According to rich people, if you keep poor people poor, they will become desperate for money, and accept whatever pay rich employees are willing to give them.
In a video produced by MoveOn.org, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains how the rich are purposefully making sure that the poor stay poor to advance their own agendas. The video, titled "The war on the poor and working families," was posted on YouTube in early February.
"This war against the poor and working class is designed to make sure Americans who've been losing ground for thirty years don't dare do anything about it," Reich said, according to the viral content site Upworthy.com.
Reich, who authored several books including "The Work of Nations" and "Beyond Outrage," explains in the video several policies rich people are against, even though the policies benefit those who are unemployed.
Those that have money are against raising the minimum wage, despite the fact that the current minimum wage is 25 percent lower than in 1968, Reich said.
Wealthy people are also "against extending unemployment benefits to people who have been out of work for more than six months, even though there is still only one job for every three unemployed."
Furthermore, rich people want to get rid of food stamps and don't want to invest in education or training for jobs, Reich said.
Rich people are against all of these policies and other like them because collectively, as a result, poor people are left without any other alternative.
"When you're unemployed, without any support, without any bargaining power...You're desperate," Reich said.
"And when you're desperate, you'll take whatever they are willing to pay you, even if it's next to nothing. And you won't dare make a fuss."
Those in need are then reduced to accepting deplorable working conditions that a person would not normally endure, Reich said.
"You won't complain about unsafe working conditions or toxic chemicals leaking out of storage tanks or anything else. You won't run the risk of trying to form a union. You won't get involved in politics...You'll take whatever they choose to give you because you are sinking."
So how are working families supposed to escape the clutches of the rich? Reich encourages viewers to call their local senator and watch his movie, "Inequality for All" which is available on Netflix and DVD.
