Poverty ranks swell by over a million

[PeachMonkey]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/08/26/census.poverty.ap/index.html

Four More Years!

 

[michaeledward]

It's a shame I can't post this stuff in the 'Convince Me' thread.

Let's see:
Americans Living in Poverty up by 1.3 million
Americans Living uninsured up by 1.4 million
35.8 million Americans living in poverty
800,000 more children living in poverty (A good thing No Child is Left Behind)

Let's not forget the 'Booming Economy", which, for some reason, we need to keep revising the numbers down. Maybe the economy is not as good as some report.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5838861/

Good thing that Grand Ayotollah Ali al-Sistani was able to get a peace deal worked out in Najaf, or else all the news might be bad for the President.

 

[Phil Elmore]

Most people who are economically "having not" are this way for very specific reasons that have nothing to do with environmental factors. We must ask ourselves: are our locii of control internal, or external -- and do we believe the government is our mommy?

 

[RandomPhantom700]

Well, non-committal as the answer may be, I'd say there are two locii of control, both external and internal.

 

[Makalakumu]

Most people who are economically "having not" are this way for very specific reasons that have nothing to do with environmental factors. We must ask ourselves: are our locii of control internal, or external -- and do we believe the government is our mommy?

As soon as we attempt to define these specific reasons, we will find multitudes of baseless assumptions that these statistics don't address. We know nothing about these people other then that they now fit the definition of poverty.

A foreboding post indeed.

upnorthkyosa

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Most people who are economically "having not" are this way for very specific reasons that have nothing to do with environmental factors.

If you attempting to suggest that those who are the "have nots" are that way because of genetics, I would have to vehemently disagree.

 

[Flatlander]

If you attempting to suggest that those who are the "have nots" are that way because of genetics, I would have to vehemently disagree.

I toatally agree with this. Must it not be either genetic or environmental?

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Those are the options out there. And not only is eugenics an abhorrent social concept, but it is scientifically flawed on a number of levels.

 

[PeachMonkey]

Most people who are economically "having not" are this way for very specific reasons that have nothing to do with environmental factors.

Let me guess: this is the part of the conversation where we get into how people that are poor *deserve* to be poor, and that government's only obligations are to assist the able-bodied Ubermenschen to lead to take their rightful place at the head of the hoi polloi.

Never mind all of the work humanity has done over thousands of years to refine and support the social contract. That's just some silly revisionist Pinko crap, right?

 

[Phil Elmore]

If you attempting to suggest that those who are the "have nots" are that way because of genetics, I would have to vehemently disagree.

Why on Earth would you assume the only two factors in all of life are the environment and one's genes? We are more than the sum of our twisted pairs.

 

[Feisty Mouse]

OK, what else are you suggesting? When we look at how any organism arrives at a certain point, we (in the lab or field) study their genetics and their environments. Is there something else there?

 

[michaeledward]

Oh, please ... don't encourage him.



Mike

 

[Lisa]

Oh, please ... don't encourage him.



Mike

Sorry Mike, but I have too. I really am interested in hearing it. If it isn't genetics and it isn't environment, then what else is there? Maybe I am too linear in my thinking to see the other factors.

 

[Makalakumu]

OK, what else are you suggesting? When we look at how any organism arrives at a certain point, we (in the lab or field) study their genetics and their environments. Is there something else there?

That is very close to the position I argued sometime ago, but that it a different thread for a different day. I, too, am curious to see this mysterious third.

 

[Feisty Mouse]

upnorth, are you talking about our conversation? That was interesting, I enjoyed it.

 

[Phoenix44]

and do we believe the government is our mommy?

No. I believe this government is my enemy.

 

[TwistofFat]

No. I believe this government is my enemy.

Are not they all?

Its's worse in Europe folks - How many people in the UK live in poverty?

Just under 1 in 4 people in the UK – or
nearly 13 million people – live in poverty, according to the latest figures. This includes nearly 1 in 3
children (almost 4 million).
1 Department for Work and Pensions, Households Below
Average Income 1994/95 to 2000/01, Corporate Document
Services, 2002.

Where is it better than the US? Nowhere. So what does US call Poverty>

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html

Money income[font='Times New Roman', serif] Includes earnings, unemployment compensation, [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]workers’ compensation, Social Security, Supplemental [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]Security Income, public assistance, veterans’ payments,[/font]

[font='Times New Roman', serif]survivor benefits, pension or retirement income, interest, [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]dividends, rents, royalties, income from estates, trusts,[/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]educational assistance, alimony, child support, assistance[/font]
[font='Times New Roman', serif]from outside the household, and other miscellaneous [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]sources. [/font]
[font='Times New Roman', serif]Noncash benefits (such as food stamps and housing[/font][font='Times New Roman', serif] subsidies) do not count.[/font]
[font='Times New Roman', serif]Before taxes. [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]Excludes capital gains or losses. [/font][font='Times New Roman', serif]If a person lives with a family, add up the income[/font][font='Times New Roman', serif] of all family members. (Non-relatives, such as[/font][font='Times New Roman', serif] housemates, do not count.)[/font]


​

[font='Times New Roman', serif]Most of us have lived in poverty at one point in our lives. The greatest thing about about America is you can get out (unlike 99% of the world - why do you think the Mexicans and south americans come here) and IF you can not we will take care of you! Have you ever voluntered in the Philipines, Chile, Bogata? Folks thats hard living.[/font]


[font='Times New Roman', serif]This number shrinks and grows every year. I am passionate about this argument because I have worked hard to feed folks and help with their daily lives. This is always ignored or dismissed (drug addicts, booze, etc - yes in many cases but not all) until an election rears its head. This is a fact of life. The majority of our donations come from private sources. Until you hit rock hard bottom - the government does little (try to collect Unemployment insurance when you lose your $40K a year job - it's like you are asking for a favor). No pretty words from the governement will do anything until you grab a bag of canned goods, go to the east side and pass them out.[/font]


[font='Times New Roman', serif]Sorry to rant - Glenn.[/font]
(Take a look at this site - it is worth it : http://www.charitynavigator.org/).

 

[MisterMike]

I don't think the number can correlate to anything the administration has done, which is how Rueters spun this story as well.

Poverty numbers are up x%. How much has the population of people living in this country gone up in 4 years?

It also doesn't say how many people were above the poverty line and then slipped below it.

Maybe there were none.

In that case, the poor are giving birth to more poor children.

I wonder if they counted illegals too...

 

[rmcrobertson]

Ah, capitalism....gotta love it...the alibis, the excuses, the recitation of shibboleths that work as a charm 'gainst reality, and the possibility that you too!! may be sold out.

All those poor people? It's the bucket joke; there aren't any, it's their own fault, and anyway there are more in Europe.

Never have so many settled for so little; never have so many--no, not even in the so-called Dark Ages--worked so hard as apologists for their oppressors, and for the system producing their oppression.

Must get a new Mekons CD...

 

[Makalakumu]

Never have so many settled for so little; never have so many--no, not even in the so-called Dark Ages--worked so hard as apologists for their oppressors, and for the system producing their oppression...

Pass the Kool-aid on this one, man.