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The the whole "gaming the system" bunch. Most likely it's a psychological defense mechanism. Think about a kid who wants a toy but can't have it. In order to console and move on they tell themselves the toy sucks. It's a means to comfort and save one's self esteem. If given a choice between a middle income job and the status quo, I seriously doubt the majority would stick with the status quo.
I don't think people choose to be poor! Circumstances above their control put some in this category.
Some young adults who grow up in housing projects and don't have the right influences in their lives don't know any different, so they choose to stay in a state of poverty. We need more outreach programs to help our inner city kids become more productive human beings with a strive to better themselves through better education and training programs and also help their families improve the quality of their lives instead of living of the government. Their self-esteem will highten and will no longer need to sell drugs or prostitute themselves to make ends meet. Then they can get themselves out of the ghetto and into the real world.
People with disabilities whether physically or mentally have the right to live off disability, especially those who have been productive most of their lives and have paid into the Social Security system.
Person A was always a hard worker, then the recession hit 2008. Person A tried really hard to find a job, went to the unemployment office on a regular basis to check the postings, pounded on doors, and even applied for a jobs waiting tables. Person A decides to go back to school and his just down on his luck for the time being and can't find a job. Person A is not to blame for his circumstances.
Person B got pregnant when she was 14. She rebelled against her parents and dated boys twice her age. She dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and applied for welfare, Section 8, and all the other government "goodies." She continues to get pregnant and spread her legs for any ole jerk because she likes the welfare checks and beautiful apartment paid for by the taxpayer and doesn't want to mess with a pesky job or get her GED. She has six kids by the age of 30. Person B is responsible for her situation.
Person C is a nurse. She is a darn good nurse. Her son is later diagnosed with brain cancer. She is forced to take off work to help her son. Her husband is a teacher. His hours are cut to half time. The medical bills pile up and Person C is now poor. Person C is not at fault here.
The point is there are poor people who are not at fault for their circumstances and some that are. In every group of people, there are good and bad people.
Then there is Person D, who is the daughter of Person B. If she is lucky, she lives with her grandparents or a father who has come to his senses. But there is the unfortunate likelihood that she has been taken advantage of by her mother's various baby daddies. At what age is she supposed to realize that she must reject her family and their values in order to pursue the American Dream? Keep in mind that her peers are very likely in the exact same situations and that their schools are probably severely substandard.
If she gets pregnant by one of her mother's boyfriends, is it her fault? After all, shouldn't she know to tell a teacher? She should have enough sense not to believe her mom when she says "What happens at home stays at home."
The "poor' threads tend to generate a lot non scholarly speculation, I suppose it's the norm nowadays to think that one should have an opinion on everything regardless of whether it is an informed opinion. Poverty has been studied to no end in the worlds major universities, most of the data pertinent to the causes have shown an indisputable debilitating political/economic bias toward those from the lowest strata of the social scale. Individual cases of determination and hard work elevating some out of poverty have not skewered the stats though, they only serve to perpetuate the myth of "bootstrap" rewards.
One of the best defenses for the upper class status quo is the one that professes to educate the lower class proles. Our profound lacking of education in the US is the driving force behind the success of the upper class propaganda that has the poor being blamed for their plight. In the book, Idiot America, the author brings to light the fact that many people are now feeling quite comfortable in second guessing the work of many scientifically structured university studies, relying on their buddies and shout radio to empower their opinions the low prole masses shout down the facts, in their ignorance they put forward the notion that our biggest social problems are nothing but the whining of those who feel "entitled", their new buzz word. For now I'll be content to get my answers to those pressing problems from those who are willing and capable of real in depth thoughtful study.
Last edited by jertheber; 12-30-2010 at 10:42 PM..
The "poor' threads tend to generate a lot non scholarly speculation, I suppose it's the norm nowadays to think that one should have an opinion on everything regardless of whether it is an informed opinion. Poverty has been studied to no end in the worlds major universities, most of the data pertinent to the causes have shown an indisputable debilitating political/economic bias toward those from the lowest strata of the social scale. Individual cases of determination and hard work elevating some out of poverty have not skewered the stats though, they only serve to perpetuate the myth of "bootstrap" rewards.
One of the best defenses for the upper class status quo is the one that professes to educate the lower class proles. Our profound lacking of education in the US is the driving force behind the success of the upper class propaganda that has the poor being blamed for their plight. In the book, Idiot America, the author brings to light the fact that many people are now feeling quite comfortable in second guessing the work of many scientifically structured university studies, relying on their buddies and shout radio to empower their opinions the low prole masses shout down the facts, in their ignorance they put forward the notion that our biggest social problems are nothing but the whining of those who feel "entitled, their new buzz word." For now I'll be content to get my answers to those pressing problems from those who are willing and capable of real in depth thoughtful study.
Well said. Now prepare for the myriad of anecdotal evidence that no doubt will be hurled your way to counter your post. Also, I liked "Idiot America".
I was not sure what you meant about the white trash, seems it may of had some racial over tones. There is poor of all colors it's your choice to hate them and try to blame them for the problems the US has.
Making false and/or misleading statements about other posters is intellectual dishonesty. If that is the best you can do, frankly, it isn't good enough.
I never said anyone was promoting hatred of the poor.
Why all these misleading statements?
Many on here are promoting hatred of middle and upper class - or rather those perceived to be. That is classism.
I have not seen any posts or threads promoting hatred of the middle and upper classes. How 'bout you pull up a few and show us what you're talking about?
You said in a previous post that there was all this "newfound concern for the poor." I"m questioning the words "NEWFOUND CONCERN".....there have always been people who are not only concerned about the poor but who actually do volunteer work to HELP THEM. And those people are mostly liberals.
Perhaps you might want to re-read your own posts and take a look at the twisted and misleading statements.
Should I have said posts rather than threads? I know I've seen a couple of threads started by fringe leftists.
There has been a signficant switch from from countless posts accusing a particular party's opponents of racism to now hating the poor.
That particular party is suddenly pushing the illusion of classism very hard.
If by "that particular party" you mean the Republican Party, then you are absolutely correct. The "lower classes" should starve in the streets because it's their own fault that they "probably" made bad life choices, or they are too lazy to work, etc., etc......that's the Republican mantra.
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