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In reply to the discussion: EXPLOSION on LIVE TV As Melissa Harris-Perry DEFENDS America's True Risktakers -- THE POOR. [View all]mbperrin
(7,672 posts)Right now the paradigm is that poor people have it great - they can drive a new car, live in a paid for house, eat all they want, watch TV, no responsibilities - just happy darkies laboring in the fields while Ole Massa has all the heavy responsibilities at the Big House.
As long as that belief is held, nothing will be done to actually help poor people, because no problem is seen to exist, in fact, the only people with risk and problems are those poor guys like Jamie Dimon, Fuld, and a whole host of other incredibly wealthy people. And so they will continue to get all the aid available.
The point is not to get anyone to take a risk - the point is to create jobs and expansion. See, gambling on the NYSE is risky - it's just gambling and does create a few jobs in NYC, but kills millions of others just for being in the way of the casino. Building decent affordable housing is extremely low risk - people really want it. Making healthy affordable meals is not very risky, either - people want to eat and be healthy and to be able to afford to do so.
But yeah, building houses with 30 bedrooms is risky, because when the one sucker that can afford it dies, it gets donated as some kind of landmark for the taxpayers to upkeep. Building gold-plated shower curtains is risky, because not many telecom millionaires want to buy one for their wife and throw her a party on a private island the same weekend.
Look around at companies that have been here for a century or more - they operate, hire, and continue to exist routinely. The old John Galt horseshit is just that - horseshit.