Most US adults think individual choices keep people in poverty, a new AP-NORC/Harris poll finds

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-poverty-trump-homeless-encampments-low-income-ce63d233c86b4a219b47ee8403b5f2ca

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults think personal choices are a major driver of poverty and homelessness, according to a new poll, while fewer blame a lack of government support.

However, just over half also think the government spends too little on those in need, the new poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows.

The poll comes as homelessness is on the rise and as officials across the country, including Republican President Donald Trump in the nation’s capital, push to clear encampments where unhoused people live. At the same time, the GOP tax and spending cut bill signed into law by Trump in July is expected to reduce benefits for low-income people.

“It seems like people are a little conflicted,” said Bruce Meyer, a professor at the University of Chicago Harris School who helped craft and analyze the poll. “I think people probably realize, in part at least, the complexity of what leads people to get in trouble in terms of their economic circumstances. And I think a lot of people are generous at heart and will help people out and think the government should as well, even when individuals aren’t blameless.”

[AZJonnie]

1. Well, yeah, obviously if everyone just 'chose correctly' in their personal lives

It would automatically cause 10's of millions of 6-figure jobs to magically appear! McDonalds and Walmart would have to start paying these people who 'chose correctly' upwards of $30/hour (while simultaneously charging a lot less for their products). Mortgages/rents, vehicles, insurance, and medical care would magically become a LOT cheaper, and 100's more universities and trade schools would appear, and charge a LOT less money to attend them, too!

If everyone would just start "making better decisions", every single American could be a hedge fund manager or a surgeon, and nobody would have to flip burgers or stock shelves or slaughter livestock or do landscaping or load/drive trucks, that would all take of itself!

[leftstreet]

7. +1

[Silent Type]

2. Still at roughly 50% supporting trump's harsh solutions. Until we get past that, poor people will be victims.

And many of the victims are GOPers. They’ll still vote for trump.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

3. Breaking people who voted for this have no empathy

it's those peoples fault, I can hear it and you can see it in their thinking !


for 44 years (people who don't think for themselves) have believed in this quote from Reagan
The quote, often associated with Ronald Reagan's political philosophy, is: ""In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem".

While Reagan, Bush and Son, and Trump have all looted the government by deregulation and dismantling of government services, that allowed very wealthy people to be absurdly wealthy people.

Walmart is the biggest welfare queen in our country ! think bout that for a second
Elon or the big banks are most likely the welfare kings

[DBoon]

5. all you have to do is choose your parents carefully

that is why RFK Jr. is not a homeless heroin addict

[haele]

6. It's hard to choose the correct sperm and ovum to come from...

Most US adults that would answer like that are provincial herd thinkers at best, fearful sociopaths at worse.

"Oh, in hindsight, I'm poor because I made the wrong choices by:
...going to college, not going to college, joining the military, taking that particular job...
.. .getting married, not getting married, having kids, adopting, taking in those kids, not taking in those kids ...
....not buying that house, buying that house, buying that car...
....going to that company event, not going to the company event, quitting that job, not quitting that job...
....investing, not investing, buying that valuable thing, not buying that valuable thing, to cheat or scam that person or not..

So ultimately, I'm struggling financially because I didn't not choose to start life out a member of the lucky vagina club, and being at the right place at the right time with the right friends to leverage.
I could have been a Silicon Valley Tech Bro...
Really.
I had the same educational background, training and far more real world experience than Sam Altman, Peter Theil, and Elon Musk.
I only lacked three things they had -
A Network
Seed Money
The Willingness to sell my soul, grift or stab whomever I had to in order to make the deals going up the ladder. This last was the choice I made.
In other words, I wasn't a clever sociopath with access to other clever sociopaths. And I didn't choose to be a cynical, Get Along and Kiss Ass "Man for Any Reason".

[Solly Mack]

8. ...

[maspaha]

9. Of course it was my choice...

To quit my job to raise my kid

To get cancer and be in treatment for 10 years

But mostly it was my choice for my soon to be ex-spouse to move out 6 days shy of our 30th wedding anniversary (he left a note) while I was at a doctor appointment

I should just hurry up and die