A SIMPLE QUESTION

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   gmwilliamsposted 6 years ago

   
   HOW can poverty in the United States be......eliminated once & for all?

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      Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, gmwilliams, you are part of the solution. You should proffer that solution. Thank you.

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      Hxprofposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Poverty can never be eliminated.  It's an entirely intractable problem.

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         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         That is pure BULL.  Poverty can be eliminated.   No one has to be or should be poor.  Poverty is a disease that can be...……...ELIMINATED.   C'mon, put on your thinking caps!
         
         
         What can be done to teach the poor to become at least middle class?  How can the poor be taught to make intelligent & logical lifestyle choices?  How to teach the poor to respect education & achievement?
         
         
         The poor are POOR because they make unintelligent decisions.  They are instinctive, primitive, & backwards in their actions & "thought".  They act first & think later if at all.  They believe in immediate gratification instead of long-term goals.  They exist, even revel in the lower, rudimentary human needs. 
         
         
         The poor don't plan.  The poor are passive & teach their kids to be passive.  The poor also imbue their kids that they are nothing as they are.  The poor also have a crab in the barrel mentality.  They have nothing & don't want others to have anything.  The poor are envious of the middle & upper classes.  The poor want to live & act in the gutter.  Look at any poor neighborhood, there is graffiti, filth, & squalor.  Poor people DESTROY property & DECREASE property value. 
         
         The poor DON'T care.  But THEY must be MADE TO CARE in order to get them to decent middle class standards of living & values.  The poor don't have any value.  They are happy on the margins of society.  As I have reiterated, they are HAPPY being poor.  They even REVEL in it.  If they WEREN'T happy in poverty & being poor, they WOULDN'T be in such a dire socioeconomic predicament!
         
         People are becoming sick of the poor.  The poor are beginning to be seen as...…..EXCESS.   Solutions for poverty will be made either HUMANELY or INHUMANELY.  Society will decide in one way...…….OR ANOTHER!

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            Credence2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Can you make an omelet without breaking eggs?
            
            The only spots on earth with relatively low poverty rates and less income inequity is Scandinavia, but again we don't want to mention the dreaded word "Socialism".
            
            There is NO WAY to eliminate poverty in a Capitalist society. You are a sociologist, why don't you enlighten us?
            
            
            Or in the distant future when someone invents a "pattern replicator" where any and all matter can be assembled at the molecular and atomic level, people will no longer have the need to fight and struggle for subsistance. Much like the buggy whip is relegated to the museum today. Unfortunately, the technology to build such a device is well beyond the abilities of current science knowledge and technique. But, it would be an interesting development, the foundation of a totally new world.
            T

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               gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Oh God, Credence2.  Poverty in American society can be eliminated by educating the poor about the importance of education, self-development, & the rewards of achievement.  Also stress the importance of family planning in the poor community.   Another problem is emphasizing among the subset of poor people are the importance of TWO-PARENT, MARRIED families.   It's so SIMPLE, ISN'T IT!

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      lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      There really isn't much true "poverty" in the US. Ever been outside of a food bank? Half of them are smoking(which is expensive) and nearly all have cell phones. Most people, even the "poor" live in virtual luxury compared to people of most of history.

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         ahorsebackposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Absolutely !

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         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You are RIGHT.  I have seen the SAME THING!

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         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yes but they are in abject poverty compared to middle & upper class America.   Remember, the dumb kid in the smart class is still the dumb kid.  He may be smarter than the other dumb kids but he is dumb nevertheless-he isn't on par with the smart kids. 
         
         While the American poor are wealthier in comparison to the world's poor, they are poor in comparison to more affluent Americans.   There SHOULD BE NO POVERTY in America. America is the land of PLENTY.  The least an American should be is middle class.     Poverty can be ELIMINATED.   There is no excuse for poverty in America.

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            lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Abject poverty is a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?lol

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               gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Not at all.   Do you believe in human dignity?  All humans should have a comfortable, decent lifestyle for themselves & especially for their children.  Poverty adversely affects families, particularly children.  No child in America should be either poor or impoverished.

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                  lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  "Poor" people in america have cell phones, tv's, dishwashers, washing machines, cigarettes, alcohol, xboxes, and the list goes on. If you want to see a poor person, go to Nigeria or Calcutta. Then bitch and moan how it is their fault. You are a sick person.

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                     gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     In Nigeria & Calcutta, the poor are oppressed by their government. It isn't those poor people's fault that they are impoverished.  Their respective governments have to do something to alleviate third world poverty.   Third world poor people are truly poor but that is their government's doing.
                     
