richardhutnik said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws That was a prior argument, that somehow, the laws were why someone couldn't make it. That would be about it. So, is that what you are saying, that the laws alone were the only problem, or the entire culture of the time interfered? I stand by what I said. The argument Cain made was that everyone is self-made and that everyone CAN get rich, and there is no excuse why it doesn't happen. It is all TOTALLY up to the person. If one says if someone doesn't get rich, it is their fault, then it means neither the government, nor the cultural environment, NOTHING should prevent anyone from getting rich... period. There were also African Americans who did get wealthy, during that time period, and under Jim Crow laws: http://blackentrepreneurshalloffame.blogspot.com/2006/07/black-innovators-and-entrepreneurs.html
The great black creators and entrepreneurs both historically and currently are too numerous to mention. For example, Garrett Morgan was an innovator and manufacturer who invented both an efficient gas mask and the automatic traffic signal. During a long business career, Morgan manufactured clothing, hair products and his gas mask. In the 1920s, he was a key founder of the Cleveland Call, one of the most successful black newspapers in the Midwest. Dr. Percy Julian, an organic chemist, developed a new method of synthetically producing cortisone and, in the 1950s, established Julian Laboratories in Oak Park, Illinois. In a few years Julian’s company grew to be a widely successful pharmaceutical company, which he sold in 1961 for well over two million dollars. Dr. Charles Drew pioneered new techniques in the preservation of blood plasma that were instrumental in saving the lives of countless soldiers during World War Two. In terms of purely business success, the list is equally impressive. Arthur G. Gaston started his business career in 1923 by founding a burial service in Alabama to guarantee blacks a decent funeral. By 1932 it had grown large enough to be incorporated. Gaston started the Booker T. Washington Business College in 1939 and the Brown Belle Bottling Company in 1946, offering Joe Louis Punch. He followed these successes with a motel in 1954, an investment firm in 1955, a savings and loan association in 1957, a senior citizens home in 1963 and two radio stations in 1975. In 1986, at the age of 94, he opened the A. G. Gaston Construction Company. Gaston was a consummate self-made man, who overcame Jim Crow laws among other obstacles to eventually bring in more than $20 million in annual revenue. Named Black Enterprise magazine’s “Entrepreneur of the Century,” Gaston’s lifelong principle can serve as the credo of American entrepreneurship: “Money has no color. If you can build a better mousetrap, it won’t matter whether you’re black or white. People will buy it.”
If you want to say someone managed to do it on their own, and can do it, and it is someone's fault if they aren't, and you can show that people happened to do it under the worst conditions, either you then say that it was either luck (factors out of their control) or their own fault, period. If you start saying that an individual didn't become rich, because of Jim Crow laws of a bigotted condition, then you have to say that there is a luck element which means that you can't say anyone who isn't rich, isn't rich because it is there fault. So, in the case of Herman Cain's father, it is VERY likely his lack of formal education, and business training and temperment to be a business man, in addition to Jim Crow laws and the cultural climate resulted in him not becoming rich. Do you care to argue that if Herman Cain's father were alive today, he would of become rich working 3 jobs? |
Ok you are looking at it way to black and white. It's circumstancial, There's is a lot more to what, where, when and how, then just do it. You can get sick, not have insurance and they will take everything you own or say you had a pre-existing condition. This happens a lot with a for profit health care system. The odds of just making it comfortable are what should make sense. Who needs all that money anyway. If I was that rich I would just help people, thats All i would do and you are standing up for people that wouldn't spend a dim to help you or anyone else out. ThATS greed buddy. Fine if you want to work your face off and not know your Wife, kids or make any kind of meaning in your life that means Sh-t besides money. Money don't rube me to bed, it can help me sleep better if my bills are paid. It doesn't buy love and usually buys another greedy person that only wants you for your money.
I know people working 3 jobs and there are no where close to being rich. He's CDL driver, pizza delivery and passes out news papers. Yea though you can just get rich instantly, sh-t if it's that easy, why are there only a 1% that have that money? Why do only 80% of the population only own 7% of the wealth? What do you see as being rich. 150,000 is living very very comfortable but its not rich. How about this, what is your opinion of being rich. because not many people are really rich. They skate by just barely and thats with multiple jobs.
