General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Working Poor. If you're working, you shouldn't be poor." Tavis Smiley on MSNBC. nt
Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 04:47 PM - Edit history (2)
VERY LATE EDIT, WITH APOLOGIES:
His meaning was that there shouldn't BE any "working poor". That those who work deserve a good wage that lifts them above poverty.
I thought coming from Tavis Smiley it would be apparent, but I apologize for just posting that snippet and not offering an explanation.
EDIT #2 -- Jesus, as though tossing his statement w/out explanation out there wasn't bad enough, I typed TRAVIS Smiley.
liberal N proud
(60,300 posts)So out of touch
izquierdista
(11,689 posts)If people are working, why isn't their pay enough to lift them out of poverty?
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,282 posts)Especially if minimum wage is payed for fewer than 40 hours, and the employer doesn't provide health insurance.
That ends my minute of thinking for the day.
gateley
(62,683 posts)a good wage.
I guess I should have explained but I assumed (I know, I know) that people would understand it, coming from Smiley.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)I never watch American TV anymore except the snippets that Colbert & Stewart make jokes about.
gateley
(62,683 posts)From Wiki:
Tavis Smiley... is a talk show host, author, liberal political commentator, entrepreneur, advocate and philanthropist. /snip
Smiley was then offered a chance to host a radio talk show on National Public Radio. He served as host of The Tavis Smiley Show on NPR until December 2004 when he announced that he would be leaving his NPR show, citing the network's inability to reach a more diverse audience.[38] Smiley launched a weekly version of his radio program The Tavis Smiley Show on April 29, 2005, distributed by NPR rival Public Radio International. On October 1, 2010, Tavis Smiley turned the second hour of his PRI program into Smiley & West co-hosted by his longtime collaborator Dr. Cornel West. Smiley also hosts Tavis Smiley, a late night talk show televised on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network and produced in association with WNET in New York. /snip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavis_Smiley
/Users/ibookg3owner/Desktop/Tavis_Smiley.jpg
highplainsdem
(48,723 posts)Too many American corporations are sitting on record profits here at home and sending more American jobs abroad. The working poor is the phrase I hate most. If you work in America, you ought not be poor!
Like · Comment · October 13, 2011 at 10:00am via HootSuite ·
emilyg
(22,742 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)Wind Dancer
(3,618 posts)Context is everything.
liberal N proud
(60,300 posts)That is why it is important to give as much clarity in threads as possible.
My mistake.
MrScorpio
(73,626 posts)A wage that can afford someone to raise a family
But we've lost our way as a nation over these last many years.
More and more workers are finding themselves poorer and poorer every year.
For a better America, people who work should never be poor.
yodermon
(6,143 posts)filthy rich, and therefore is communist.
Hugabear
(10,340 posts)If every company had to pay a legitimate living wage, then how would these CEO's and other big-wings be able to afford their luxury yachts, mega-mansions, European luxury cars, etc?
You wouldn't want them to have to dip into their savings and "investments", would you?
It's all about me, me, me with these working poor types.
liberal N proud
(60,300 posts)Brickbat
(19,339 posts)glowing
(12,233 posts)for housing, utilities, a savings account, and a 2 or 3 week vacation with the family every year. Why is anyone who is toiling for any company poor? Aren't we supposed to be the Greatest Nation? What Nation in their right mind, unless they are dictating asshole countries, would want to look to the United States and its "democracy" as a model to follow when our model works you until you die for what? What are we working for?.. To choose between food and electricity this month?
That's the biggest question I always come back to... What are we working so hard for? Are we actually producing any worthwhile betterment to humanity? Are we actually creating anything pertinent? What are we working crappy jobs that pay shit, for? That question and the actuality of living life toiling away, struggling to pay to afford to live, is why so many people are depressed and/ or use drugs to numb the reality of the fact that most of us are working for and towards nothing and that Dreams are unattainable and that the jobs we are working, for the most part, are mind-numbingly dull and that you will be working one of these types of jobs until you probably die.. since the politicians are destroying any vestige of a safety net at the end of our lives. Retire? WTF is that?
My real hope lies in the world awakening... Occupy is a great force, and I hope Spring comes back with a vengeance. I'm ready to... I think many are ready to as well.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)redqueen
(115,096 posts)riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Smiley is a tireless crusader for societal justice (as is West) and while his phraseology has lost something without the context, he basically means that if you have a job it should be paying you a decent wage - enough to NOT be poor!
He's been a huge supporter of the Occupy movements and is no friend to the corporate raiding of our civil society.
gateley
(62,683 posts)painted the wrong picture!
gateley
(62,683 posts)izquierdista
(11,689 posts)G%dD@^^!), but there are some dense people on this board as of late. But maybe that is a good sign. It means that the CPPOOABWTIWOTH* crowd is abandoning the Repubs.
*[font size = 1]Can't pour piss out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel.
Gold Metal Flake
(13,805 posts)Why did you not include context? Why haven't you updated your post to include the context provided in the comments?
gateley
(62,683 posts)statement was supportive of American workers.
If I'd been posting it elsewhere, I may have been more explanatory, but I had faith in DUers to understand what he means.
And, sorry I'm not on your timeline, but I was away from my computer for a while. Sheesh - it's like I'm back in school getting chastised by Mother Superior.
Gold Metal Flake
(13,805 posts)But folks in the thread were coming to the wrong conclusions and then I got all DU-ey.
I gotta spend time elsewhere.
gateley
(62,683 posts)times.
I love the "all DU-ey"!
Wind Dancer
(3,618 posts)There should have been more details provided.
gateley
(62,683 posts)Wind Dancer
(3,618 posts)Recently, liberal commentators, journalists, activists, actors, etc. have been ridiculed and attacked on this very forum, including Dr. Cornel West. It was a profound statement by Tavis Smiley and I agree with him completely but without context, it could have easily been misinterpreted.
Fortunately, there were several posts after mine that provided explanation. Thanks for editing the OP and my apologies for causing you frustration.
Sigh!
gateley
(62,683 posts)and understood) the confusion I tried to clarify.
And I never gave a thought about him being dissed here -- I'm shocked (and didn't know) that Cornel West had been criticized. Wow -- scary!
Hatchling
(2,323 posts)A living wage should be instituted.
highplainsdem
(48,723 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)open to discussion. What we need is the minimum wage to be set at a higher standard. On the other hand if companies do not want to pay more then they should support a universal health care program and free education and things like that. What companies have never understood is that these programs have always helped to keep wages lower. The rethugs have now convinced them that government cost too much. We shall see.
gateley
(62,683 posts)Capitalocracy
(4,307 posts)How could anyone possibly be against a living wage?
dembotoz
(16,737 posts)pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)when is enough money enough? MORE PROFIT SHARING!!!
we need a CEO law to reduce their obcene pay.
gateley
(62,683 posts)want you to think that was his message.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)Smiley nailed it (sadly)
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)gateley
(62,683 posts)Tsiyu
(18,186 posts)If you know Mr. Smiley's style, you tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I will agree the phrasing was awkward. However, I opened the thread expecting to find that he meant what he said - in all the right ways.
"Creating jobs" isn't anything to brag about if those jobs keep others in poverty and shut out from health care.