To me, saying that poor people have to blame themselves because is simple minded. It's no better then saying that capitalism is bad for the environment. It’s moronic.
There are many reasons why somebody can be poor without having anything to do with their will. Health issues for example. I am sure that there are Freepers here you are in a bad place not because they want to but because they can’t do it.
I agree that a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people are poor because they don't do anything about it. But all of them? It's the kind of statement that comes back at you and bite you on the a$$...
Thanks for the welcome by the way.
Mich
Context is everything.
What IS moronic is when people point to a small minority of the population, which contains a demonstrable exception, and then IMMEDIATELY point these out as the counter-argument.
THAT defense is ALWAYS used by Liberals for arguing against the common sense statements ("Old people will be eating dog food", "children will go hungry", "it disenfranchises minorities", etc., etc.)
Common sense and the real world will show conclusively that those who are un-willing to raise themselves up ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, make up the VAST majority of those who think other people's earnings should be confiscated and handed to them.
If you don't like your position in life, get off your ass and do something about it. (If you are PHYSICALLY unable to get off your ass, then you have my sympathy, but I have no tolerance for whiners who do NOTHING on their own).
Well boo hoo. Don’t hand me that garbage that poor are not at fault. Of course, in all respect, there are reasons as you mentioned, like health. But, that’s bull for the majority. I just watched a lazy, fat, dirty clothes, slob, with his live in, drop $386 on groceries at Walmart on Monday. Not a dime came out of her pocket. It was the free money credit card that welfare gives them. He reaked of smoke. Thus a big smoker. Didn’t appear to have taken a bath in days. They loaded this haul into a broken down piece of junk and drove off. Don’t tell me he was on his way to his job at the law office. Nope, they were headed home with the haul to feed the 15 kids they have that gets them this free haul. I did not come from a rich family. My father and mother were hard workers. My dad was a welder by profession. He worked his tail off. I went into the military and did a job for 20 years. The job skills I got there allowed me to leave and get a job on the outside. I have seen military people have to use welfare because in those days they did not pay enough for them to live on. But, even in those days, I did not take welfare. I could have. But, refused. My father told me if you can work, work. Take your wages and feed your family. Don’t expect the stinking government to do it. Now, millions look to the government for free money, so they can sit at home, smoke, drink, stuff their fat guts on gains from our pocket books. When you wake up and see what this world really is, you’ll be surprised.
I once dated a nurse whose rounds involved visiting homebound invalids. One character was profoundly bedridden; nonetheless, he managed to run a, um, profitable pharmaceutical distribution operation from his gurney. That convinced me anyone can do some job, some how, if only they put their mind to it.
Yes, there are a few people who are truly poor, and thru no fault of their own are unable to make ends meet. Fine; that's what Christian charity is about: helping the poor. Tithing (ten percent!) is, to great degree, about doing so. Donating time/resources is important. Help the less fortunate. Nobody is knocking the true legitimate poor.
What we ARE knocking are the "poor in attitude": those who willfully squander the opportunities given them, and nonetheless demand others care for them (see the OccupyWallStreet crowd and their "list of demands"). My attitude on the subject shifted when I was repairing a "poor" family's couch, and one of the kids at the same time tore out a screen from a window - then asked me to fix it; I then realized most poverty comes from willful self-destructive behavior, and my charitable generosity at that moment was facilitating it.
Sorry if Cain's comment wasn't thorough enough. In an ADD world, I'm amazed how many people think each soundbite should contain encyclopedic completeness. Of course a few are, truly, poor; they are few indeed.
“There are many reasons why somebody can be poor without having anything to do with their will.”
Wrong. Being poor is a state of mind, but being broke is a temporary economic hardship.....Poor people will always be poor because they do poor people stuff, broke people will behave in ways that will some day lead to being wealthy.