About the individual empowerment model- these folks are certainly empowering themselves by making wads of cash off the backs of other black people. However, the solutions they peddle aren't very effective. The white community has a similar number of bad actors, such as the men who defrauded everyone in the banking system, and collasped the economy. They are getting off with millions of dollars. However, just telling these guys "Don't be greedy!" isn't going to be much help, and merely serves to make us feel better about ourselves.

So does the middle class carping about the poor, or older people complaining about the young. This sort of thing doesn't help the young folks who went to college, did what they were supposed to do, but can't find a paying job. This sort of thing doesn't fund schools. It doesn't give students teachers who care. It just puts money in the pockets of the authors, because we all want to believe that things can be simple.

We all want to believe that if only someone else did their job, all would be fine. And it is someone else we're blaming, and that's what makes this narrative so compelling. I don't have to mentor children if I can just say that parents need to be doing better. I don't have to work for better addiction services, if I say they should have just said no. I don't have to do anything! I can keep doing what I'm doing, while feeling good about myself that MY pants are at a level that is considered appropriate.