doxydad (1,251 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:19 AM
3 Facts that Poverty-Deniers Don't Want to Hear
Three-quarters of conservative Americans say poor people have it easy.
The degree of ignorance about poverty is stunning, even for people far removed from the realities of an average American lifestyle. Both oilman Charles Koch and Nicole Miller CEO Bud Konheim have suggested that we should compare ourselves to poor people in China and India, and then just shut up and be happy. The Cato Institute informs Americans that "The current welfare system provides such a high level of benefits that it acts as a disincentive for work." And entrepreneur Marc Andreessen explains, rather incomprehensibly, that "Technology innovation disproportionately helps the poor more than it helps the rich, as the poor spend more of their income on products."
http://www.alternet.org/economy/3-facts-poverty-deniers-dont-want-hear
BainsBane (28,273 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:21 AM
1. Sounds exactly like what some say
about the gender gap and rape.
nxylas (5,151 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:05 AM
2. Confront them with these facts and they'll just switch to plan B
The myth, deeply ingrained in the American psyche, that poverty is a moral failing. Surely, all Those People need to do is wash some dishes to put themselves through college, found a successful business, and then untold wealth will be theirs. Just like those nice sepia-toned immigrants in the Ellis Island videos (not to be confused with the criminal, disease-ridden immigrants on the nightly news).
Demeter (74,087 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:11 AM
3. Give them the odds that they or their children and grandchildren will be in poverty
Of course, trust fund babies will not face that, unless there is a convulsion in this country's politics...defund the wealthy!
Dustlawyer (3,038 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:44 AM
4. People are so invested in their beliefs that they refuse to believe the facts since they do not
jive with their preconceptions that they have learned from the media they watch and listen to. They do not know anyone living in this type of poverty so it cannot be wide spread or true. Unless they go live with one of these families for a couple of weeks they will never be convinced.
ColesCountyDem (2,346 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:49 AM
5. I was never unsympathetic, but until it happened to me, I didn't truly understand.
The article nails it squarely on the head!
marew (1,294 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 08:14 AM
8. Truly disgusting!
They will cling to any crazy idea to justify their steadily increasing greed, callousness, and insensitivity! Sickening!
I am a retired social worker. I met so many people who work so incredibly hard yet who repeatedly get slapped down by the system.
Gawd, I hope there's karma for those jerks!
dotymed (5,381 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 08:40 AM
9. Gawd, I hope there's karma for those jerks!
Not until we provide it.
BuelahWitch (7,947 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:08 AM
16. There is a perverse kind of jealousy that wingers have regarding the poor
I see this in the annual "poor people don't have to pay taxes" schtick and also those who would bleat about the fact that they might have cable tv (some companies offer free basic cable to people on gov't assistance) or a cell phone (TracFone pay as you go has a smart phone now, imagine that!). Some even want to deny the poor a refrigerator or air conditioning.
I still want to see a Survivor that forces right wingers who hate the poor to live like the working poor. Not the BS crap that Paris Hilton used to do, but a REAL situation. Living in a Sec. 8 apartment in a food desert with *maybe* an old beater car to let them get around. Have to apply to work at places like McDees or supermarkets to pay for food, no access to their former life bank accounts. THAT is real surviving!
jwirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month I literally hate these rick ****s.
BainsBane (28,273 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:21 AMShe must hate being a woman. It's the only thing I can come up with to explain her obsession.
1. Sounds exactly like what some say
about the gender gap and rape.
BainsBane (28,273 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:21 AM
1. Sounds exactly like what some say
about the gender gap and rape.
Hey DUmbos...poverty in the U.S. has no comparison to what real poverty is around the world.
You want people here out of poverty? Then keep our families in tack, put fathers back in the home, get government out of our lives and our pockets, live within your means and go back to church.
She must hate being a woman. It's the only thing I can come up with to explain her obsession.
You know how she is; sexist language in America is just as bad as the violent rape and murder of women on the Dark Continent.Yes.
