Tumbleweeds and crickets

[Naturyl]

This forum (the Poverty forum), has just ONE active thread since Oct 21st. ONE active thread in more than ten days on a huge, hyperactive board like DU. A DEMOCRATIC website. A LIBERAL website. A PROGRESSIVE website.

Sorry for all the caps, but I think this does deserve emphasis. Are people really not aware that poverty has become a complete NON-ISSUE in the American Left? Sure, everybody makes sure to include some lip service about the poor and homeless every so often, but pretty much NOTHING is ever done and (at least in comparison to other issues) almost NO actual substantial discussion occurs. The bulk of it is honestly just Bobbolink and a couple of others, and the reaction they get for their trouble is usually just as much "not again" sighing and eye-rolling as anything else. "Oh jeez, won't they ever shut up?"

At one point in the history of the American left, poverty was as close to "THE" defining issue of progressivism as any single issue could get. Does anybody not realize that the right-wing legacy of Reagan has totally obliterated poverty from American consciousness - even in bastions of liberalism such as DU? More to the point, does anybody give a shit? The evidence seems to suggest not. Maybe, although they'd never admit it (even to themselves), some people are just a little relieved. The right-wing has so successfully obliterated interest in fixing poverty that we don't have to care anymore. It's unfixable, how tragic, let's move on.

Some people are probably rolling their eyes right now, thinking that I'm going on about my "pet issue" yet again and wishing I'd STFU already. And THAT is precisely what I'm talking about. When that attitude became possible on the left, that's precisely when poverty disappeared completely from the American political and moral radar. You'll never ever see racism, LGBT, abortion, or even marijuana threads get that kind of reaction - and while I'm very glad those issues are valued, I'm heartbroken that this one isn't.

Millions of virtually invisible Americans are paying the price for this, year after year, with no end and no help in sight.

This thread will not be K&Red to greatest. As far as my ego is concerned, that doesn't bother me a bit. But insofar as it reflects the fact that this is something far too many "progressives" no longer want to be bothered with, it's a shame.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Hi. Kick. Rec. (nt)

:P

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I have a feeling that in the near future, this forum will grow.

Sadly.

[waiting for hope]

3. Problem is, many "progressives" are being

silenced. The media will not touch it with a ten foot pole and anyone that is trying to find solutions are being ignored. What bothers me the most and what people either refuse to see and/or will not see is that by addressing poverty, so many other issues are being addressed as well. Crime, childhood hunger, fewer people on the welfare system because they have been given opportunities to work, the cost to our failing health care system would lessen if more people have preventative care as opposed to dire, emergency care. I fear it will only get worse now, so many are displaying the "I've got mine" attitude instead of a collective understanding that helping the ones with the most need helps us all.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. That's right. It's a 2-fold issue. 1) People really don't seem to care and 2) the media

is running silent. We hear all the time about the plight of the middle class but not the working class, the poor, the disabled, or the homeless. They are all missing from the dialogue and so are "out of sight, out of mind," which reinforces people not caring.

Think about it. We see terrible disasters on the news and then everyone is talking about them, feeling bad, even pitching in if they can. But then it drops from the news cycle and so for most people it's "over" and not an issue any more. I will confess that this happens to me. If I don't actively sit down and think about what I should be thinking about, or if I am not reminded by a news story or conversation with someone else, then yeah things go down the memory hole. :(

[Celtic Raven]

4. K&R

Thanks for x-posting this so I could find this forum.

Bonus: I got to K&R this twice. :woohoo: