What is poverty nowadays?

1. 68

   Sara Jofreposted 9 years ago

   What is poverty nowadays?
   
   Nowadays people have computers with internet connection, clothes, a home, a car, and claim to be poor... "we" scream "we are the 99%" being against the top 1%, but can we really put ourselves in the same place as the 80% of people with less than 10 dollars a day? We are the TOP 20% and still say, "I'm poor"... are we or are we just spoiled brats? What is poverty nowadays?
   
   

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 9 years ago

   Poverty is an epidemic in this country. So many homeless and hungry. I think for many there is a misconception as to the poor. They want to think it is the poor person's fault for their circumstances. All it takes is the loss of one job in a household and one can be one paycheck away from poverty. Poverty is a horrible thing. I do not think anyone can really understand it if they have not experienced it. Not knowing where your next meal is coming from is very sad indeed.
   
   Poverty is not always the person's fault. Take the mentally ill for instance, they need help in the worst way. But, the help is just not there. Many veterans are also poor because they have PTSD and cannot cope with society. Let us be more compassionate to the impoverished, one day we could very well be in their shoes.

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   1. 68

      Sara Jofreposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Of course the homeless and hungry are poor, my question is what about all those who are not hungry, who are not homeless but still assume themselves as "poor" and demand others to give them more and more... I find it quite offensive for the real poor

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   2. 0

      JThomp42posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The federal poverty line for a family of four was $23,283 last year. How can anyone actually live comfortably on that kind of money? There are the poor, and then there are the impoverished.

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3. 81

   dashingscorpioposted 9 years ago

   People are only concerned with comparing themselves to those within their own country. As a child my mom would try to get us to eat foods we didn't like by mentioning how grateful we should be or "think about the starving children..." (wherever). Nevertheless knowing about them did not change my taste buds or my desire to have something else!
   I believe it's human nature to look up the mountain you're climbing as opposed to celebrating the fact that at least you're ahead of many others. Everyone has their own wants and desires.
   Wealth to a certain extent is a state of mind or feeling one has about their financial security. There are people with a net worth of a million dollars who worry about falling into poverty. I know people who have received promotions and raises, taken exotic vacations, seen their 401ks rise, and have purchased new cars over the last seven years who will tell you the U.S. economy is in the dumps!
   Not being able to do what you want or feeling like the majority of people are doing better than you can cause someone to feel like they are poor.
   A guy receiving an unemployment check, food stamps, living in a one bedroom apartment, complete with running water, kitchen appliances, furniture, flat screen TVs,  and smart phones is still  going to feel poor.
   Sure it beats living in Somalia!
   Each nation's living standards define what poverty is for (their) nation.

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4. 80

   peachpurpleposted 9 years ago

   beggars on the streets and people begging for food that i what i call poverty. If we are jobless but still living under a roof, that is not poverty.

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