Review of “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto,” by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, 2012. New York: SmileyBook. Paper, 222 pp.
The first step is to start looking at the “truth” out there...
Cornel West (left) and Tavis Smiley
.
Two experts on American Black culture give us insightful and enthralling information here on how to understand the inequalities of wealth in the USA. They tell us about changing how we live. The first step is to start looking at the “truth” out there...
This pre-COVID-19 volume of advice on how to survive yet another economic disaster in our nation. They had written this right after the Recession… Americans should read this book and learn from these two authors who had toured the country to learn more about the struggles of the poor. Things have gotten much worse for many of our fellow citizens, indeed. No, the economy is not getting better—even now in 2023 at a fast enough rate to lift enough people out of poverty.
These two authors are experts who bring us a huge amount of information on what was really happening in America economically. (And what is still or again happening nationwide for that matter…)
Tavis Smiley is a bestselling author, an advocate, and a radio voice devoted to change. Cornel West is the highly celebrated author of the classic book Race Matters and has received 20 honorary doctorate degrees. The two join forces to tell us not only how bad it is out there but also to give us some ideas on how to fix it.
Saying things like “the economy is not all that bad” or “some people just need to get a job” will not help the current terrible and sometimes damning economic position in which many Americans now find themselves. Poverty is all around us…
…and there are huge increases in foreclosures, people needing work, citizens looking for food, and children going hungry.
Ignoring the desperate situation in which a burgeoning part of our population finds itself does not help. However, many people who are lucky enough to have great jobs, lots of cash, houses paid off, and something called “retirement programs” cannot be bothered by thinking about the poor all around them. The stigma and fear of poverty drive people to do and say crazy things.
Smiley and West show us the real numbers of how bad that recession was, and they link the situation to the political forces not solving it and the racial injustice helping to drive it. They give us the actual numbers we need to be able to discuss the poverty problem with facts from research and from reliable sources. The economy is terrible, and these two experts give us details.
This book is very important reading for all Americans. It shows the professionals with great deals of income what is really happening in the streets. It shows the homeless who just want a job that there are many others like them, struggling, and trying to hold onto their self-respect while others judge them, calling them lazy.
Another important part of the book is the dispelling of myths. Are Veterans really taken care of by the government? Are new jobs being created? Are people better off than they were ten years ago? Are the elderly being provided for? The answer to all of these questions is a big “no” of course. Why do some many people continue to ignore the bad state of things?
Using facts and figures, the authors tell us the ten lies of poverty “that America can no longer afford.” They also give us 12 “poverty-changing ideas” and this is the most important information in the book...
We will have to look at things in new ways, change our priorities, make sacrifices, and learn to survive through using innovative means. Smiley and West do a good job of explaining how bad things really are, and they provide some great ideas for changing how we live.
I recommend everyone read this book to get the truth about what is happening out there, and to get some clues on what to do about it. Things did not get all wonderful in the last decade. This book will be a great addition to your personal or professional library to remind you…