Secondly, addressing the "tragic consequences of poverty" indicates that it is a societal problem rather than an individual one. That I take exception with. I don't disagree with some level of welfare and protection,
If you agree with some level of welfare and protection, we are not in disagreement. For most of my life, the crux of this debate was how much welfare, not whether or not we should have any at all.
Income inequality is a natural feature of our economy. But that is not to say the same people are always in the lower income levels. I think it is also a natural feature of the capitalist free market system iis that people enter and leave the lower income levels constantly. The problem is that we impose artificial constraints on mobility that include everything from racism to bad education. Those who remain in a lower income levels for a lifetime might be there because of artificial constraints, or simply lack of effort.
Income inequality isn't a natural feature of a free market economy. It's driven by the inflationary monetary system we have. What happened to income inequality during Covid when governments stepped in and spent trillions? Did it go up or down?
Unfortunately, people get confused and don't understand how it works. They think the issue is the wealthy and continue voting for people like Bernie Sanders to make Government larger and fix the problem. However, it just makes it's worse.
@snarlcakes those numbers are completely false. Why do you insist on posting fake shit?
Earth to twenty. What numbers were fake? If your a#% was wrong you better say sorry. And you better mean it. I want a Bundt cake tower sorry package. Don't be cheap either, splurge for the 3 Bundt cake tower.
and at worst one of us was going to have to die six months earlier than we planned.
And did she thank you in advance for taking one for the team?
I've been broke. I'd rather be dead.
I know you are joking but as somebody who decided it'd be great to be married for 3 years with 3 kids by the time I was 21 instead of a happy go lucky college kid, I am very familiar with what it's like to be broke...flat broke...dead broke...broke like channel 4 broke so I feel ya. By year 7 or 8 we had it pretty well figured out and but those early days were a son of a bitch. I can look back on those days now fondly, with reverence really for how the wife and I made it while never taking a nickel of public assistance.
I can truly say that some of the best times of our lives were early in that struggle, making $25-30 dollars work for our weekly grocery budget to Cub Foods by making toast, oatmeal and apples/bananas for breakfast...grilled cheese, peanut butter or fried bologna sandwiches and carrot sticks for lunch and dinner was making beef, turkey or salisbury steak manhattans out of 25 cent loaves of bread, 39 cent instant potatoes and 4 for a buck Banquet cooking bags...or frozen/Chef Boyardee pizza nites, frozen burrito casserole, mac n' cheese with hot dogs cut up in it or egg noodles with smoked sausage coins.
A good friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying "that was f***ing awesome"
I can truly say that some of the best times of our lives were early in that struggle, making $25-30 dollars work for our weekly grocery budget to Cub Foods by making toast, oatmeal and apples/bananas for breakfast...grilled cheese, peanut butter or fried bologna sandwiches and carrot sticks for lunch and dinner was making beef, turkey or salisbury steak manhattans out of 25 cent loaves of bread, 39 cent instant potatoes and 4 for a buck Banquet cooking bags...or frozen/Chef Boyardee pizza nites, frozen burrito casserole, mac n' cheese with hot dogs cut up in it or egg noodles with smoked sausage coins.
Those who remain in a lower income levels for a lifetime might be there because of artificial constraints, or simply lack of effort.
Personal decisions, negative cultural influences, inability to prioritize education, etc., all affect the probability of migration.
As do many biological factors people have no control over that predominantly cause the types of decisions you are talking about.
Life isn't fair. I wish I wasn't 5'1", 320 lbs. driving a 1984 Corolla... but here we are.
Fairness arguments are being used by those wanting to blame the poor for being poor. So direct that statement to them. I’m sure it’ll be very persuasive.
The issue with income inequality is NOT that it exists -- it has always existed-- but that since about 1980, income inequality has increased dramatically.
From WWII to ~1980, the rising tides lifted all boats. Poor, middle class, rich and super-rich all saw real gains in income and to about the same extent. The after that the gains became to apply mostly to only the rich
Focusing on post-1980 and breaking it down further, the one percenters are benefitting by far the most:
I don't think you can reasonably argue that the top 2 to 19th percentile group is far more lazy and stupid than the top 1%.
I don't claim to know the best way to return to the "rising tide floats all boats" trend from 1946-1980, but it seems like a desirable aim.
