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hfojvt

(37,573 posts)

78. living was an analogy

Sat Dec 27, 2014, 03:28 PM

Dec 2014

life being analogous to poverty. One is not near death just because some disaster could kill them. At least not near death the way people in surgery or ICU are.

In the same way one is not near poor just because a disaster would make them poor.

Having three kids, whereas I have none, does not sound like the worst place to be. Being able to feed your kids and get them Christmas presents doesn't sound like the worst either. Nor does being able to support your uncle Charlie along with your three sons.

Worry is really up to you. Either you can do something about it, or you cannot. One would be productive concern, the other would not. No COLA in 12 years? Either you can get a better job or you cannot. If you cannot, then it would seem you have a fairly good job right now.

My point about making more money than I do, is that I, myself, bought a house, saved a safety net, put money away for retirement - on very little income. I usually expect people with higher income to be able to do what I did. If I can do it, I pretty much feel like anyone can. I'm not that special.

But with five dependents and a spouse who became disabled, you may actually have less income than I do - less disposable income. But still, you seem to have some of the same life of George Bailey.

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In the U.S. 49.7 Million Are Now Poor, and 80% of the Total Population Is Near Poverty [View all] TalkingDog Dec 2014 OP

Puts the 1% right where we want them, doesn't it? Demeter Dec 2014 #1

we're all supposed to look a the SHINY numbers, TalkingDog Skittles Dec 2014 #2

I thought it was a squirrel? Cryptoad Dec 2014 #15

disturbing Ramses Dec 2014 #3

That is because . . . Brigid Dec 2014 #5

indeed, true Ramses Dec 2014 #6

Besides, this country is AWESOME! maddiemom Dec 2014 #53

heh.. yuiyoshida Dec 2014 #55

It's not ignored at all. It's cultivated to help the wealthy stay healthy. For now. n/t jtuck004 Dec 2014 #50

a dishonest headline hfojvt Dec 2014 #4

Thank you. There's a big difference between sometime poor and chronic poor. nolabear Dec 2014 #7

The same tactic is used for hunger stats too. 7962 Dec 2014 #22

The romneys were never poor. NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #24

"near poor" hfojvt Dec 2014 #33

They were never near poor either. Mitt's dad was Chairman of American Motors, Gov. of NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #45

I think you found the "blind spot" in their article. Major Hogwash Dec 2014 #26

Maybe... there are an awful lot of people 2 paychecks away from homeless... SomethingFishy Dec 2014 #51

and yet hfojvt Dec 2014 #52

Well I'm supporting 6 people, including 3 children SomethingFishy Dec 2014 #54

Your nineteenth-century ancestors . . . Brigid Dec 2014 #59

Hugs to you, honey! closeupready Dec 2014 #77

living was an analogy hfojvt Dec 2014 #78

If you are earning $13,000 per year and living on your own, not with some family JDPriestly Dec 2014 #58

sure the numbers add up hfojvt Dec 2014 #73

People should put money away. But you would not make it very far on what you have. JDPriestly Dec 2014 #76

I don't worry about what ifs hfojvt Dec 2014 #80

But then it isn't as sexy for the outrage addicts. Throd Dec 2014 #57

There would be no poor to speak of project_bluebook Dec 2014 #60

It's because they are lazy! Dustlawyer Dec 2014 #8

Just click on "smilies." Brigid Dec 2014 #10

if you need to know how to do it manually, it's like this. Ken Burch Dec 2014 #14

They are all politically ineffective, too. nt daredtowork Dec 2014 #9

I guess littlemissmartypants Dec 2014 #11

As Shelley once noted, poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #16

That sort of shines a spotlight on the "American Dream." NaturalHigh Dec 2014 #12

Yet our party refuses to mention the poor and poverty- Ken Burch Dec 2014 #13

"Our Party" ??? StevePaulson Dec 2014 #18

To be fair to the Democrats unrepentant progress Dec 2014 #37

"Our party" and the fascists both represent the interests of the bourgeoisie, who KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #20

Your point is well made... blackspade Dec 2014 #32

Well, the way I learned it, the bourgeoisie do not have to sell their KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #41

bourgeois exploiter.... blackspade Dec 2014 #44

Actually, bourgeois probably comes from the word "burg" which means town in German. JDPriestly Dec 2014 #61

With all due respect and thanks for your efforts, I'm not sure the need for a KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #63

If you read the article from which I quoted, the middle class, the bourgeosie was made up of JDPriestly Dec 2014 #64

Don't get me wrong. As a historical artifact, the bourgeoisie was a highly liberating element KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #65

Some definitions... vive la commune Dec 2014 #69

Just about all our problems can be,,, Cryptoad Dec 2014 #17

"The comfort of the rich relies on an abundance of the poor." Voltaire Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2014 #19

"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime." Balzac KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #21

�Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2014 #23

"All private property is theft." Proudhon. I'm going to stick with the French, who got there KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #25

OK. "Apr�s moi, le d�luge" Louis XVI Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2014 #28

LOL. Enchante. A bientot - nt KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #29

I can say from the experience of the last few years, "near poverty" is very different from poverty bhikkhu Dec 2014 #27

I grew up vacillating between poor and near poor and your post definitely rang KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #30

I had a similair experience growing up. blackspade Dec 2014 #34

I think some of my residual anger issues derive from late childhood and KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #36

I hear ya. blackspade Dec 2014 #42

I'm the same way... vive la commune Dec 2014 #70

Definitely harder on the kids bhikkhu Dec 2014 #39

+1000 blackspade Dec 2014 #43

Don't blame yourself for what capitalism has caused and continues to cause. As for KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #47

+++ thousands to your title line bread_and_roses Dec 2014 #48

Your post evoked memories I'd thought I left far behind Android3.14 Dec 2014 #49

Totally agree. I could have written yr post myself. truedelphi Dec 2014 #62

Revolution billhicks76 Dec 2014 #31

Wiat a minute. Gary 50 Dec 2014 #35

An ever deepening rift in everyday reality. From those who live in the real world. raouldukelives Dec 2014 #38

with help from our lovely democratic and republican politicians, mission accomplished nt msongs Dec 2014 #40

And the Koch Bros. are nearing the $100 billion mark. Initech Dec 2014 #46

And people on here finger wag at poor people for not having a diverse portfolio Skeeter Barnes Dec 2014 #56

Again with this? KentuckyWoman Dec 2014 #66

I shudder to think what these numbers were pre-Obama, six years ago. maced666 Dec 2014 #67

We must fight each other for the scraps UglyGreed Dec 2014 #68

But don't worry.... sendero Dec 2014 #71

Where are the guillotines? Odin2005 Dec 2014 #72

We can do better under Hillary. I am sure we can make 95% under her Katashi_itto Dec 2014 #74

If we use her definition of "broke", I guess we'll all be millionaires! MrMickeysMom Dec 2014 #75

so when will this get to be common knowledge outside the US? greymattermom Dec 2014 #79