“Just Noticing”: Observations Of A Blogger
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 2nd, 2012
Good morning!
“just noticing…”
…Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC has a voice.
Check it out:
Melissa Harris-Perry Erupts At Guest: ‘I’m Sick Of The Idea That Being Wealthy Is Risky’ (VIDEO)
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Melissa Harris-Perry erupted at a guest on her show Saturday morning during a discussion on welfare.
Harris-Perry launched a discussion based on a new book titled “Why Americans Hate Welfare” by Princeton professor Martin Gilens.
According to Harris-Perry, the book examines public opinion surveys that found that Americans approve “spending for the social good,” but oppose that spending when it’s labeled as welfare.
Harris-Perry wondered how this could be the case. “The answer, according to Gilens…[is] that Americans hate welfare because media, at the behest of conservative politicians, have relentlessly linked welfare with black people, and have hammered home the idea that welfare recipients are undeserving.”
Harris-Perry contrasted this theory with Mitt Romney’s GOP convention speech on Thursday, in which the Republican presidential candidate said that Americans deserve better.
“It does feel to me [that] part of the American story is class mobility. If there is no class mobility, we are not America, right?..And data now shows that in our current moment, class mobility is very low,” Harris-Perry said. “I just feel like, from the bottom, you have to be able to say, ‘I deserve the ability for class mobility.’”
Financial expert Monica Mehta, who was a guest on Harris-Perry’s show, interjected that class mobility is “enabled by taking risk.”
Harris-Perry immediately interrupted her and demanded, “What is riskier than living poor in America? Seriously?” After slamming her hand on the table, she continued:
What in the world is riskier than being a poor person in America? I live in a neighborhood where people are shot on my street corner. I live in a neighborhood where people have to figure out how to get their kid into school because maybe it will be a good school and maybe it won’t. I’m sick of the idea that being wealthy is risky. No, there’s a huge safety net, that whenever you fail, we’ll catch you, and catch you, and catch you. Being poor is what is risky. We have to create a safety net for poor people and when we won’t because they happen to look different from us, it is the pervasive ugliness. We cannot do that.
During last week’s program, Melissa Harris-Perry gave viewers an inside look into her New Orleans neighborhood. Last month, Harris-Perry and her husband closed on the purchase of a home that had been damaged and abandoned after Hurricane Katrina.
Harris-Perry described the property as a site of crime in her neighborhood, so her goal was to rebuild the home and contribute to the safety and security of the community. Harris-Perry called the home “just a physical thing” but also a “symbol of hope.”
Just a few days after the segment aired on her MSNBC show, Harris-Perry’s new home was destroyed by Hurricane Isaac. “House was vacant except for my dreams,” she tweeted.
Watch the clash in the clip above, which comes at roughly 8 minutes into the video.
*******
Happy Sunday everyone! Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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September 2nd, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Michelle, I live in Egypt. I have been trying to get in for more than 12 hours. What is happening to your blog?
I agree with the lady in the article. Rich egyptians get away with anything they want. We are being conditioned to believe that they suffer because of their wealth requirements.
Tahira
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:42 pm
I’m wondering what happened to Howie. So if anyone knows spill it.
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:48 pm
White americans hate welfare because media, at the behest of conservative politicians, have relentlessly linked welfare with black people, and have hammered home the idea that welfare recipients are undeserving.”
The incredible ignorance of white people springs from the fact that they benefit more from welfare than any other race in the country by a factor greater than 10 to 1.
Can racism be so compelling to this race that they would cut off their own needs to prevent another race from benefitting with them in receiving welfare?
Pathetic
Grace
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:50 pm
I loved this:
==============
“Thank you for making Guam a great place to live, raise a family, and work!”
My Dear People of Guam,
Buenas yan Hafa Adai! The greatest resource of any nation, state or territory is its people. Similarly, at the center of any great community or organization are those who have committed themselves to fulfilling the role that they have chosen. I want to ‘Thank You’ for doing your part in making Guam a great place to live, raise family, and work.
We know that our economy is not the healthiest that it may be, that the health of our people could be better, and that we may ‘do more’ to improve our overall standard of living- and we will. But if you really think about it, whose who’ve made Guam their home have truly been a part of progress that has made our island a major center of business, academic, cultural, and diplomatic activity. Our community, with a democratic form of government, a local university and college, and a growing population hascome a long way. We have strong ties with our Pacific island brothers and sisters, our Asian neighbors, and with the United States. None of these indicators of progress would have been possible if it weren’t for a solid, committed, andengaged workforce and business establishment.
