From rags to riches? Not always the point
BVI News Staff - Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Natalio Wheatley, also known as Sowande Uhuru,
Co-host of the Umoja talk show Natalio Wheatley, aka Sowande Uhuru, is advising persons to not be too fascinated with rags to riches stories as it is not always the case for everyone.
Speaking on the January 26 show Wheatley commented: “I am concerned about this speaking about this whole idea of moving up the ladder; this system actually sells you a dream of moving up the ladder, but it doesn’t match reality.”
“I would have to caution people in the society that like to tell these stories about how I pulled myself up from the boots straps and how I started from this particular level and I worked my way. I worked my way up and as long as you work hard you’ll make it where you need to go because the system itself has limited opportunities for everyone,” Wheatley explained.
In laying out the main crux of the matter, Wheatley explained: “Somebody has to be on the bottom and someone has to be on the top, what we really need to do is make the system more equitable that’s what we need to do. Give people an opportunity to make a standard of life the basic job should be able to take care of you and your family.”
Copyright 2012 BVI News, Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
19 Comments
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whats that girl’s name from Vg that just married that millionaire somewhere in the states, she wasn’t poor but from the look of things she is surely living a dream life.
Thanks for covering this topic Sowande…..
Rags to riches stories are admirable and should be celebrated. But these stories are the exception, not the norm. Undoubtedly, hard work, dedication, and persistence should be strongly encouraged.
Nonetheless, Sowande has a point. In a market economy (capitalism), there will be winners and losers. Every day stock markets across the world rise and fall; there are losers and winners. Moreover, some citizens will be at the lowest rung on the economic ladder, others will be in the middle class, and a few will be at the top rung. For example in the US during the past 30 years, the income of the top 1% grew 275%;but the poor and middle class grew less than 20%. Income and wealth is inequitably distributed.
Further, I think Sowande is also saying that all Virgin Islanders should be afforded access and opportunity to acquire effective training and education to enable them to take advantage of all available employment opportunities. This will provide the tools and platform to move from the lower economic rung to the middle class and from the middle to the top rung.
This approach provides a more definite path to improving one’s standard of living and quality of life.
Sowande stop throwing cold water on the dreams of our young people. This must have something to aspire to and something to inspire them. Cut it out! We are not interested in your foolish, radical philisophy
You fully well know that it was next to impossible for you to win election but you still run. Leave our young people. Strive for excellence and success
Sowande, now I know why you lose election and you sill lose again with this type of thinking? What have you ever done? With the start you had being the grandson of a chief minister? Big things start with a dream. With hope. With inspiration from someone. The more I hear you, the more I am convinced that you too immature for office. By the way, do you still live with your mother?
Sowande was expressing an opinion and we all have the right to disagree and express our own to counter his and probably persuade him to our way of thinking. Nonetheless, the personal attacks are, undoubtedly, way out of bounds. Let’s lay out our differing arguments and let the readers decide.
Differing views are healthy. Let’s keep it clean and no hitting below the belt. Beat him up with proven facts and logic.
MY opinion is that he lacks real experience!!!
This is within bounds. We can disagree without character assination, which does not advance the discussion. It is not enough to say that the young brother lacks experience. We need point out his lack of experience and offer some suggestions on how he can grow and acqui
Hmmmmm. Could this be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Your comment was immature. Name calling and the like is for the playground. Can we discuss the issues like mature and civilised adults?
The more hear this guy talk the more I realise he is lacking in real life experience. He is full of philosophies and theories. Put your feet down on the ground my brotha and begin living the BVI reality.
good we sick ah Myron wih he lying self…tell dem Showda
It’s people like you that this country don’t need. Your whole orientation is personality based. I bet that that blog is from a disgraced, suspended, deceitful, ousted Permanent Secretary.
..the basic job should take care of you and your family….
What planet are you on Sowande? The reason that caring folks encourage and nurture their children to educate themselves, is beause sweeping floors washing dishes cannot take care of Johnny and his family in the real world, unless of course, Johnny is working two or three of these jobs simultaneously
With any job one needs to evaluate whether or not they can afford to have a family and how large just as they would evaluate whether or not they can afford a car two cell phones and a hairdresser. To do otherwise is irresonsible behaviour.No one is owed a slary just because.. Certain jobs are paid more than others, planning with what u have is key and aspiring to better ones self is paramount It can be done but only if Johnny knows that climbing the ladder is done with his own untiring efforts and that having a basic job with demands for more money or robbing burglarizing even killing are the modus operandi of losers.. Winners are those who never quit aspiring and losers are the quitters who settle for the basic jobs while increasing their wants and needs to the detriment of society.
Exactly! I always ask people if a gas attendant pumping gas should be paid $2k per month. I’m not dissing the job, somebody got to do it. But really, you can’t do that and expect to earn a high wage, that’s just common sense. Every job has a price tag, whether you like it or not.
