Why Are People Poor?
- Thread starter What Would Jesus Do?
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I don't consider American poor to be poor. African poor is poor.
Nailed it. Most people in this world would consider it a step up to be "American poor".
If you are wondering which of those demographics you fit, take the Pew Quiz.
If you are like me, you'll find some of the pairings quite annoying - you'll like both answers or neither, yet you have to pick.
If you are like me, you'll find some of the pairings quite annoying - you'll like both answers or neither, yet you have to pick.
What's your point?
Are you saying you want America's poor to be as bad off as African poor, or Bangladeshi poor, or what?
Are you saying we should only provide the welfare and support services that are found in 3rd world countries?
You certainly fit the conservative stereotype but why do you think that's a decent value system?
I think the results are pretty much as expected for the way the questions were phrased. If the two choices were just "poor have hard lives" or "poor have it easy" the results would have been a lot more balanced. When you throw in "because government benefits don't go far enough" or "because they can get benefits without doing anything" then that is the question being answered and not whether poor have it hard or easy.
I also got a chuckle that there is a Faith and Family Left but not a Faith and Family Right.
Took the quiz and came out right where I figured I would for the groups listed.
I noticed and wondered about that, too. My guess is that most on the right check a lot of faith and family values boxes and don't stand out; whereas most on the left don't - so those with otherwise lefty values who are also religious, anti-abortion and such stand out in their own cluster.
You see this with other issues, too. Most nonbelievers are pro-evolution, for example - presumably because they aren't wearing any blinders to science. But there are some climate change deniers among nonbelievers, despite the science - presumably because they are more libertarian/conservative and therefore more exposed to the tinfoil-hat/conspiracy denier nonsense.
Why are people poor? (see below)
One way to get and then remain poor is to spend your welfare check on HR membership and then divide all your time between Baltimore protests and posting on HROT. That behavior could lead to producing 33,000 posts and nothing else.
One way to get and then remain poor is to spend your welfare check on HR membership and then divide all your time between Baltimore protests and posting on HROT. That behavior could lead to producing 33,000 posts and nothing else.
In the United States there are two types of poor people:
1. Those who are poor, but do not want to be poor.
2. Those who are poor and enjoy the govt. handouts.
The first group includes folks who suffered job lost due
to company going bankrupt or downsizing. It includes
people who suffered from loss of good health and got
stuck with medical bills beyond their ability to pay.
The second group includes people who like getting
food stamps and do not actively look for a job.
1. Those who are poor, but do not want to be poor.
2. Those who are poor and enjoy the govt. handouts.
The first group includes folks who suffered job lost due
to company going bankrupt or downsizing. It includes
people who suffered from loss of good health and got
stuck with medical bills beyond their ability to pay.
The second group includes people who like getting
food stamps and do not actively look for a job.
This is actually a very good point. I lived in Guatemala City for a summer, that's poor.
The assumed answers in this poll are flat out stupid anyway. How could anyone say "poor have it easy?" It's not easy, though I can see how someone might conclude that. Not until you've walked in their shoes.
Years ago when I struggled with this issue, I started looking at all the people I knew, particularly the poor who could actually qualify for government assistance programs. The reality is, unless they're disabled, I couldn't find a single person who wasn't in their situation due to choices they made, and I didn't know anyone that couldn't do something about it with a little motivation.
Nothing to see here. There is a continent with more poverty people.
United States of America: The land of the free, and the home of the poor that are less poor than Africa's poor
^^^^^ This is how spoiled, fat, self-pitying, entitled liberals see the USA. Imagine carrying that negativity with you every minute of your life.
You know exactly what I am saying. I don't weep for the vast majority of poor people as you call them in this country. What we call poor have it remarkably better than most of the people in the world and the American people should celebrate that fact. We should put incentives in place to help people with less achieve more. However I believe we have it backwards and put the incentives on staying less well off. See the thing is WWJD I'm a real person I'm out in the real world everyday trying to help my fellow man out. I work hard take care of my family I am deeply involved in my community and do what I can to help people out who need real assistance. I don't sit around telling hardworking Americans they should feel bad for what they have achieved and that they didn't really get to where they are by hard work or self responsibility but got there because they caught all the breaks. But please continue to sit on your high horse and troll a message board because it makes you feel like you have some actual power in this world.
