Friday, October 5, 2012

so they say 1 in 6

people in this country live in poverty.

I find that hard to believe.

I don't see people starving to death, or at or below 5% body fat.

I don't see people who can't afford a cell phone, or those expensive trendy sneakers.

I don't see people freezing to death because they can't afford fuel to keep warm, nor because they have no warm clothing,

I do see people who are less fortunate than me.

Some have encountered bad luck, some are just lazy. Some are unable to help themselves because no one ever taught them to do anything besides lay around and wait for a government check.

Many are poor because they, (intentionally or not) choose to be.

But I don't see people who are living in "Poverty".

Look at the photos of the depression era citizens in this country. I don't see fat people, or people wearing new clothing or $150 shoes(or the equivalent price then). I don't see people living in free apartments, nor driving expensive cars or in any way wasting their meager resources.

I do today, and all these people are supposedly "living in poverty".

And we gotta take more money from the productive sector of our citizenry to give these fat people more freebies because someone redefined "poverty"?
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3 comments:

  1. eiaftinfoFriday, October 5, 2012 at 7:32:00 AM CDT

    My standard response to those making this claim - come with me on a Haiti trip . . . . I'll show them what poverty is . . .

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  2. ogFriday, October 5, 2012 at 1:00:00 PM CDT

    1:i've seen poverty, and this ain't it.
    2: if I see someone in trouble, legitimately in trouble, and I do not help them myself, I am the problem. Government has no business in that business.

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  3. The FreeholderSaturday, October 6, 2012 at 10:59:00 AM CDT

    Make them define "poverty". They can't, because they're poor shots and trying to hit a moving target--one that moves because they're moving it! Poverty means whatever they need it to mean for the purposes of the moment.

    With the exception of the worst of our homeless folks, the poor in the US live far better than the average citizen of a Third World country. As you noted, we don't see the starving lying down in the streets to die.

    My advice for the poor is that you need to stop making poor decisions--dropping out of school, smoking/drinking/drugs/gangs, tattoos, etc. etc. etc---and concentrate on learning basic skills, like showing up on time and giving a fair day's work for a fair day's wage. Work, scrimp and accumulate a stake. Stop expecting someone to give it to you. As on wag put it, "Instead of Occupying Wall Street, how about occupying a job?"

    Then get yourself to school and learn a salable trade.

    It's worked for generations, and it will still work now, applied properly.

    ReplyDelete