One of the more interesting aspects of Dalrymple’s book Life At The Bottom – at least for Americans – is that his arguments about the causes of poverty avoid the racial dynamic that exists here, since in England’s case they apply largely to the native white population. On the website of the Library of Law and Liberty he does now address some of those issues, in reviewing the book False Black Power? by Jason Riley.

What remains indisputable is that the culture that has emerged, grown up, and been encouraged (or at least not discouraged) in the black neighborhoods of cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia, is inimical to progress of any kind. It follows from this that efforts to conjure progress or improvement by purely bureaucratic, administrative, or redistributionist fiat are doomed to time-wasting and expensive failure. In raising expectations that cannot be met, these efforts actually stoke the fires of conflict.

What is needed is something more akin to a religious revival than a government program, and this is only likely to happen if black leadership changes tack.