To the men and women who work on Guam, ‘Thank You.’ The sweat upon the brow of the teacher, flight attendant, engineer, nurse, and countless others of positions that contributed to building and maintaining our infrastructure, protecting our freedoms, maintaining our health and safety, and in growing our economy has produced the kind of island we have, as we know it, and that we may all be proud of. I am both proud and grateful for all you do.
To our retirees, a ‘Job Well Done’ in blazing the trail that we have followed and built upon. It is the fruits of your labor that we are able to enjoy the many privileges afforded to us today. Look around you and takenote that Labor Day is also about recognizing you for all that you have done.
To the entrepreneurs who had the courage and determination to chase their dreams and raise a family on the income generated from doing what you love to do, Labor Day is also about you and recognizing you for all your hard work in taking a chance on investing in the future of ourisland. Si Yu’os Ma’ase. For those in business who managed to create wealth and jobs for others to earn a decent living, Si Yu’os Ma’ase.
I want to close by recognizing those in public service. On behalf of the People of Guam, un dankulo na si Yu’os Ma’ase for all your hard work in providing the necessary services to keep a great island community like ours… together and moving forward.
Happy Labor Day!
Saina Ma’ase
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:53 pm
She was right. It’s just so surprising to see anyone on TV actually talk openly and honestly about poor people that it’s now becoming a big deal.
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:53 pm
When I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist.
~ Dom Helder Camara
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Yep! She was awesome. The truth is so easy to see, but apparently hard to say for the media. Glad someone finally said it.
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Rich people don’t really take risk at all because they can afford to make investments with no threat to their quality of living – that includes stocks, funds, education, businesses, etc.
They can afford to diversify and spread their risk around. They can afford to fail.
The poor and middle class are in the unfortunate position of risking their quality of living by making even one investment, and usually they can only make one investment (and I’d guess it’s usually education), so they’re extremely exposed to real risk that affects their quality of living if that investment fails.
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:56 pm
I think this is also worth noting. After two panelists pointed out that the consumers are the job creators in America and asked how many toys do the rich need, the apologist goes straight to making an example out of a $200,000 business owner struggling.
Can we drop this false dilemma that all rich fall into the $200k or above bracket? Can we acknowledge that $200k is comfortable but when we speak of “rich” we are talking about millionaire income levels?
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Michelle, I am glad to see this posted here. MHP is doing some great writing and research on the way we deal with race and poverty in this country.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Seriously though, I’m as liberal as they come but what the FUCK is it with allowing people with serious speech impediments on media outlets that depend on verbal communication to express ideas?
This woman’s lack of watch/listen-ability is second only to Diane fucking Rehm, who sounds like Torgo from Manos, Hands of Fate.
If this speech handicapped bitch wasn’t being used as a token black, would she still have a job?
Downvote me, fuckers.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Michelle, I think she misunderstood what the guest said. “Class mobility is enabled by taking risk” is very different from “it is very risky to be at the top of the class”.
In this case, I absolutely agree with Monica Mehta. One needs to take risk in order to change from one class to another.
If one prefers to stay in one class (zero class mobility), the taking risk factor is comparatively small.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:02 pm
You’re getting down voted but I think you’re right on. I make a modest income. If I want to get into six figures, I’ll have to take on substantial risk.
It will be throwing all my savings into a small business idea. Is there any other way to do it?
This isn’t me saying that being poor isn’t risky, but if I were to borrow against my home and fail, I could be up shit creek. I’m not sure why that deserves down votes.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Do we want to live in a country where the rich, no matter how mediocre, can remain rich much easier than an intelligent, hard-working poor person can become middle class?
Mobility requiring substantial risk from the poor simply keeps the poor poor.
Risk for a person without money isn’t risk of losing an investment, it isn’t risk of becoming poor, it’s the risk of being homeless, of not being able to provide for your kids, of not having any healthcare, of having to move in with a relative and sleep on a couch, and just hope that being unemployed in a down economy doesn’t mean your resume is permanently fucked.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I think the risk in attempting to leave a poverty-stricken class is a bit more substantial than the risk someone already in the middle class would have to take in order to move up.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:05 pm
How do you take a risk when you grew up in a shit neighborhood with a shit school and live paycheck to paycheck?
There is no wiggle room for a whole chunk of this society. Risk? Risk what? When that lady mentioned Dairy Queen I wanted to punch her in the face.