                     AGAIN, I am DISCUSSING the poor/impoverished in the United States.  While the American poor/impoverished are wealthy in comparison to the third world poor, they are STILL POOR/IMPOVERISHED in comparison to the AMERICAN MIDDLE & UPPER CLASSES.   DO YOU GET THIS?
                     
                     Many of the American poor/impoverished make decisions that lead to their poor/impoverished conditions.  They have been programmed generationally to accept being poor/impoverished as a viable, normative lifestyle.  I have observed such people.   Excluding certain circumstances such as temporary hard times, impairment, & recent immigration, there is no excuse for any reasonably, intelligent able bodied American to be poor/impoverished.  There are myriad opportunities for one to improve oneself educationally & socioeconomically if one CHOOSES to do so! THANK YOU!

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                        lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        Do YOU get that there are very few POOR people in America? Who cares if they have less money than the middle class or rich. THEY ARE NOT POOR.

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                           gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                           Tell THEM that & see THEIR responses, okay!

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                              lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              Who exactly would that be, GM? YOU are labeling Americans as poor, not me.

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                                 gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 You have to live in REALITY.  In America, there are lower income, middle income, & upper income people.  That is REALITY!

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                                    lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    Would you prefer everyone make the same exact amount of money? Should a janitor make the same amount as a brain surgeon?

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                                       gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       Of course NOT,  people earn according to educational & skill set levels.  The more educated & skilled people are, the more they earn.   However, there are some people who strongly aver that everyone should make the same amount of money but such a premise is totally fantastical into the realm of being purely ludicrous.

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                              lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              I notice you used a photo from the depression era to highlight your post. Why didn't you use a photo of modern day poor americans?

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                                 ahorsebackposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                 Because that modern poor has a thousand dollar smart phone , food stamps ,  a subsidized apartment ,  free bus passes and an Oxycodone habit ?

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                                    gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                    On OUR tax dollars.   Wouldn't be nice to teach the poor to have a comfortable, decent life EARNING their way.  That way they will have SELF-RESPECT & their children will see such SELF-RESPECT & believe in the benefits of a strong work ethic which will influence the latter's attitude towards education & socioeconomic achievement.   It is the social programs which makes life EASY for the American poor which destroys their initiative to improve themselves.
                                    
                                    Let's cut the social/welfare programs by 90-95%, institute MANDATORY workfare & education programs.  The American poor have to taught the benefits of positive self-sufficiency, accountability, & responsibility.  They have to taught that all improvement starts w/THEM.   Pull themselves by THEIR bootstraps!

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                                       gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                       Ahorseback, when the American poor had it more onerous w/o the social programs, they struggled & some saw poverty/being poor as the impetus to get out of impoverishment.  They worked & sacrificed to get out poverty to provide a better socioeconomic life for themselves & for their children.  It is the massive social/welfare programs of the 1960s which killed the incentives of some American poor.  Such social/welfare programs caused some American poor to be quite comfortable thus they lost any incentive to better themselves.

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                              Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                              Hi, lovetherain, you are correct. At times things are like that. They get less money with fewer worries and lots of happiness. The rich miss all these really?

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                     Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     In Nigeria, the poor also have android and blackberry phones. They build a house. Sent their children to private schools and public universities.  Cigarettes, alcohols, wines, and all the lists that go on they had it. I think they display this to cover up their inferiority complex. They give the best education to their children.
                     
                     The formal system of education realized is compared to that of America. Employment becomes a problem after graduating especially at from university. No work, when the graduates want a job!
                     
                     Lately, a liberal Senator is criticizing the western educational system for failing in employment opportunities. He called on the church to take over the challenge! He was a Moslem.  Majority of poor are those employed in the civil or government services. Their pays are poor, and so they are poor.
                     
                     Early this year, the Federal government of Nigeria, bargain with workers to pay around $150 minimum monthly by August.  Characteristically, it has aborted it. The excuse is that they are no money! This is how the government make people poor. Thank you.

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      CJWood71posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Well, this is an interesting question. Many books have been written on the subject, but I will add my two cents.
      
      There are several things that would go a long way towards eliminating poverty, the first step is education. We need to teach young people how to think critically, with an emphasis on math and science. Our current system teaches kids how to feel, rather than giving them the tools to formulate their own ideas and opinions.
      
      We need to educate young people about economics and how to handle finances. It amazes me how many people don't understand simple financial concepts, such as interest paid versus interest earned. This results in them making poor financial decisions that hold them back.
      
      Stop teaching victimhood. Too many young people have stopped trying because they have been told all their lives that society is unfair and rigged against them. This mindset is devastating to the youth. We should be teaching them that if they work hard they can attain their dreams.
      
