[bootless]

There will always be poverty, for a couple of reasons. But they may not be the same static population. People are poor sometimes because of unfortunate and unpredictable circumstances, or poor choices, or lack of caring, or lack of willingness to do any better - there are many reasons. I was poor once - while in college, I decided to be (OK, stupidly) independent from my parents and went out on my own without sufficient preparation. It was a struggle trying to keep my nose above water. I am not rich now ... or yet. But I was able to get in the black before my divorce, and here we are again, not rolling in it, but generally making it. IT TAKES HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE. It also takes a rejection of self-destructiveness. Second point: As long as the government identifies a poverty line, there will always be people below it. Therefore, there will always be people in poverty. But their standard of living is far above the poor in less-developed countries, and I dare say is above the poor of the past even in our country. How many poor people in this country have a car, a TV, a DVD player, a PS-2 now? Are they overextended because they bought that stuff when they couldn't really afford it? Even if they could and still remain below the poverty line, their lives are better than the poor of the Depression.

[HungarianGypsy]

Something interesting I have noticed. Everytime my family has started to think we were middle class the government would move the poverty line up. I'm expecting at this rate it will soon be anyone who makes less than $100,000/yr. will fall under the poverty line according to the government.