Just another way to blame the poor for their lot. Deservedness, indeed.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Obama has always said he has millions. He has also said he should be paying more in taxes
——————-
NO, he has NOT always had millions. So other than a few book sales, WHERE DID HIS MILLIONS COME FROM?
anyone?
where?
Romney EARNED HIS, and has been many times more generous than anyone on the left, but you try to bash him for
1)……….being hard-working
2)……….being smart
3)………being very well educated
4)…………for being tenacious
5)……….for succeeding
6)………for being CHARITABLE AND GENEROUS!
GIVE ME A SMART, SUCCESSFUL LEADER! HE CAN DO THE JOB!
YOU’VE PROVEN THE AV. INEXPERIENCED GUY IS ALREADY A FAILURE!
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:13 pm
Clint = a true American Hero! Obama, get out of the white man’s house!!!
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:15 pm
UPDATE (10:30PM) from President Obama: “When I said ‘great director’, I was inartful — I meant to say that what we saw was the best directed torpedo job that could have ever been orchestrated in the history of political conventions.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:19 pm
I like Clint Eastwood. Some of you have been a little too hard on him. However, I must admit that with it saw the Eastwood clip this thought came to mind.
================
I would have never let my grandpa go out there without having his hair combed. He looked like he just got out of his hospital bed. He had that “freshly comitted” look.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:20 pm
The real reason why Obama’s policies has failed this country is because only a handful of what Obama has offered to this country was left to it’s originality with out the Republican controlled concessions added to them.
Congress has failed this country, not the President.
During the last 4 years of Obama we have witnessed Congress historically failing to do it’s job properly and the fact that Republican majority has held our economy hostage all the while they do everything in their power to make Obama’s efforts ineffective.
They even admitted that the #1 priority for the Republicans was to win back the White House instead of trying to tackle real issues with real results.
We will more than likely get Obama the White House for another 4 years, but if we don’t get Obama the congress to work with as well we will continue to see a complete break down and failure of priorities that should take precedence over greed and control
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Cure for Cell-Phone Addiction
A friend of mine seems to be addicted to her iPhone. She checks it every few minutes for messages and e-mails. And she’s far from alone.
About one in every five baby boomers—and one in every three teenagers—checks his/her cell phone at least once every 15 minutes.
Technically, my friend doesn’t have an “addiction” to her phone. She has a “compulsion,” says Larry Rosen, PhD, past chair of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and author of iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us (Palgrave Macmillan).
Addicts do things because it triggers the release of dopamine in their brains, which feels pleasurable. Compulsives do things because it relieves anxiety—and anxiety is precisely what people who endlessly recheck their phones are feeling.
They’re worried that someone might be trying to reach them, that there could be breaking news or that they might have lost their phones.
Cell-phone compulsion can be a serious problem. It makes us seem distant and detracts significantly from our focus, which can damage our relationships and job performance. It prevents our brains from truly relaxing. Just keeping a cell phone within arm’s reach at night reduces the quality of our sleep—even if the phone doesn’t ring.
Dr. Rosen suggests that my friend turn her phone’s ringer to silent and place the phone upside down or out of sight so that she can’t see incoming messages.
Then she should set a timer or a wristwatch alarm to buzz every 15 minutes, when she can quickly check her phone. She should gradually push the 15-minute interval up to 20 or beyond.
Knowing that she’ll soon be able to check her phone should be enough to allow her to calmly focus on other matters between buzzes.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Michelle, are you dating yet? I live in Marin and I can afford to show you what a sensitive man can do for a woman like you.
Meet me for dinner at the Caprice 2000 Paradise Dr in Tiburon. I live on the Belvedere Peninsula, one of its newest billionaires.
I have been following you for a few years now. I have prayed that God would grant you the freedom to allow me to show you true love.
Dine with me in a place that has a marvelous view of my home and allow me to take you there at your convenience.
I am 34, never been married. In the interest of openness, I was engaged for three years. But the minute I discovered that you were free, I freed myself.
Please don’t think me cold. I left my fiancee well provided for. We are on very good terms as a result. I would be delighted to introduce you to her and permit you to be the judge of my generosity.
When we met, I had confessed to her my infatuation with you. She too became a fan of your blog. She was not surprised at my reaction when I discovered that you were free.
All I ask is a dinner and conversation. If my selection is not satisfactory. You pick the place, any place, any where on this planet, and I will take you there tout de suite.
Bobby
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Oh my god! Not another wet behind the ears, poor little rich motherfucker pinning for my stuff.
What’s a man to do?