      I don't feel that poverty can ever be completely eliminated, but these steps would help. What we shouldn't do is give the illusion that government can solve all our problems, because it can't.

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         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         +1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            "1. Stop teaching (encouraging) victimhood.
            
            2. Teach young people (give them an awareness of) how to think critically, with an emphasis on math and science.
            
            3. Educate (provide understanding) about economics
            and how to handle financial issues.
            
            4. Teach (inspire) them that if they work hard they can attain their dreams."
            Thankyou, CJWood71
            
            
            ALSO Education should be about preparing the youth for adulthood. Patents and Teachers can help them develop the tools they need to become capable and talented, while at the same time helping them maintain their natural motivations and interests.
            Toward this end, Parents and Teachers can gently guide children with awareness and sensitivity regarding the intrinsic motivations of each child. In this way we facilitate their own goals and ambitions.
            
            Its a slight turning of the dial from an attitude of force and expectation, to one of encouragement and inspiration. Children are generally very smart. What they don't have is understanding. By providing understanding  we can help them light up their minds, wills and hearts!
            
            Children are born with an abundance of Joy of life and this Joy can be kept in tact.
            
            Adults need to learn how.
            Its not that hard, considering we too were children once.

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      Sharlee01posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Very interesting question. I believe to solve a problem one must take an in-depth look at the problem. Poverty... So what human condition leads to one be poor?  There are many conditions that can lead one to poverty. Lack of jobs, the inability to work due to a disability be it physical or mental. One can simply be lazy, lack the motivation to work and provide funds to support themselves.  All these conditions can lead to poverty.  In America, we do provide financial help for all of the above conditions except for the problem of laziness.  We provide unemployment insurance, welfare as well as disability funds for those that can't work. Yet we still see poverty in our country.  In my Opinion, the only way to stop poverty is to solve all of the problems above. Although this is totally impossible is it not?

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   ahorsebackposted 6 years ago

   By doing what Americans do best , Stepping over them , walking around them ,  looking the other way while avoiding , grasping onto your pocket books and wallets  and judging them negatively and prejudice while in the business of your day to day living .
   
   Keep up the great work America .

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   Miebakagh57posted 6 years ago

   Hi, ahorseback, I am a Nigerian still in Nigeria. But I agree with you. America first. It is the right thing to keep America working.

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      ahorsebackposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      The poor must never be forgotten no matter where they live !   Nigeria or New Mexico ,   Remember , A strong America  is good for a strong world ,  if we mentally "step around '  the poor man here , then we do the same thing world wide .
      
      Dealing effectively with the poor shows us all how good a heart we have towards humanity itself , How are things in Nigeria  at present ?  This is the one area that  I believe  in- One World Order- ,  saving the greatest people on earth , those who built this very world  for all of us .

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         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I SAID ELIMINATE POVERTY, NOT TOLERATE IT AS YOU ADVOCATE!  HOW CAN POVERTY BE...………….TOTALLY ELIMINATED?  HOW TO GET RID OF POVERTY?! CAN YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS! NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION AS TO HOW TO ELIMINATE POVERTY?!

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            Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Hi,gmwilliams, what level of poverty do you want to be eliminated totally?

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               gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               ALL LEVELS...…...

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         Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Hello, ahorseback, my good friend., yes the poor everywhere should be protected. I do feel for them. Yesterday, I was musing along the line that will help a neighbor. As a person who God bless believe you me, I am not rich. But I do know how to reach out.
         
         in Nigeria at the moment, the so-called liberals, democratic, capitalist are begging for the poor man vote for February 2019 election to the various offices Senate, Presidency, and so on! Come to think of it! Begging the poor for votes! The very poor who are despise and trope down! The poor are hungry. Some are being killed daily. Some are running away from danger and into another danger. Babes, children, windows, and orphans are hungry. It is like Recheal crying for her children and could not be consoled.
         
         Some local chefs are calling for America for help! Your good prayers are needed in such a tumulous time. Thank you.

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            gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            The poor should be so-called protected.  Are you stated that the poor can't do?!  Well, the poor CAN DO.  Poor people can better THEIR condition if they WANT TO...…………. BUT DO THEY WANT TO GET OUT OF POVERTY?!    It seems that many poor are using poverty to GUILT others & to make others FEEL AH SO SORRY for them?!    Are poor people  LAZY?   People are poor because of their UNINTELLIGENT, ILLOGICAL, & BACKWARD actions, no more no less!

