The Conversation: Phil Donahue

[Smiley and West]

In this special edition of Smiley & West, legendary talk show host Phil Donahue comes out of retirement to ask Tavis Smiley and Cornel West about their new book, "The Rich
and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto".

 

Watch West in a 1992 panel discussion moderated by Donahue

 

[Candace McCarty]

AMERICA'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

IS

AND

HAS BEEN

IN A STATE OF

CRISIS

LOOKING THROUGH

THE EYES

OF CHILDREN

WE

ARE

PEOPLE

OF

HOPE

DESPAIR  

IS PARALYZING

NO MATTER

HOW BLEAK

THE SITUTATION

 MORAL

COURAGE

REACH

HIGHER

HIGHER

WE HAVE

NO

OTHER OPTION

BUILD

COALITIONS

REACH

REACH

REACH

HIGHER

 

 

 

 

[Chuck M]

Tavis said, "To the extent that we are now done with the war in Iraq, what do we do with the money we were spending in Iraq?"

Tavis, you know very well that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were not paid for.  They were put on America's "China Express" credit card.  There is no "money we were spending in Iraq."  It would be more accurate to ask, "To the extent we still have credit available, what are we going to do with it?"  And the answer is: Are you serious?  The battle cry now isn't "Remember 9/11!", it's "We've got to reduce the national debt!"  We'll be lucky just to prevent Congress from slashing Medicaid.

What's disgusting is that conservatives blame our high credit card bill (national debt) on the poor and disabled people on Medicaid.

[Jon Raymond]

Solution: End money.

[Don Casey]

Great interview! LOve you Mr. Donahue. I was a after school teenager during the early eighties watching your show in the late afternoon. What you were doin made alot of sense. Hey Smiley and west.

[Jon Raymond]

Donahue commended Smiley and West for being skeptical but not cynical. Smiley and West still adhere to looking for solutions within this government. Of course, it would be career suicide for them to advocate the anarchy, leaderless, consensus governing that works for occupy as a replacement to our current government. A bit too radical yes? I understand that it's better to compromise and live to fight another day, which would also serve as Obama's epitaph. Yet Donahue himself recalled how he gave up a job for his values.

It's all nice and warm and fuzzy to look to this remnant of a supposed democratic government and to its elected leaders to make changes for us. Ain't gonna happen. That's not cynicism. That's pure and simple truth based on historical fact.

[Cass Pierce]

The last few shows were just wicked awesome! Can't wait to get the book. I try to apply Nellson Mandella's idea of growing your garden everyday. Thanks for some sunshine in a sky of clouds. We can harvest all kinds of truths since the seeds that smiley and west have planted take root. Can't wait to learn how to be a better green thumb.

[Will Ruha]

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your outstanding efforts on behalf of the poor in America.  Your relentless campaign to put before the public, the press, and the politicians, the plight of the poor in this nation is one of the most courageous and critically important struggles of our age.  You have my full-fledged support and deepest admiration for your noble efforts to educate the public and enlighten political leaders to the causes and nature of, as well as necessary measures to solve, this decimating plague that is destroying so many millions of lives in America.  God bless both of you for your heroic efforts.