http://akhilak.com/blog/2011/07/07/classism-at-its-best-myths-about-poverty-and-inequality/


MYTH: Poor people are unmotivated and have weak work ethics.

The Reality: Poor people do not have weaker work ethics or lower levels of motivation than wealthier people (Iversen & Farber, 1996; Wilson, 1997). Although poor people are often stereotyped as lazy, 83 percent of children from low-income families have at least one employed parent; close to 60 percent have at least one parent who works full-time and year-round (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2004). In fact, the severe shortage of living-wage jobs means that many poor adults must work two, three, or four jobs. According to the Economic Policy Institute (2002), poor working adults spend more hours working each week than their wealthier counterparts.

Poverty is generational: if you are brought up in poverty, you are greatly influenced by your childhood. Is it fair to expect children who have grown up in a neighborhood where every young man becomes a drug dealer, to pull themselves out of poverty by their own “bootstraps”? Is it fair to expect a child whose parents only have a high school education to somehow figure out how to get into and pay for college? I don’t think so. It’s not that easy to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. It’s not easy to escape poverty.

Poverty is not caused by an individual effort — it is caused by gross social and economic inequities. I loved this quote from Sara’s blog on neocolonialism:


It’s easy for those in privileged positions to argue that they got there through hard work & because they deserve it. But does that automatically mean that everyone else is at the bottom because they didn’t work & therefore don’t deserve it?

I have always, and continue to lean towards the socialization explanation: we live in an exploitative world capitalist/patriarchal/neo-colonial system, which means that 80% of the world must suffer for the other 20% to live well. It has nothing to do with lower intelligence/less capability/less willingness/more corruption or any of those racist explanations that have been used for centuries and continue to be used today, by conservatives & liberals alike.

This myth about the “culture of poverty” has severe policy implications, too:


If we convince ourselves that poverty results not from gross inequities (in which we might be complicit) but from poor people’s own deficiencies, we are much less likely to support authentic antipoverty policy and programs. Further, if we believe, however wrongly, that poor people don’t value education, then we dodge any responsibility to redress the gross education inequities with which they contend. This application of deficit theory establishes the idea of what Gans (1995) calls the undeserving poor—a segment of our society that simply does not deserve a fair shake.

We have to start overcoming these stereotypes about the poor; we have to start recognizing the immense barriers that the poor face in their daily lives. Lack of health insurance, lack of access to good schools, poor access to legal services – these are just a few of the systemic challenges that keep poor people, poor. Let’s try to level the playing field before saying: the poor should just work harder and pull themselves out of poverty. Guess what: it’s just not that easy.

For once I agree with you!

I think however that things have gotten MUCH too far out of hand. The entirety of western civilization (and I use the term loosely) is in desperate need of a "reset."

poor people are not always lazy, but unmotivated and uneducated about how to make money...

So, just who is making the claim that poverty is the result of laziness?

What I see in the OP is a straw-man argument.

It takes more than hard work to rise economically. It also takes making good decisions and taking risks.

Responsible breeding is essential in lowering poverty.

That's where libs need gubament intervention.

Poverty isn't a "liberal" thing. It's a human thing.

i think thats debatable... if children of rich or poor are not taught to be wise with what little or much money they have, then they are being kept poor...

look at why poor people are poor: they don't know what to do with money when they do have it...

when a drug dealer makes money, what do they do with it? go buy a 10,000 dollar gold chain, a 10,000 dollar car with 40,000 dollars worth of tires, wheels, monitors, and stereo system... why haven't they been taught to invest parts of the money in short or long term money investments? poor people spend every penny they have on unnecessary things..

no straw man,, unless you are implying you have not read the threads which imply that those on welfare (in poverty) are lazy?


I am addressing those claims, that ARE INDEED Made,,,

wow, and I thought I was spending money on food and clothes and shelter and heat and water and transportation,,,,


but I do agree , the impoverished need to learn more than being a workhorse for society,, those schools need to set up the types of '
'networks' those born into middle and upper class have regular access to

with education on building wealth, instead of just earning income

They are lazy, there are tutorials on youtube on how to scam the welfare system.

its called a budget... everyone should always put 20% of every check in savings, and budget the rest...

said like someone with o clue about raising kids,,

who need food, shelter, clothes, heat and air, transportation, water,,

lol, 'budget' isn't a luxury that welfare affords

whatever... no one ever said it was easy, but everyone has to budget money... i can see my own point here, nobody taught you about budgeting in school??

Rather than a straw man argument, I would be more inclined to call the OP a propaganda technique as in a lie by omission and/or half truth ... Everything in the OP might be true, but it comes MINUS facts that do not support Harmony's point of view ... Poverty is measured in many ways and it is the result of many things, some of which include making bad decisions ... The latest census numbers show the number of people receiving welfare benefits is actually higher than the number of full time workers! ... Census reports also show poverty has increased 72% since the beginning of the last recession! ...There is only one way to pull people out of poverty on the massive scale that is needed and it is not through redistribution of wealth or social programs ... People need access to a means of making a living ... Less government control and more economic development is the answer ...

"We should make the poor uncomfortable, to kick them out of poverty"
-Ben Franklin.

A Florida mother complained that her SNAP payments were being cut by 36.00 a month. She said that she had two daughters living with her. One was pregnant, with no father, the other had a child living with them. she claimed that both daughters were unable to work because of having children at home.
Someone has to take responsibility for this.
Who should it be?

Someone posted that article on FB along with a picture of the mother who was sporting a fresh hair cut and dye job (red ), eye liner and mascara, lip liner and lip stick...My question was how in the hell does she afford the hair cuts, hair dye, and makeup and why are the daughters having babies they can't afford?!!

Yea, I was trying to find the story to post but couldn't. She, the mother, also had a lot of beautiful plants on her patio. I'm thinkin', couldn't she grow some food for them on her patio? Or, she lives in Florida, can't she go fishing? There are lot's of fish there. We used to go crabbing there and it was good. Yummm.

After reading the posts on this thread, I got a message from G-d (we chat when He's not too busy). He asked me to tell some of you (you know who you are) that have faith in Him, that he's lost all faith in you.

If you ask me, when he sends his Kid back, you're all in deep doo doo.

I'm sorry, I haven't smoked any of that in a while. Must be good though..

Melts the brain