She must hate being a woman. It's the only thing I can come up with to explain her obsession.
doxydad (1,251 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:19 AM
3 Facts that Poverty-Deniers Don't Want to Hear
Three-quarters of conservative Americans say poor people have it easy.
The degree of ignorance about poverty is stunning, even for people far removed from the realities of an average American lifestyle. Both oilman Charles Koch and Nicole Miller CEO Bud Konheim have suggested that we should compare ourselves to poor people in China and India, and then just shut up and be happy. The Cato Institute informs Americans that "The current welfare system provides such a high level of benefits that it acts as a disincentive for work." This is true, idiots. Why do you think the part-time employment numbers are going up with no government action other than unemployment benefits running out? C'mon. Use that massive 6th grade brain and think critically! :rofl:
And entrepreneur Marc Andreessen explains, rather incomprehensibly, To you? Of course, it is. that "Technology innovation disproportionately helps the poor more than it helps the rich, as the poor spend more of their income on products."
http://www.alternet.org/economy/3-facts-poverty-deniers-dont-want-hear
Demeter (74,087 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:11 AM
3. Give them the odds that they or their children and grandchildren will be in poverty
Of course, trust fund babies will not face that, unless there is a convulsion in this country's politics...defund the wealthy!
nxylas (5,151 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:05 AM
2. Confront them with these facts and they'll just switch to plan B
The myth, deeply ingrained in the American psyche, that poverty is a moral failing. Surely, all Those People need to do is wash some dishes to put themselves through college, found a successful business, and then untold wealth will be theirs.
That seems to work better than your Transgendered Latino Feminist Art Studies path. By the way, my fries were cold the last time your worked the drive-up window.
Just like those nice sepia-toned immigrants in the Ellis Island videos (not to be confused with the criminal, disease-ridden immigrants on the nightly news).
ColesCountyDem (2,346 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:49 AM
5. I was never unsympathetic, but until it happened to me, I didn't truly understand.
The article nails it squarely on the head!
wirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month I literally hate these rick ****s.
wirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month I literally hate these rick ****s
wirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month I literally hate these rick ****s
wirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month I literally hate these rick ****s.
The higher the poverty level, the higher number of Dem party voters and the easier it is to control them. The libs only interest in the poor is to use them as a springboard to power and then to enslave them in poverty for a never-ending gravy train of voters via gov't services.
If you're poor, and especially if you're a poor minority, and you vote Dem, enjoy where you are in life. The left has every intention of keeping you right where you are. Or as they put it, "where you belong."
.
This.
The workers that support this shit are getting near the end of their tolerance for this shit. When that happens, . . . may God help us, because He'll be the only Way out.
nxylas (5,151 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:05 AM
2. Confront them with these facts and they'll just switch to plan B
The myth, deeply ingrained in the American psyche, that poverty is a moral failing. Surely, all Those People need to do is wash some dishes to put themselves through college, found a successful business, and then untold wealth will be theirs. Just like those nice sepia-toned immigrants in the Ellis Island videos (not to be confused with the criminal, disease-ridden immigrants on the nightly news).
Quote
Demeter (74,087 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:11 AM
3. Give them the odds that they or their children and grandchildren will be in poverty
Of course, trust fund babies will not face that, unless there is a convulsion in this country's politics...defund the wealthy!
Quote
Dustlawyer (3,038 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:44 AM
4. People are so invested in their beliefs that they refuse to believe the facts since they do not
jive with their preconceptions that they have learned from the media they watch and listen to. They do not know anyone living in this type of poverty[,] so it cannot be wide spread or true. Unless they go live with one of these families for a couple of weeks[,] they will never be convinced.
Well, of course it isn't necessarily, it just seems to be directly attributable to moral shortcomings like a lack of work ethic or a drive to freeload an amazing percentage of the time.
