CNN's Smerconish tries to steer his audience towards pro-corporate talking point; gets humiliated by audience

[Dans La Lune]

Pro-Meritocracy / Corporatist goon, Smerconish, tried relentlessly to hammer the point that government payments to the poor are compelling them not to work. He brought on a guest to reinforce this point, and was largely contradicted by this guest (then when the guest left, said the guest reinforced his point). Finally, he asked his audience to chime in.



If you can't see the poll is ~75% against him; citing structural economic difficulties. Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force. The system is a joke.

 

[JMB802]

Pro-Meritocracy / Corporatist goon, Smerconish, tried relentlessly to hammer the point that government payments to the poor are compelling them not to work. He brought on a guest to reinforce this point, and was largely contradicted by this guest (then when the guest left, said the guest reinforced his point). Finally, he asked his audience to chime in.



If you can't see the poll is ~75% against him; citing structural economic difficulties. Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force. The system is a joke.

That guy he had on this morning, Nicholas Eberstadt, seemed like a total DB. To me it seemed like he was reprimanding the male working-class while looking down from his ivory tower.

Not everyone descends from an investment banker who co-founded the CIA

 

[Gateman_Wen]

That guy he had on this morning, Nicholas Eberstadt, seemed like a total DB. To me it seemed like he was reprimanding the male working-class while looking down from his ivory tower.

Not everyone descends from an investment banker who co-founded the CIA

The best way to be a millionaire is to be born into the right family. These days nearly the only way.

 

[VySky]

Pro-Meritocracy / Corporatist goon, Smerconish, tried relentlessly to hammer the point that government payments to the poor are compelling them not to work. He brought on a guest to reinforce this point, and was largely contradicted by this guest (then when the guest left, said the guest reinforced his point). Finally, he asked his audience to chime in.



If you can't see the poll is ~75% against him; citing structural economic difficulties. Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force. The system is a joke.

Then how are they surviving without employment?

 

[VySky]

The best way to be a millionaire is to be born into the right family. These days nearly the only way.

No. work for it.

 

[Gateman_Wen]

No. work for it.

Lol, sure. Is your name Gates or Bezos? No? Sorry then, you're out.

 

[VySky]

Lol, sure. Is your name Gates or Bezos? No? Sorry then, you're out.

Really. What about the Obama’s and Biden’s? Martha Vineyards types no?

 

[code1211]

Pro-Meritocracy / Corporatist goon, Smerconish, tried relentlessly to hammer the point that government payments to the poor are compelling them not to work. He brought on a guest to reinforce this point, and was largely contradicted by this guest (then when the guest left, said the guest reinforced his point). Finally, he asked his audience to chime in.



If you can't see the poll is ~75% against him; citing structural economic difficulties. Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force. The system is a joke.

I didn't see the interview.

What structural economic changes are said to be making people not work?

 

[911Sparky]

Pro-Meritocracy / Corporatist goon, Smerconish, tried relentlessly to hammer the point that government payments to the poor are compelling them not to work. He brought on a guest to reinforce this point, and was largely contradicted by this guest (then when the guest left, said the guest reinforced his point). Finally, he asked his audience to chime in.



If you can't see the poll is ~75% against him; citing structural economic difficulties. Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force. The system is a joke.

I can understand a person near retirement age deciding to leave the workforce if work conditions/pay are unsatisfactory. How does a family with children leave the workforce? It wasn't an option for me when I was raising my family. When you say working hard doesn't pay, maybe you need to clarify whether
you are looking for a comfortable life, which is definitely attainable through hard work and a little planning, or do you mean multi-millionaire wealth, which
is not so easy?

 

[Dans La Lune]

No. work for it.

Very rarely does anyone accumulate wealth (e.g. millions, billions) through hard work. The system is not designed to reward hard work, but to reward existing wealth and resources. That's just a fact, you can't even begin to dispute it.

The notion that Elon Musk, Bezos, etc. accumulated their wealth through genius or hard work is pure fantasy. Elon Musk especially, but Bezos had existing wealth and resources (e.g. connections). In addition, people don't attend Ivy Leage schools for an education, they do it to establish and secure those connections.

Hard work is for the lower classes; those who fuel and maintain the economy, but never achieve significant wealth themselves.

 

[VySky]

I can understand a person near retirement age deciding to leave the workforce if work conditions/pay are unsatisfactory. How does a family with children leave the workforce? It wasn't an option for me when I was raising my family. When you say working hard doesn't pay, maybe you need to clarify whether
you are looking for a comfortable life, which is definitely attainable through hard work and a little planning, or do you mean multi-millionaire wealth, which
is not so easy?

People think it has to do with pay. Not so as many don’t want to wear mask, or tell people to wear mask. Others don’t want to be vaccinated. It’s not about the money all of a sudden.

 

[911Sparky]

People think it has to do with pay. Not so as many don’t want to wear mask, or tell people to wear mask. Others don’t want to be vaccinated. It’s not about the money all of a sudden.