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

   The  poorest people are the homeless who have problems with substance abuse and mental issues. How can we eradicate poverty?
   
   It starts with taking better care of ourselves from birth on.
   (Understatement)

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   Miebakagh57posted 6 years ago

   Hi, gmwilliams, this can apply to some persons in any country. Some poor fellas who won the lotto had lost the incentive or initiative to better they personal responsibility like advancing their education and careers. Prove me wrong if you can.
   
   Persons who receive incentives from government or social agency at times will not border to shoulder any small responsibility. They just go on as there are waiting for the incentive to fall on their laps weekly or monthly. This type of the poor is fools and idiots.

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   Miebakagh57posted 6 years ago

   Hi, gmwilliams, why limit them to the middle class? Why not take them to find a room among the upper and superclass? Some of these poor you are deriding has the heart for attaining such heart when the right opportunity strikes. You hardly take that into consideration, or you are feigning ignorance? Thank you.

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      gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Poor people are LUCKY if they reach the middle class.  C'mon with their mindset, most poor people will be poor to impoverished all their lives.  Poor children, let's face it, are doomed from the start.  Poor children in all likelihood will end up to be poor to impoverished like their parents & grandparents.  It is a RARITY for poor people to become socioeconomically wealthy.  They don't have the innate talent nor acumen to become successful & socioeconomically wealthy. They DON'T have it within them.

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         Miebakagh57posted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Hi, gmwilliams, no I disagree with you. They have the mindset. Some are limited financially to pursue careers. Many of the rich and superrich came from a poor background. Check your history books and do some research. One such fellow was a newspaper seller, who later had the best insurance company in America. Some put down their experience in black and white which you benefited. Even some of your presidents have benefited from their writings.
         
         Hi, gmw, try to look for something good for the poor in your America. Or are you a mouthpiece for propaganda?

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            ahorsebackposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Please forgive such from America Miebakagh,  You are correct , Some people have forgotten the greatest lessons of history  ,  Perhaps GM lives in a "bad neighborhood " that GM helped to actually create . They forget that they too actually would have been considered "poor ".............I wonder if GM even " tips "
            the poor waiter when they bring the mocha latte ? Or the gardener when they trim the weeds from  the lawn and sweep the walkway?

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               gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               
               HERE HE GOES YET AGAIN...……………..WHEN WILL IT END!  WHEN WILL IT END!

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

   PS The setting of boundaries is where toughness is required.
   
     And Never say "No" unless you can back it up.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

   for children in a true Montessori classroom where boundaries are firmly in place, work is play!
   
   ... to eliminate poverty, Adults could see it (work) like that, (as fun, purposeful, interesting, meaningful, etc.)
   
   - what are some good boundaries for adults?
   
   No smoking
   No drinking,
   No stimulants
   No depressants
   No couch potatoe-ing in front of screens.
   No going to bed too late
   No getting up too late
   No slothfulness
   No selfishness and greed
   No binging on junk food ...
   
   all the usual

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

   a sample of boundaries adults can set (firmly) when working with children:
   
   1. Never allow a child to tell you what to do.
   2. Never allow a child to talk back to you.
   3. No means no. Do not be blackmailed by crying. Maintain your stand.
   4. Never allow a child to hit you.
   5. Never allow a child to hit another child.
   6. Never allow a child to talk rudely or meanly to another child.
   7. Never allow children to rough house or run through a room.
   8. Never allow equipment or tools to be misused.
   9. A place for everything and everything in its place.
   10. If a child wishes to borrow something from another child he should ask in a polite manner. If the other child's response is "No", then his answer is to be respected.

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    FURTERMORE
    If a child is consistently and firmly provided boundaries, he will retain them for the rest of his life. The boundaries are permanently absorbed into his psyche and become indelible.
    
    
    AND if a child is given freedom within those boundaries in an environment conducive to learning about life all around him (science) how to communicate (writing) how to pursue interests (reading), a child will thrive.
    
    A child does better when not confined to a desk. He could be free to choose self-directed activities designed for self-teaching.
    
    If every child were free to work in a specially designed learning environment, there would be no poverty. He would grow up in touch with his curiosity, interests and motivations. He would be in touch with the good-will of his true nature. He would be able to solve problems, have faith in life and know his own strengths.
    
    It starts in childhood. There's your simple answer, gmwilliams

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       gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Totally AGREE w/your eloquent premise.

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    thank you! 
    ... and can the government help out toward these ends?
    HA!

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    This is an interesting song by The Pretenders, which somehow fits here:
    
    ( It would be better for adults get it together within themselves to be a positive influence on the ...)
    
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTXm0x1m7BE

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