"This nation has always struggled with how it was going to deal with poor people and people of color. Every few years you will see some great change in the way that they approach this. We've had the war on poverty that never really got into waging a real war on poverty"

Maxine Waters' quote highlights a consistent and developing challenge in American society: attending to the problems faced by poor people and neighborhoods of color. Her statement suggests a historic pattern of insufficiency and inconsistency in how the nation has actually tried to challenge these problems.

The phrase "This country has constantly struggled" indicates a continuous and underlying problem that America faces when handling poverty and racial inequality. It hints at a lack of cohesive, long-lasting solutions regardless of various efforts and initiatives for many years. Poor people and individuals of color are grouped together in this struggle, recommending that while their challenges might vary, there's a systemic intersection that influences their experiences in America.

The reference of "every few years you will see some terrific change" refers to the cyclical nature of policy and reform in American history. This might mention different administrations or movements that introduce new plans with the objective of taking on poverty and inequality, like the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, or the Great Society programs. However, Waters suggests that such efforts, in spite of their potential and occasional successes, often fall short of their guarantees or stop working to sustain momentum over time.

Her recommendation to the "war on poverty that never actually got into waging a genuine war" particularly slams the War on Poverty initiated in the 1960s by President Lyndon B. Johnson. While it resulted in significant programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Waters argues it stopped working to completely face the source of hardship or bring about transformative modification. This recommends a space in between the rhetoric around hardship alleviation and the truth of its implementation and outcomes.

In general, Waters calls for a genuine dedication to these issues, emphasizing the need for continual and effective action instead of shallow or temporary measures. Her quote obstacles policymakers and society at big to review previous drawbacks and pursue more comprehensive techniques for social justice and financial equity.