ColesCountyDem (2,346 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:49 AM
5. I was never unsympathetic, but until it happened to me, I didn't truly understand.
The article nails it squarely on the head!
jwirr (23,696 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 AM
18. When I watch my great grandchildren go hungry - for healthy food - the last two weeks of the
month...
I get the mail for our company every day, since it contains lots of checks. Our PO Box is XX, say, and I got a letter to a Jane Something at PO Box XX-B. It was from the EBT division in Albany. Doesn't belong to us, so I gave it to the front counter. "Oh bad address, nothing to do but send it back." He scrawled IA on it, and dumped it in a bin.
The next day I got another letter, from another govt agency, with the same XX-B. The same the next day. All go back into the system.
Is that 116 million taxpayers or 116 million working? If it's working, then only about half pay "income taxes" so that number becomes 58 million supporting the government andfree loaders....uh....the entitled.
ColesCountyDem (2,346 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:49 AM
5. I was never unsympathetic, but until it happened to me, I didn't truly understand.
The article nails it squarely on the head!
I guess this is as good a place as any to put this.
I get the mail for our company every day, since it contains lots of checks. Our PO Box is XX, say, and I got a letter to a Jane Something at PO Box XX-B. It was from the EBT division in Albany. Doesn't belong to us, so I gave it to the front counter. "Oh bad address, nothing to do but send it back." He scrawled IA on it, and dumped it in a bin.
The next day I got another letter, from another govt agency, with the same XX-B. The same the next day. All go back into the system.
Now when these letters go back to the blackhole in Albany, what do you picture happening to them? A compassionate and caring bureaucrat attempting to contact this woman, somehow, who's three hours away? Tirelessly hunting her down to sort all this out and make sure she gets her freebies?
That's the danger of letting yourself become dependent on the government. It's all out of your control, and you can easily end up in Shit Crick.
Why on earth are you allowing your grandkids to go hungry? What kind of grandparent does that?
Don't you know how to shop for and prepare nutritious foods?
Feeding your grandkids is not the responsibility of rick.
In other words they buy what they are allowed to with public money but when that runs out and they have to spring for it all the parents buy is junk or fast food.
Does one look upon a newly discovered tick or flea with pity and compassion? Of course not. Personally, if I see an EBT card pop out in front of me at the check out line, I try to make my disgust as pointed as possible. The expression has about the same as effect as it does on the tick, but hopefully it'll one day make the parasitic user realize it's order in life.
What got me about this is she's mad at some general 'we' that her grandkids go hungry--where exactly are their parents; you know the ones who brought them into this world and should be providing such basic things?
It takes a little creative food planning and wise shopping, but there is no excuse that there can't be enough food to last a month.
BainsBane (28,273 posts) Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:21 AMI found her!
1. Sounds exactly like what some say
about the gender gap and rape.
That's not a good policy either. I do know of folks who have used EBT(the food portion) temporarily going through transitional times in life: divorce, death in the family, and job loss. The majority used it on a very temporary basis and some even stopped receiving services BEFORE they were no longer qualified and not BECAUSE they were no longer qualified ie they don't ride the train to the end just because they can.
However, I have found you can usually distinguish between the part timers above and the life longers. The part timers usually have enough discretion because they do not like using EBT to be very discreet about paying for the items and actually look forward to the time they no longer need the crutch. the lifetime recipients treat it like its any other form of payment and swing that bitch out for all to see. I guess my point is the part timers do a good job of shaming themselves; the lifetimers, not so much and you shaming them probably isn't going to change their minds since they already think they are entitled to it so the only people you will end up shaming is the ones who already are uncomfortable that they have to use that crutch for a while and well they are the ones it actually WAS intended to help and who have no intention of abusing the charity they receive. the other section isn't going to be solved without a bit of cultural upheaval and change. You can't make the lifetimers without a conscience acquiesce to your opinion of them--they simply do not care and I've seen that one played out too many times to know it.
