I placed "free" in quotation marks because I don't believe anything is free. Someone always pays. At that time it wasn't me, and I am grateful to those that did . Many (most?) Socialists seem to think that having "The State" provide something is getting something for free. As if things just fall down from the heavens.
That's probably why they are so focused on re-distribution. Because, hey, the wealth is just there. The just thing to do is just to reach out, grab it, and re-distribute it. Hey presto!
But yes, the issue of poverty is highly complex. And yes, my sense is the dial has moved in the direction of Capital in recent years.
