--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all, we are not promoting welfare…" description: "\"After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. We are not pushing for more entitlement programs. We are pushing for more enterprise. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png" --- # After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting… ![“After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. We are not pushing for more entitlement programs. We are pushing for more enterprise. We are not trying re-distribute existing wealth.” quote by Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png) > “After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. We are not pushing for more entitlement programs. We are pushing for more enterprise. We are not trying re-distribute existing wealth.” [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates shifting focus from welfare to work and enterprise, rejecting entitlement and wealth redistribution. **In simple terms:** Promote work, not welfare. Key Takeaway Support enterprise over entitlement. Themes work enterprise policy economics politics Mood critical optimistic Type policy political When to use this quote - job creation - small business support - tax reform - education for work - community development Key Concepts capitalism social welfare government policy Questions to Reflect On - How can enterprise be made accessible to all? - What safeguards prevent exploitation? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic barriers to employment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Entitlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entitlement/) [Entitlement programs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entitlement-programs/) [Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/program/) [Promoting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promoting/) [Promoting Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promoting-welfare-4266606/) [Promoting Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promoting-work-4266609/) [Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing/) [Pushing Entitlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing-entitlement-4266608/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Welfare Promoting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare-promoting-4266607/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not asking for more entitlement programs; I'm asking for more enterprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-not-asking-for-more-entitlement-programs-i-m-asking-for-more/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Cooperation and collaboration among nations and countries can help in the process of development of promoting welfare as well as bringing peace and stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/cooperation-and-collaboration-among-nations-and-countries-can-help-in/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [I'm disciplined about writing. I get up every day knowing I have to produce work. I'm less concerned about other aspects of the job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sefi-atta/i-m-disciplined-about-writing-i-get-up-every-day-knowing-i-have-to/) [Sefi Atta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sefi-atta/) > [“We started with entitlement programs that generously met the needs of individuals unable to provide enough for themselves.  This slowly but surely created a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-s-kyle/we-started-with-entitlement-programs-that-generously-met-the-needs-of/) [G.S. Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-s-kyle/) > [Most Americans living below the official poverty line own a car or truck - and government entitlement programs seldom provide cars and trucks. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/most-americans-living-below-the-official-poverty-line-own-a-car-or/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Placing a time limit on affirmative action would in all likelihood blunt the orchestrated politics of controversy that now bedevils it. And thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-patterson/placing-a-time-limit-on-affirmative-action-would-in-all-likelihood/) [Orlando Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-patterson/) > [I am angry about the mammoth, out-of-control social welfare entitlement programs from Washington, D.C., that were supposed to solve our problems. The obvious truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/i-am-angry-about-the-mammoth-out-of-control-social-welfare/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [As in the case of California, the wolf is at the door of America and the present administration acts as if it's a pussycat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-daniels/as-in-the-case-of-california-the-wolf-is-at-the-door-of-america-and/) [Charlie Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-daniels/) > [Americans never would alter the way entitlement programs are funded or education administered without serious study and widespread debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/americans-never-would-alter-the-way-entitlement-programs-are-funded/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [To finance 'entitlement' programs, the government threatens force against the taxpayers who provide the money. Why are people who favor compulsion called humanitarians, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/to-finance-entitlement-programs-the-government-threatens-force/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [We as Republicans understand that we have got to protect these... entitlement programs - these entitlement programs for our seniors today. And we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/we-as-republicans-understand-that-we-have-got-to-protect-these/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [The central question is whether Medicare and Medicaid should remain entitlement programs guaranteeing a certain amount of care, as Democrats believe, or become defined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/the-central-question-is-whether-medicare-and-medicaid-should-remain/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-roane/networking-is-an-enrichment-program-not-an-entitlement-program/) [Susan RoAne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-roane/) > [To avoid large and unsustainable budget deficits, the nation will ultimately have to choose among higher taxes, modifications to entitlement programs such as Social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/to-avoid-large-and-unsustainable-budget-deficits-the-nation-will/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [If we have more people on the receiving end of government - more people as the middle class becomes sucked in more and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/if-we-have-more-people-on-the-receiving-end-of-government-more-people/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) ## More by Van Jones > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ I learned more in those six months \[ in the White House\] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-learned-more-in-those-six-months-in-the-white-house-than-in-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] is a horrible human being, but he ain't worse than Bull Connor. Fannie Lou loved Bull Connor and beat Bull Connor because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/donald-trump-is-a-horrible-human-being-but-he-ain-t-worse-than-bull/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Keith Ellison is an organizer's organizer.He's one of the only Muslims in Congress, so you have a big statement there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/keith-ellison-is-an-organizer-s-organizer-he-s-one-of-the-only/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/everybody-should-be-mad-but-anger-only-takes-you-so-far-at-some-point/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We have to accept that some very toxic stuff was marbled into the Trump phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-have-to-accept-that-some-very-toxic-stuff-was-marbled-into-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm the guy that's trying to break up that monopoly to introduce free enterprise and competition to the energy sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-the-guy-that-s-trying-to-break-up-that-monopoly-to-introduce-free/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I think that America could not become America until it dealt with the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans in the last century. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-that-america-could-not-become-america-until-it-dealt-with-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm learning and changing all the time, and I expect to continue doing so my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-learning-and-changing-all-the-time-and-i-expect-to-continue-doing/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) [Explore all 314 Van Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## More Enterprise quotes > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [We got orders to strike the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. We had a task force with the Enterprise. We had two or three cruisers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-ross/we-got-orders-to-strike-the-marshall-and-gilbert-islands-we-had-a/) [Barney Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-ross/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [If I replace the word God with the word nature, I am far more at ease with the whole religious enterprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-s-kesselheim/if-i-replace-the-word-god-with-the-word-nature-i-am-far-more-at-ease/) [Alan S. Kesselheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-s-kesselheim/) > [When I started in California, people would say, 'Enterprise who?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-nicholson/when-i-started-in-california-people-would-say-enterprise-who/) [Pamela Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-nicholson/) > [Canada is the worst polluter in the world right now. There's absolutely no sign on a federal level that there's going to be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-pallett/canada-is-the-worst-polluter-in-the-world-right-now-there-s/) [Owen Pallett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-pallett/) > [Science is an essentially anarchic enterprise...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/science-is-an-essentially-anarchic-enterprise/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/how-could-a-readiness-for-war-in-time-of-peace-be-safely-prohibited/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I am married to a writer, and this - writing - is an odd enterprise. It's something we both support very strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-am-married-to-a-writer-and-this-writing-is-an-odd-enterprise-it-s/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [One should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-xi/one-should-not-withdraw-from-individuals-and-commit-to-the-community/) [Pope Pius XI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-xi/) > [Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/unfortunately-corruption-is-widespread-in-government-agencies-and/) [George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) [Browse all 1,269 Enterprise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. We are not pushing for more entitlement programs. We are pushing for more enterprise. We are not trying re-distribute existing wealth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Van Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-we-are-promoting-work-we-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enterprise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-we-are-promoting-work-we-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fca/van-jones-984_enterprise_after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-w_500973.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After all, we are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. We are not pushing for more entitlement…” — Van Jones", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Van Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After all, we are not promoting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-we-are-promoting-work-we-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/after-all-we-are-not-promoting-welfare-we-are-promoting-work-we-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```