The Deeper News: Patterns, Dynamics and Mindsets Shaping the Longer View by Richard Hames. Claims there can be no enduring solution to the problem of poverty, however much we might lament that fact, rest on the premise that affluence is a “relative” condition and will remain so. There will always be people who are worse off than others, we reason, but we can reduce absolute penury by distributing welfare and aid to the underprivileged. This also allows us to feel good about ourselves.