That's not a good policy either. I do know of folks who have used EBT(the food portion) temporarily going through transitional times in life: divorce, death in the family, and job loss. The majority used it on a very temporary basis and some even stopped receiving services BEFORE they were no longer qualified and not BECAUSE they were no longer qualified ie they don't ride the train to the end just because they can.
However, I have found you can usually distinguish between the part timers above and the life longers. The part timers usually have enough discretion because they do not like using EBT to be very discreet about paying for the items and actually look forward to the time they no longer need the crutch. the lifetime recipients treat it like its any other form of payment and swing that bitch out for all to see. I guess my point is the part timers do a good job of shaming themselves; the lifetimers, not so much and you shaming them probably isn't going to change their minds since they already think they are entitled to it so the only people you will end up shaming is the ones who already are uncomfortable that they have to use that crutch for a while and well they are the ones it actually WAS intended to help and who have no intention of abusing the charity they receive. the other section isn't going to be solved without a bit of cultural upheaval and change. You can't make the lifetimers without a conscience acquiesce to your opinion of them--they simply do not care and I've seen that one played out too many times to know it.
My mom had to take what was then called Welfare. It tore her up (and IMO killed her young). She HAD to use food stamps and accept Welfare to pay our rent (she chose the wrong man to be our dad but that is a different discussion). She made it clear that is was SHAME to accept welfare and we did so to survive. While raising 7 kids (all born legitimately) she went to night school and got the hell out off welfare the very second she could. She taught us the shame in accepting aid is to do so longer than possible. Her head was down every benefit she received.
All of us do for ourselves.
So F YOU you parasites who never learned shame. I came from poverty you can't imagine and built a damn good life for myself, built on the values I learned from my Mom.
The end of shame was the end of the USA. It will not last another generation until shame is reinstated.
That's not a good policy either. I do know of folks who have used EBT(the food portion) temporarily going through transitional times in life: divorce, death in the family, and job loss. The majority used it on a very temporary basis and some even stopped receiving services BEFORE they were no longer qualified and not BECAUSE they were no longer qualified ie they don't ride the train to the end just because they can.
However, I have found you can usually distinguish between the part timers above and the life longers. The part timers usually have enough discretion because they do not like using EBT to be very discreet about paying for the items and actually look forward to the time they no longer need the crutch. the lifetime recipients treat it like its any other form of payment and swing that bitch out for all to see. I guess my point is the part timers do a good job of shaming themselves; the lifetimers, not so much and you shaming them probably isn't going to change their minds since they already think they are entitled to it so the only people you will end up shaming is the ones who already are uncomfortable that they have to use that crutch for a while and well they are the ones it actually WAS intended to help and who have no intention of abusing the charity they receive. the other section isn't going to be solved without a bit of cultural upheaval and change. You can't make the lifetimers without a conscience acquiesce to your opinion of them--they simply do not care and I've seen that one played out too many times to know it.
Does one look upon a newly discovered tick or flea with pity and compassion? Of course not. Personally, if I see an EBT card pop out in front of me at the check out line, I try to make my disgust as pointed as possible. The expression has about the same as effect as it does on the tick, but hopefully it'll one day make the parasitic user realize it's order in life.
That's not a good policy either. I do know of folks who have used EBT(the food portion) temporarily going through transitional times in life: divorce, death in the family, and job loss. The majority used it on a very temporary basis and some even stopped receiving services BEFORE they were no longer qualified and not BECAUSE they were no longer qualified ie they don't ride the train to the end just because they can.
Yep. The part timers also have out their calculators, buy store brands, etc. Usually don't have beer, wine and cigs in a separate pile on the checkout. I can spot the lifetime parasites in the grocery store a mile away.
Evidently I've only come across the life long losers. I really don't care enough for the details and somebody has to be doing something obvious for me to care.And that's really a shame and a policy you should probably rethink considering you have at least 3 conservatives on this very board telling you yours is not the be all end all of experiences in this. Incidentally, many of the part timers you want to lump in probably put enough in through federal taxes way before your ire came along that they aren't even pulling from your pocket but their own just a few years back so maybe you should reconsider your opinion as a blanket policy. I never claim what i see applies to the whole; you probably should think about doing the same or risk being as one-dimensional as the inhabitants of the island.