You all are missing the point. Libs don't advocate helping popes because they are in such dire conditions. We do it so they leave us alone. Take a trip to Africa and tell me you want to run into that on your way to the store. Bread and circuses works.
Perhaps we expect more from the richest country on Earth. Comparing our poor to Africa's poor to make a "well it could be worse so it must be okay" argument is a pretty weak argument.
When have I ever criticized people who have actually worked hard and honestly to achieve what they have? Good for them.
Until anyone has read the book "Bridges Out of Poverty", they can't make an informed decision in this thread. That coming from a guy who was raised in a staunch conservative home and educated in a liberal field. I'm not out to save the world, but realize the problem's go a lot deeper than I first realized.
There are some very good posts in this thread. First, as others have stated, our poor are well off in comparison with most people in the world. A household income of $34000 puts you in the top 1% of income in the world.
That being said, we need to address the less fortunate in our society and find ways to help those who want to improve on their situation.
That being said, we need to address the less fortunate in our society and find ways to help those who want to improve on their situation.
I would say that people are American poor due to a poor home environment; lack of role models and a lack of opportunity, along with a poor educational system that does not prepare them for the workforce. The home life doesn't expose them to a strong work ethic and discipline. They make poor choices on relationships and have children at a young age which limits their ability to work or further their education. Then they pile on top of that poor choices by burdening themselves with debt attaining worthless online degrees or unmarketable majors in college.
This scares me. Intelligent people thinking we haven't been addressing the problem the last 200+ years. You start off acknowledging our poor are doing really well on a comparative scale, then say we need to start caring about them? Why do you think they are doing so well comparatively?
This nation is almost completely off the rails when it comes to logic or common sense.
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I don't blame you for that response. You typed the following "we need to address the less fortunate in our society" - are you ****ing kidding me? You don't think we address the less fortunate?! I'm embarrassed for you. I expect that from WWJD, but not you.
Maybe it should be articulated that it is sometimes addressed, but the desired results are not manifesting.
One other thing. Possibly, people understand and relate to what goes on in their mind(brain), better than anything else. Everyone is not equipped with the same brain, which dictates so much. Psychiatric and Neurological illnesses(Brain illness), and obviously other physical illness, needs to be addressed in a significant way. Not just in a 48 hr news cycle.(that is an exaggeration, but I stick to this argument, especially in regards to psychiatric illness). Those of us without such diseases, shouldn't claim what people can and cannot do, when we are not the ones suffering from them and not knowing what these horrible diseases are capable of doing to someone.
Maybe, someone can find the statistics on the correlation between poverty and brain disorders, but I would guess it is significant.
Maybe, someone can find the statistics on the correlation between poverty and brain disorders, but I would guess it is significant.
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Biggest reasons people are poor...'because they were born into poor families. Let's end poverty be keeping those assholes from putting their children in poverty!
Can be for sure. But what are the causes of these choices, and what can the world do to minimize them?
It is a legal form of child abuse. Where are the damn marches and rallies lead by Al Sharptongue to fix this societal plague?
41% of the Obamaphone recipients could not or would not prove their eligibility. You, the working taxpayer, pays $2.50 per month on your cell phone bill so the free shit army can call in their drug deals for free.
Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/41-o...n-call-in-their-drug-dea/#saF7KCM5ILFeeOU7.99
http://investmentwatchblog.com/41-o...n-call-in-their-drug-dea/#5wBl7o5ePGJWiO8h.99
Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/41-o...n-call-in-their-drug-dea/#saF7KCM5ILFeeOU7.99
http://investmentwatchblog.com/41-o...n-call-in-their-drug-dea/#5wBl7o5ePGJWiO8h.99
These are the people the left bleeds for. They don't bleed for the middle class who work hard and obey laws. And they hate the wealth producers who invent a better mouse trap. Their priorities lead to an impoverished society that spits on the rule of law.
There you go again - read it again and address what I actually wrote. Stop trying to put words in my mouth and quoting only part of what I said. When you actually decide to talk about what I was actually saying, not a strawman you're trying to create from misinterpreting what I said, I'll be happy to discuss it with you.
Civilly, that is. I don't know what's wrong with you, but you're really an angry guy. Calm down a little, bud.
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