I know when I was young, when the mortgage came due, and the kids were hungry, it was all about the money.

 

[VySky]

Very rarely does anyone accumulate wealth (e.g. millions, billions) through hard work. The system is not designed to reward hard work, but to reward existing wealth and resources. That's just a fact, you can't even begin to dispute it.

The notion that Elon Musk, Bezos, etc. accumulated their wealth through genius or hard work is pure fantasy. Elon Musk especially, but Bezos had existing wealth and resources (e.g. connections). In addition, people don't attend Ivy Leage schools for an education, they do it to establish and secure those connections.

Hard work is for the lower classes; those who fuel and maintain the economy, but never achieve significant wealth themselves.

But we achieve enough I believe through our efforts. The less fortunate, relative to financial security, are typically humble people who are thankful to have what they have worked so hard for. I agree though, those Ivy League Schools are not for everyone.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The best way to be a millionaire is to be born into the right family. These days nearly the only way.

Hmm… is that implying working is useless if doing so doesn’t offer the opportunity to amass (a net worth of?) at least $1M?

 

[Dans La Lune]

People think it has to do with pay. Not so as many don’t want to wear mask, or tell people to wear mask. Others don’t want to be vaccinated. It’s not about the money all of a sudden.

I know in many situations, service people are tired of taking abuse from anti-vaxxers and people refusing to wear masks. It's not anywhere near the main problem, it's just the final straw. There is no dignity in working for minimum wage while being abused daily by Karens and worse.

 

[Dans La Lune]

But we achieve enough I believe through our efforts. The less fortunate, relative to financial security, are typically humble people who are thankful to have what they have worked so hard for. I agree though, those Ivy League Schools are not for everyone.

Hard work is a factor, but a very small factor. Being white, generally male, being born with affluence and/or connections to such resources, and sheer luck are the determining factors. It also helps to have an antisocial personality if we're being honest. Elon Musk has a notoriously vile personality; shamelessly takes credit for the work of others, and like other 'billionaires' kinda lies and grifts his way to success. Many people are highly intelligent, have a great work ethic, but refuse step on others and claw / elbow their way to the top. Thus, they're forced to move boxes in an Amazon warehouse, pissing in an adult diaper to make ~30k a year.

Meanwhile politicians on both sides sabotage the means to actually gain employment with dignity. Things such as child care, healthcare / medications, paid leave, or anything remotely resembling what others have in nations where people actually want to maintain employment.

In other words, the people are catching onto the grift of capitalism. People are angry, and would rather survive on crumbs (e.g. welfare) than work 2-3 jobs to make essentially the same thing (when you factor in child care), only more miserably.

 

[Gateman_Wen]

Hmm… is that implying working is useless if doing so doesn’t offer the opportunity to amass (a net worth of?) at least $1M?

Not at all. I am not advocating people should starve to death just because it's almost impossible to achieve the American dream anymore.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Not at all. I am not advocating people should starve to death just because it's almost impossible to achieve the American dream anymore.

There is a vast difference between becoming a millionaire and starving to death. BTW, the American dream is not to become a millionaire.

 

[Dans La Lune]

There is a vast difference between becoming a millionaire and starving to death. BTW, the American dream is not to become a millionaire.

Nor is it to work 2-3 jobs to stay out of poverty.

 

[Deuce]

Hmm… is that implying working is useless if doing so doesn’t offer the opportunity to amass (a net worth of?) at least $1M?

No, why would you choose to interpret it that way?

 

[ttwtt78640]

Nor is it to work 2-3 jobs to stay out of poverty.

Having a single, full-time job at the MW places a person above the federal poverty level in every state. BTW, very few (under 3%) people work at the MW and those who do are unlikely to do so for long before either getting a raise or being replaced.

Obviously, it takes more income to be able to support more non-working household members, yet employers do not base pay on how many household members (working or not) an employee has.

 

[VySky]

Nor is it to work 2-3 jobs to stay out of poverty.

It is if that’s what it takes

 

[ttwtt78640]

No, why would you choose to interpret it that way?

Because the post was about becoming a millionaire.

 

[Deuce]

Because the post was about becoming a millionaire.

It really bothers me that you think this explains your response.

"The best way to become a millionaire is to be born rich" ->>> ???? ->>> "It's pointless to ever work at all if it doesn't make you a million dollars."

Seriously.

 

[ttwtt78640]

It really bothers me that you think this explains your response.

"The best way to become a millionaire is to be born rich" ->>> ???? ->>> "It's pointless to ever work at all if it doesn't make you a million dollars."

Seriously.

The purpose of work is not to generate a net worth of $1M (or more). The OP statement:

Working hard doesn't pay in America, and that's why so many are leaving the work force.

had nothing to do with work paying enough to amass $1M so why bring it up? Was it the moronic idea that the working poor have too little because the rich are allowed to have (keep?) too much?