Case 1: Occassionally I have to stop at the Save-a-lot on the way home from work to pick up milk and a few small things. I got stuck behind a guy that was definitely eating well and had tattoos all over the place. He whips out the card, finds out he doesn't have enough on it to cover all his groceries. Idiot spends five minutes anguishing over if he should get the BBQ sauce or the ranch. Unfortunately, they don't ever have more than 1 line open so I got to watch the stupidity.
Case 2: Woman is standing in front of us at the grocery buying a huge cake, dressed much better than us and fresh manicure(wife noticed that). Brings out that RW&B card. Guess that's somehow okay.
Case 3: Woman is ahead of us in walmart one afternoon. She has this morbidly obese 3 year old in the cart with undersized PJ's on. She's still in her's as well. Okay, I get it, you really don't care what people think at this point, but at least make the effort. She goes through 3 different versions of assistance to cover her bill, then breaks out a 100 dollar bill from a big roll so she can get change for the last little bit.
No sympathy for it here, sorry.
Just a story to tie in with yours. I had this room mate for a very short time. One day she asked me if on my way home from work (she didn't work) would I mind picking up some cereal for her kids. I said sure! She hands me food stamps (back when it was paper currency). I remember I got the cereal and was standing in line hair perfect, makeup perfect, nice suit and heels on...........I didn't think it would bother me to just pay for this stuff with food stamps that I didn't even own but I felt like people were staring at me assuming. Now you would think I was trying to tell you don't do that to people! but I'm not. That shame I felt was enough for me to swear to myself that I would never go on gov't assistance unless I was really needing it. I think a lot of people don't have any shame so that allows their conscience to stay on gov't assistance forever. No ambition whatsoever.
Oh and I kicked that beyotch out. She was worthless and yep, I found out a democrat. I repeat, she was worthless.
And that's really a shame and a policy you should probably rethink considering you have at least 3 conservatives on this very board telling you yours is not the be all end all of experiences in this. Incidentally, many of the part timers you want to lump in probably put enough in through federal taxes way before your ire came along that they aren't even pulling from your pocket but their own just a few years back so maybe you should reconsider your opinion as a blanket policy. I never claim what i see applies to the whole; you probably should think about doing the same or risk being as one-dimensional as the inhabitants of the island.
Yeah, I'm with ya there. I have no use for the 'Don't judge' meme, but in this case, it actually applies.
100 percent agreed there, Freedumb!! H5!
She was worthless and yep, I found out a democrat.
Just a story to tie in with yours. I had this room mate for a very short time. One day she asked me if on my way home from work (she didn't work) would I mind picking up some cereal for her kids. I said sure! She hands me food stamps (back when it was paper currency). I remember I got the cereal and was standing in line hair perfect, makeup perfect, nice suit and heels on...........I didn't think it would bother me to just pay for this stuff with food stamps that I didn't even own but I felt like people were staring at me assuming. Now you would think I was trying to tell you don't do that to people! but I'm not. That shame I felt was enough for me to swear to myself that I would never go on gov't assistance unless I was really needing it. I think a lot of people don't have any shame so that allows their conscience to stay on gov't assistance forever. No ambition whatsoever.
Oh and I kicked that beyotch out. She was worthless and yep, I found out a democrat. I repeat, she was worthless.
What confirmed it for you? The inability to read cursive? :rofl:
Yep. The part timers also have out their calculators, buy store brands, etc. Usually don't have beer, wine and cigs in a separate pile on the checkout. I can spot the lifetime parasites in the grocery store a mile away.
Not hard to do, they are the ones in the checkout line with the frozen chicken nuggets, potato chips, cookies, ice cream, and gallons of soda in their cart, 5+ kids, all over 300 pounds, except mom, she's 400+. :lmao: