Edwards to focus on poverty during Iowa visit

[Omaha Steve]

Published Saturday
September 17, 2005

Edwards to focus on poverty during Iowa visit



DES MOINES (AP) - Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said Friday that television images of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina have brought the face of poverty in America into focus.

John Edwards

The duty of national political leaders is to keep that focus, he said.

"Our task is to make sure that attention is not transient," said Edwards, speaking in a telephone interview from California.

Full story at link.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2018963




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[LongTomH]

1. God bless John Edwards!

He's one of my top 2 choices for President in 2008! Anyone for a Gore/Edwards or Edwards/Gore ticket?

[DJ MEW]

2. I don't think Gore would run again

I don't know why but I just get the feeling that Gore would want to run for the Presidency again.


Edwards is really great though. I saw him at a rally on Labor day last year and I was really impressed with how he addressed the crowd. Even though we stood in the rain for over an hour before he got there, it was still a great rally.

[barbaraann]

3. He needs to focus on sustainability, not just poverty.

Sorry--this may not be a popular sentiment but I think it is necessary.

[I_am_Spartacus]

4. I don't understand what you mean by that.

I think Edwards' focus is on target.

[barbaraann]

5. Here's what I mean.

There are simply not enough resources to lift everyone on the planet out of poverty unless the rest of us seriously downscale our consumerist lifestyles, which IMHO are a burden anyway.

Here are some websites:
http://www.sustainability.com/
http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.org/
http://ejournal.nbii.org/

[1932]

6. You should read Health of Nations.

That book discusses research that says that it's polarization of wealth that creates a society that heavily consumes useless items. Desire is, apparently, a function of inacessibility. So, in the US, many consumer items are first sold only to rich people who can afford them. Then they platform out to people who want them because they think they will symbolize that they've climed in social status if they buy the item.

One place evidence supports this argument is the amount of money spent on advertising (per capita) in different countries. Societies with unequal distribution of wealth spend the most on advertising. Sweden, which has a very equitable after-tax income distribution has one of the lowest per capita expenditures on advertising. That's because when everyone can afford new products that come out, advertisers don't have much to gain from manufacturing desire or exploiting self-doubt. People buy products if they need them and don't buy them if they don't and there's no social stigma attached to not owning the product and consumption doesn't send the signal to others that you're better because everyone knows that everyone can afford just about everything sold.

In societies with polarized wealth, you can really manipulate peoples desire and sense of self worth with advertising, so there's much more of it.

If this theory is accurate, more equitable distribution of wealth will result in much less consumption-obsessed societies and will result in much more productive investmens of resources.

[barbaraann]

7. Ah, that's an interesting theory.

I would love to live in a society with less advertising! And I'll bet almost everyone would love to be off the competitive consumption treadmill.

Thank you for the info!

[BobLibDem]

8. I love John Edwards but......

I don't think he is electable in 2008. He's a wonderful, caring person but we need to run someone with gubernatorial experience.

[newyawker99]

10. Hi BobLibDem!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[IndianaGreen]

9. Poverty has always been "around the corner" in America

Forty years ago Michael Harrington wrote "Poverty in America," a scathing indictment of the way our society shuffles the poor out of sight of the haves. Urban renewal was the cleansing of the poor from the cities.

[SeaNap05]

11. Edwards has appeal

Edwards is strong in the Midwest. He has broad appeal across the country as well. A bid in 2008 is indeed in his sights.