A barber charges $10-$15 for a haircut regardless of whether he takes 5mins or 15mins, that’s his price and people pay it. It’s the same for a Lawyer and other professions, they come at a certain price. This applies to all levels of workers and the old adage simply says if you want to make a better living, work hard, get educated, have the right attitude and ‘moving up’ equals BETTER SALARY, equals BETTER STANDARD OF LIVING etc. etc.
The word ‘equitable’ is a loaded word in this instance. You cannot look at a Doctor and the person cleaning the Hospital and pay them on an ‘equitable’ basis. It doesn’t make sense! We all know what jobs pay and we know what it takes to get better pay, let’s just do it. Last but not least, let’s live within our means! Some people get upset with employers because they won’t raise their pay to match their dreams, despite them being paid ‘fairly’ for their share of the work. The boss’ job is not to pay you enough to afford a Land Rover LR3, payment of $1k plus to the bank a month. Their job is to pay you what’s considered fair for your contribution to their bottomline.
We must be cautious about attributing another person’s socio-economic status to their lack of ambition and/or hard work and vice versa. There is even danger in assuming the position that our own achievements are solely a result of our own hardwork and determination. While, in my mind, hardwork, determination and perserverance are necessary for “true” success (which doesn’t necessarily have a huge financial pay out), these must be accompanied by some other things. Perhaps chief among them – opportunity. The current system does not provide equal access to opportunity nor is the reward/compensation system really fair.
I’m pretty sure that most people wouldn’t want to live without a toilet or toilet paper. But I’m guessing (don’t know for sure) that the compensation received by the inventor does not rival the compensation that Kim K receives for showing up at a party. Who among us would like to live without someone that disposes of our trash or raw sewerage? And yet we diminish the importance of those jobs and the people that hold them. Why is a doctor’s/lawyer’s contribution considered more valuable than a teacher’s, when without the teachers there would be no doctors, no lawyers, no accountants, no engineers etc, etc.
But, that’s the system right. Every job does have a price tag but human life/humanity should not. Everyone should have the opportunity to earn a liveable wage. Not necessarily to be able to eat filet mignon and drive a Benz, but to be able to properly (not just adequately) provide for their own needs and the needs of their family.
I know its easier for us to not think about “those” people and to blame them for what they don’t have, than to challenge the system. I mean after all, it is about survival of the fittest. Only the strong survive, right? That is until you (or someone for you) becomes one of them. I know, I know that would never happen to you. There are millions of people in the United States that thought that too. There are CEO’s and Phd’s that are working on the sales floor in Office Depot. There are those who have gone from 5 and 6 figure salaries to no salary. And there are those who never thought they would be in this situation, couldn’t stand to be in this situation and removed themself from the situation by committing suicide. I know that’s America. But what happens in America ripples around the world.
We must be cautious. You never know when your tide may turn. And if and when it does turn, wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that you will be treated with dignity and respect and that you will still have the opportunity to provide for your and your family’s needs.
Bruh we go way back but in this instance you are full of it. Yes in all things to be successful you need a few breaks along the way. But lets be real what the people are saying is don’t settle. Everyone should strive to rise above their present station. Success is not hereditary someone must work hard to excel.
growing up you were from a fairly prominent family, others were not. yet at present some of those who were not have excelled through perseverance. As an aspiring politician it bothers me that you would tell anyone to just settle for being on the bottom.
SOME WERE BORN INTO IT, OTHER HAVE TO WORK AND WORK HARD TO REACH THE TOP WITH THE HELP OF GOD ,IT IS MUCH BETTER U ENJOY AND WILL TAKE OF IT MORE , ONE OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO WORK AND SOME PERANTS SPOIL THERE KIDS BECAUSE OF THERE LIFE STYLES YES YOU HAVE IT BUT TALK TO YOUR KIDS LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU GET WHAT YOU HAVE , SOME OF US AS PERANTS WAS DISH WASHERS , CLEANERS , MAIDS I MEAN I CAN GO ON AN ON MY POINT IS THAT THEY WORK HARD THEY HAD RESPECT FOR THEIR JOBS AND THE PEOPLE WHO THEY WORK FOR AND THEY KEEP FOCUS THEY THANK GOD EVERY MORNING BEFORE THEY GO OUT THANK HIM WHEN THEY GET BACK THEY BELEAVE IN GOD AND HAD FAITH AND TRUSTED IN HIM , THEY WASN’T ASHAME OF THERE JOBS INFACT THE ONLY JOB ANYONE SHOULD BE ASHAME OF , (IS A POORLY DONE JOB)
This is so true my boy good words there is always a top and a bottom and all can not be on top or ealse it will be of balance.
“I would have to caution people in the society that like to tell these stories about how I pulled myself up from the boots straps and how I started from this particular level and I worked my way.
It is a metaphor meaning dream high, work hard get educated and your chances of being successful in life are increased exponentially. Our young people have enough problems please encourage them to dream high, work hard and get educated and not settle. You aim for the top and you fall short you may land in a good place…you aim for the middle and you fall short you have a life long struggle.
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