Poverty Safari (book) by Darren McGarvey

Grannyknot There was an extended interview with Darren McGarvey in The Observer, 22.07.18. I tore it out, I have it before me, with the intention of buying the book but haven't yet.

Other comments he has made in the book include: (I paraphrase)
Poverty has become a game between competing political parties. Blame for poverty is always ascribed to someone else, an that not only enables poverty but benefits from it and gets a kick out of people being poor.... rather than admit that no one really knows what to do....they simply pretend they know what to do and when they inevitably break their empty promises they tell us it is because the other party is deliberately impeding progress.......This creates a false impression in the public mind that this complex issue is within the competence of one group to solve.

These partisan rivalries are now so toxic that the idea of getting round a table with your opponents in good faith, is almost laughable. Trying to build a consensus or acknowledging the integrity of your opponents can get you publicly shamed and lynched - by your own party.

He talks further about how left rhetoric talks as if every problem is beyond the expertise of ordinary people. The causes of poverty are externalised and blamed on someone else and this.... unwisely forgoes the opportunity to explore the role we, as individuals, families and communities, can play in shaping the circumstances that define our lives

I think, if either of the parties were to read it and take its contents on board, we could see a sea change in how the problems of poverty and the inner cities are dealt with. To the advantage out.

Chances of this happening? nil, nada, not a chance. The left, in particular need there to be poor people in the country so that they can exploit them as a political tool. The right need them to show off how butch they are by legislating against them.

I agree with all McGarvey says, just look at the GN threads for confirmation!

lemongrove I confess I thought similar, how often we think we have all the answers... for others.

Thanks for the quotes Monica and I shall look for that article. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

It is an industry. Some years ago I was unemployed and worked voluntary for a welfare rights organisation. The group was mainly volunteers and one paid project worker. There came to town a "conference on poverty", our group could only afford to pay for the project worker to go. Those of interested were on unemployment benefit and could not afford the ticket price which was more than one week's unemployment benefit.