Reply #37: I don't agree [View All]

[Juche]

Some people are poor because they make bad decisions. Some middle class people make bad decisions too. I have known families with incomes slightly over 100k a year who have declared bankruptcy because of bad decisions. So bad decisions are not part and parcel of the poor (George W Bush is a great example of a rich person who makes bad decisions), and it is not fair to criticize the poor when they make bad decisions, but to give a free pass to the middle class and wealthy for the same behavior. But bad decision making plays a role in all of humanities problems on some level.

We do need to reject the idea that poverty come 'solely' from the shortcomings and failings of the poor, or that only the poor can make bad decisions with money. However some poor people are poor because they make bad decisions or have made them (again, tons of middle class people make bad decisions too). However once they agree to start reforming, we should be willing to work with them to help them.

Issues like racial tension, single motherhood and mental illness (poor people tend to be non-whites, single mothers or have problems with mental illness) contribute to poverty and are not the fault of the poor. That doesn't mean all poor people make great decisions all the time.


Out of curiosity how is poverty built into our economic and social system? I am asking seriously, because I am not sure. I do agree that racial tensions are built into our social system, and racial tensions play a huge role in poverty (blacks and latinos have poverty rates 2-3x higher than whites). George Carlin once said poor people exist 'to scare the hell out of the middle class'. I don't personally think there is any great conspiracy to keep people poor in the US though.