example: volunteering time at a homeless shelter or food kitchen, collecting recyclables, volunteering at their child’s school/or in their classroom, taking others without transportation, or who need assistance on public transportation, to doctor’s appointments, picking up liter (even if they use a stick with a nail on the end of it if wheelchair confined), leading reading groups for children or adults at local libraries, attending such groups, assisting others with required program submissions. A simple submission program should be installed on all associated government computers (i.e. FDIC banks, U.S. Post Offices, State Welfare Offices, etc.). In addition, a link on the welfare.org website for those who are computer literate and have their own access or public computer access, which allows for submission of this documentation. Those receiving aid must submit the documentation, to include a standard submission form, (i.e. Form WAF-1), just like a tax form, every 3 months to a receptacle at any one of the authorized locations, (i.e. FDIC banks, U.S. Post Offices, State Welfare Offices, etc.). Alternatively, they must scan it into a computer if they are computer literate and send it to an assigned email address for this purpose. Each authorized location should process the documents submitted to the receptacles. (We all know that FDIC banks, U.S. Post Offices, and State offices have time during the middle of the month to attend to these tasks. Tellers, government window employees all experience periods of slack time. Documentations of these activities should include receipts or signatures from approved service organizations and submitted in order to continue to collect their benefits. Again, recipients must be required to exhibit accountability and responsibility equal to actions associated with employment. Automation within the computer programs records the submission immediately, like a bank deposit, and a report listing those who are non-compliant, is available every three (3) months.

REPAYING SUBSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

When the recipient’s eligibility expires, with enforceable time limits so as not to encourage enablement, and after they are employed, which is a requirement for receiving aid, (see red text highlighted above) the former welfare recipient should be required to start paying back a percentage of what they received as assistance. The monthly or twice-a- month or weekly payments should come out of their paycheck as an automatic withdrawal and it should be a very small amount so as not to incur a hardship. The amount should be a reasonable percentage of their take home pay and equal to, say, 1% of their take home pay. Issue a tax consideration, upon filing income tax, for their compliance with this requirement in order to foster a positive motivation for complying. If they do not comply they must be put on probation until they are compliant and required to spend a percentage of their none working hours volunteering or contributing per the requirement to receive subsistence (see above) until they are compliant. If they are non-compliant at the end of a tax year, they should incur a penalty.

Currently all tax payers and contributors to Social Security directly accountable for the actions of welfare recipients and responsible for paying their way. Those paying taxes should see some efforts made by the welfare recipients to contribute to their own needs during and after receiving subsistence.

While the implementation of a program of this nature will require utilization of some funds already assigned, it also utilizes current resources without additional costs. Our government affiliated agencies, some mentioned above, have the capacity to assign additional tasks to current job descriptions without changing the pay structure. The positions will require the employees to be more productive within their shift time. For example, FDIC associated bank employees used to roll coins now we have coin rolling machines. FDIC associated bank employees used to prepare monthly statements with canceled checks for mailing. Many choose a paperless electronic statement delivery. FDIC bank tellers and customer service employees and State and Federal government customer service employees are assigned to be on duty at counter and window positions during specific hours during which there are times when no customers are present to receive assistance and all tasks are completed at their station. By law they have scheduled daily breaks and lunch breaks which allow personal time for non business activity. The processing of each submission should require seconds or a very few minutes. Only properly completed documents can be submitted. Wouldn't this service be more beneficial to the nation than the solicitation of credit cards?

Our fiscal health is declining each day with no end in sight. There are no permanent solutions, however, we must attempt to plug the hole in the bucket and hope for a better container.

Respectfully submitted,

So, how would you define/depict Social Realism today?