by knitting "liberal pundits" out of thin air, putting words into Democrats' mouths that they have never uttered, and refusing to see what his own party has done in the way of policy to create the largest number of poor possible without a revolution.

He's a typical blinkered, pig ignorant Republican apologist. Why are you bothering with him?

A very carefully worded piece of, as you so perfectly put it, pig ignorant Republican apologia.

My back stiffened as soon as I read the words "liberal pundits" and everything below pretty much confirmed my initial reaction.

Pull your pants up poor people and tuck in your damn shirts!

Got a finger for you right here Mike Rowe ... does that count as a "soft skill"?

he is willing to help pay for training in high paid manual labor jobs. These jobs may require that you move, or that your
work out in the sun, or that you get filthy dirty. He is talking about high paying undesirable jobs because they require physical
work. I thought he was very clear that he was not representing any side but the working class side. Jobs that are looked down
upon by most people.

If they're not greedy, then why aren't they giving away all of their extra money, so as not to be wealthy? You don't amass wealth by giving fair value in trades. You do so by always expecting a 'profit'. That whenever you make an exchange with someone else, they give you greater value than you gave them. In a fair trade, people make an exchange of equal value. While both get 'what they want', neither makes a profit, because what they got is equal to what they traded away. In an exploitative trade, one person gives lesser value for greater return, and a 'profit' is born, that profit being the amount of value out of which the other person in the trade was cheated.

So you don't get wealthy unless you're 'profiting' off the losses of others in some fashion. Whether you exploit them directly by charging them more than the value you give them, or exploit the public purse by getting access to valuable resources (land, oil, water, grazing space) at less cost than you benefit from them.

Of course people make a profit. Every day every single person who goes to work hopes to make a profit.

My time is valuable, and I want to be paid for my time. I do accounting, Im not going to spend 8 hours at your company for free. If I dont make a profit, how do I pay my power bill? Do I show up at Duke energy for a few hours a month and help them with their accounting?

I would argue the fact that the trade was made at all is often proof that it is fair if no party was coerced. If I charge 50 an hour, I will tell you that up front. You can hire somebody else, or if you later find out Im not worth what I am charging you you can fire me. I would argue when I have been with a client for 10 years or more both sides have agreed its a fair trade.

Lets ask another question. My grandparents spent 10k on their home in the 1950's. They sold a few years ago for 100k. Were they exploiting somebody because they bought it for 10k? I would assume the seller has happy with the price, as was the buyer. If they were not happy either side could have walked away from the deal.

That attitude traditionally involves unions.

The workers with the strongest work ethic I've ever met are Mexican immigrants. Unfortunately they are frequently underpaid and abused, especially those workers who are undocumented.

I personally believe a generous welfare, unemployment, education, and disability system ought to compete directly with the crappiest jobs out there.

Anybody ought to be able to say to an employer "take this job and shove it" without any fear of homelessness and starvation.

This is the 21st century. Automation has made many jobs obsolete. Every job ought to pay a comfortable living wage, otherwise it's a job not worth doing.

Those that are unemployed now, even those who are unemployable now, deserve our support too. Our society is wealthy, we don't have to leave anyone behind. Nobody should be homeless, hungry, illiterate, or lack appropriate medical care.

Even those who appear to be "lazy."

He does Walmart commercials and has a brand of watches that are made in China.

Dude they call themselves Greedy. They think Greed is Good. They are proud to be greedy. Liberals don't call them greedy, they call themselves greedy. Who would have thought a failed opera singer turned pseudo-reality star wouldn't understand politics or economics at all...

He's a right wing asshat.

For the most part, it seems to me to be a concept designed to shame workers into accepting whatever exploitation is dumped their way.

I believe in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. To Hell with your "work ethic". Work is a means to an end, not an ethos unto itself.