Oprah NOW! Anderson Cooper with "America's Dirty Secret" (poverty)

[Bozita]

I'm off to watch.

[JDPriestly]

1. This is the topic that Reagan swept under the rug.

Democrats need to lift it now. The poverty in this country is infamous.

[etherealtruth]

2. Reagan demonized poverty and the poor ...

... before he swept it under the rug.

[JohnnyBoots]

5. How did he do that, I'm too young to remember.

[blm]

9. Blamed the deficit on Welfare Queens w/ their big Cadillacs and color TVs.

.

[DBoon]

11. he made overt racism fashionable

nt

[blm]

22. exactly.....and even bad-rapped trees, fer chrissakes.

.

[etherealtruth]

15. He vilified the poor in many ways and many levels ...

He appealed the the ugly existence of racism in America; he did this by characterizing welfare recipients as welfare queens (African American women driving Cadillacs to pick up their welfare checks, people having more kids in order to increase their checks...) this despite the fact that the face of poverty in America is actually typified by WHITE single parent women (in many cases left in poverty through divorce)that receive benefits for transition periods.

I can remember Reagan holding up the "want ads" claiming that there were plenty of jobs (ignoring the fact that they were minimum wage jobs or jobs requiring significant education) ... thereby perpetuating the myth that the poor are poor because they are LAZY. Not to forget soaring unemployment rates.

He was then able to push tax cuts through (thereby starving programs he was unable to end)by giving people the sense that the tax cuts were for hard working people 'like us' .... when in fact the cuts helped the wealthiest Americans and caused the actual middle class to shrink; much the same way chimpy has.

IMO, he was so successful because he appealed to the undercurrent of racism and he defined poverty such that it had to do with personal weakness (laziness) and moral failings...

[Coexist]

21. you forgot "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"

lol! oh, good times.

[Debau2005]

3. I am recording for viewing when I get home.

[scarlett1]

4. If Oprah wants someone to talk about Poverty it should be

John Edwards. Not "Poor Little Rich Girl" Gloria Vanderbilt's son Anderson Cooper.

[JohnnyBoots]

6. That is AC's mom, I had no idea!

[aquart]

8. Really.

Cooper is rich for no fault of his and manages to understand people who are poor for the same reason.

Well, naturally that should be forbidden.

[Bozita]

10. Anderson doesn't need CNN's money

We call it "fuck you money."

[JohnnyBoots]

12. They should do this interview with Rush or Babs for an SNL skit

[scarlett1]

13. You are correct about AC and it not being his fault who

his parents are. He does have more empathy than many people of wealth. Oprah is a "Goddess" to everyone I just wish she had included JRE in a poverty discussion. He's been talking about Poverty since before it was "stylish" to talk about poverty in America because of Katrina.

[aquart]

20. But Cooper is the one we watched in the water.

He has a very specific credibility now.

[etherealtruth]

16. I'm with you ...

He tackles the ugliness and horror of poverty head on ... he does it with respect and compassion. I wouldn't care if he was chimpy's "love" child (disgusting image) ... he is who he is and on this subhect he's doing a good job.

[scarlett1]

23. It is to late to edit but I have watched AC on Oprah

and I need to retract my snide remark re: Anderson Cooper.

I just don't trust the MSM any more. But Mr. Cooper did a great job.

[dflprincess]

25. Nearly 40 years ago Robert Kennedy tried to bring attention to poverty

in America by making a tour of some of the poorest areas (Wellstone repeated RFK's tour, but didn't get the same coverage) - perhaps he should have stayed home because of his background?

Not everyone with money is without a conscience or a heart.

[Ksec]

7. Good, its about time that the millions got some attention

With the rich lovers in power you wouldnt think there are poor people living here. The Repubs will be rememberered for causing so much poverty, that will be their legacy

[mestup]

14. I think they mean well, but I'm afraid it will backfire.

I'd rather see them taking a seriously hard look at the majority of Americans moving closer and closer to poverty.

Our culture is brainwashed into gaining a freakshow sense of security by being reminded of those who are doing "worse than" we are.

[etherealtruth]

18. I think there is ...

... a lot of truth to what you have said.

[Bozita]

17. four stars -- leftcoast alert -- MUST SEE TV

[Hidden Stillness]

19. It was a Good Episode

This was very nicely done and covered different kinds of people in poverty, so it was actually a good overall coverage of the topic. They went to Detroit, Appalacia, etc., and discussed different reasons why people cannot get out of poverty (lack of services, lack of support, no jobs, no transportation, just what you would think). I loved the mention of Robert Kennedy's 1960s exposure of desperate poverty, which was very important at the time, when it was addressed as an important issue, by the great Pres. Johnson, Sargeant Shriver's War on Poverty programs, etc. I am baffled as to why Little Andy Vandybilt was there.

There was a mention of the bastard Reagan on this thread--that reminds me of a study I read about at the time (early '80s or so), conducted by a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican in Congress (can't remember names) as to whether or not you could live on a monthly welfare check. The Republican actually thought that you could. The experiment went on for a few months, as they tried to buy essentials--food, figuring amounts for utilities, etc.--and could not. Neither could make the check last anywhere near a complete month...Yet poor people are supposed to somehow "lift themselves up" with no resources, no help, and with nothing waiting at the end.

I was middle-class before, but now because of unregulated price-gouging, I also can no longer pay bills, buy food, gas, etc. I worry about this Winter.

[serryjw]

24. TWO problems...ONE solution

Everyone should remember when we had the blackouts of the East Coast? Congress determined it would cost $1.3 TRILLION to fix our hwys, roads, bridges, tunnels and grids.
We have 37 million people living below the poverty levels that need a CHANCE....Here it is. Obviously, that 37 million is comprised of young children, the elderly and sick....BUT if we could put 5-10 million people to work this could certainly put a dent in the problem

a modern day WPA

quote...
The WPA attacked the problem on two fronts. First, laborers were put to work on public works projects. WPA workers built things like roads, hospitals, and power plants. But people who did other kinds of work needed jobs, too. Musicians, artists, writers, and actors were also without work. The WPA created Federal Project One to help skilled workers. FP1 was made up of four sections.

6 The Federal Art Project paid artists to make murals, posters, and sculpture for public buildings. These artists created many portraits of life of the era. FAP also set up community centers. People of all ages received art education at these outreach centers.

7 The Federal Writers' Project created jobs for writers. Works such as area guides and studies of ethnic groups came from this project. Perhaps the most valuable works were the stories of over two thousand black people who had been slaves. The interviews give a rare glimpse of slave life.

8 People involved in all phases of theater worked in the Federal Theater Project. Under FTP, companies staged new and classic plays all over America. For theater people, the project provided work. For poor and rural areas, it brought a cultural element that would have been lacking even without the Depression.

end quote...
http://www.edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_35_154.html

[earth mom]

26. Oprahs show today was a dud.

Cooper ragged on Nagin saying Nagin rejected Amtrak help before the hurricane-I don't believe that for one minute! We all know what happened was NOT Nagins fault as he had few resources! :grr: To add insult to injury, they didn't flat out say that the fault lies completely with * and FEMA-which is the truth! :grr:

Also, I agree with the post upthread that said the show should have focused more on those who are now finding themselves as the working poor and/or homeless. I really doubt that much of the show resonated with Oprahs vast white audience. They should have shown how low wages, outsourcing and the over dependence on credit is crippling the middle class-black AND white and how anyone struggling to make ends meet could easily find themselves homeless.

The problem is a lot bigger and more complex than how it was presented. I'm really disappointed in Oprah. She could and should have done better than this. :(