Why can't progressives and conservatives finally agree to end poverty in America?

[daibato]

For progressives, it would mean a truly egalitarian society and social justice for all Americans.

For conservatives, it would mean opening up new markets and creating millions of new customers.

So what's the hold up? Are we still too racist a culture?

[Charlie S]

Racial? Hah? Poverty is colorblind dingy or havent you noticed! Progressives wouldnt know what to do do with themselves if all the downtrotten became independent! Anyway!

[Irish Girl]

As long as there are lazy people, you will have poverty. It is your own fault (in the large majority of cases) if you are poor. It is not up to the government to hold your hand and make you succeed. And how would that make us racist?

[shygal9]

It's just not as easy as it sounds. There are so many factors that add up to poverty. It's really not a racial thing. I don't feel like explaining it all now but it's just not like somebody can say "oh lets end poverty" and it happens all of the sudden, it takes a lot of work and there will probably never be an end to poverty, it's just a fact of life.. What are you doing to fight poverty?

[roscoedeadbeat]

We progressives have a plan. It is posted at:
http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/
Check it out.

[ioerr]

No society is ever going to eliminate poverty.

What can be done is, to adopt economic policies that increase the prosperity of all classes generally.

As opposed to enriching one at the expense of the other, which is what we have too much of today.

The idea that it is ok to ship American jobs overseas wholesale for example, because that is "good for the economy," is ridiculous on the face of it.

It makes "the economy" as an abstraction more important than the lives of most of the people actually living in it.

It is an example of the rich screwing over the majority for their own purposes, and trying to pass this off as a benevolent activity.

It is symptomatic of the condition the American rich suffer from: They have no good ideas. All they know how to do is cannabalize the many, to serve themselves.

[Cary Cyd]

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

I don't believe its racial. After all, there are people of all races, ages, colors, creeds, etc. living below the poverty level in America.

Rather, I think its a matter of power & pride.

Progressives/liberals/whatever label (according to conservatives the word to use is socialists because they're trying to more equally share the wealth of our country among more people rather than just have 2% of the population control it) - but its a difficult job convincing those in power to relinquish their stranglehold on the middle & lower class.

As for conservatives - see the last line of the above paragraph. In my mind, they are terribly short-sighted & want instant gratification to go along with their silver spoons & deep pockets, so they won't give the little guy a chance to succeed.

Wouldn't it be great if common ground could be attained? But, there's the rub - wealth equates to power, power turns to greed - & so the circle continues. Even those who make it out of the lower classes into the rich & famous forget where they came from after awhile. Some might help with a project here or there, but most just forget. The heady appeal of wealth & power is too much.

[Meg]

If the quality of life of those in poverty was improved, then wages would have to be increased to motivate people to work, and it would produce a chain reaction up the income latter, leaving much less surplus for the rich people who hold the power.

[B.Love]

People are too selfish. Plus, poor people don't constitute an influential political lobby because they don't have money to "donate" and they aren't considered a vital voting demographic. It sucks =(

[Suz225]

First of all poverty is not a racial issue....it spans all segments of the population. While it is true that the poor are dispraportionally minorities, there are tens of thousands of poor and working poor white people as well in this country.

By some in the conservative movement....wealth and power are handed out to "those that deserve it" and the poor and sick and ill and infirm that cannot care for themselves deserve their lot because God rewards those that are "worthy". These are often the people that preach religion and ignore the parts of the bible that talk about mercy and taking care of your fellow man......you can really cherry pick the bible it's full of contradictory messages. Also those at the top of the Conservative food chain ( your multi-million dollar CEO's for example) have plenty of new open markets in other countries and are moving their businesses overseas, as they abandon the country and the working people that gave them their start.

Progressives have tried to end and blunt the impact of poverty for years.....but the Conservatives, rather than talking about taxes as the dues you pay to live in a society that provides basics for all.....made the discussion of taxes one of a burden....that even the working poor and lower middle and middle class buy into.

The hold up....the pure unadulterated greed lionized by the conservative movement and their ability to manipulate the poor into thinking that they have their best interests and preying on their fears.....