[rlmorel]

I think many conservatives understand all too well how people fall into poverty.

The difference between us and liberals is that we, as conservatives, believe fundamentally that we have free will to exercise in conducting our affairs and can contribute to deepening or alleviating to a degree poverty we might find ourselves in.

Liberals believe that your choices and actions have no impact on your status, and that you have no choices to make that can affect your poverty level in a positive way. They believe that government can do that for you, what they believe you can never do yourself.

[ctdonath2]

It's ever more clear to me that some people want others to understand their problems, while some people want to solve their problems. Yes, we all understand how people fall into poverty; the question is what those people are DOING to get OUT of poverty - if nothing, they won't. Some fall into poverty through no/little fault of their own, some fall into poverty precisely because of their own fault ... once and however there, the real question is what they are doing to get out - yes it's hard, but if you don't do what's necessary to get out you won't. Yes, I understand why abusees may not leave their abusers. If they don't leave, they stay. Yes, I understand some fall on hard times. If they don't do what's needed to get out, they won't. Yes, I understand why some make bad, albeit attractive at the moment, choices. If they don't stop making those bad choices, they'll keep reaping the bad results. We understand. Understanding doesn't solve the problem. Solving the problem solves the problem.