Change my mind; The poors are poor because they want to be poor

[roamin]

Prove me wrong;

People who are healthy and remain poor in America are poor because they want to be poor I know that because if they didn't want it to be that way then it'd be another way. We want every situation in our lives to be the way it is. Anyone who's not where they want to be in life has only themselves to blame.

The great thing about capitalism is that we are paid based on how much value we bring to the marketplace and that we are free to work hard our selves to learn the skills necessary to bring more value to the marketplace and in turn we literally have the freedom to choose our own income no matter how high and aspire to it through hard work. Lots of people confuse working hard on the job with working hard on yourself learning skills.

In America we have everything we need to become successful. We have one of if not the largest economy in the world. We have all the opportunities we need. We have all the infrastructure we need. We have all the colleges we need. With the benefits of modern technology it's easier for us to succeed than anyone at any point in history before us. With modern technology we have the knowledge of the world at our fingertips we can learn any new skill. We have every reason to succeed. This is why anyone who's healthy and living in America who's poor is poor because they want to be poor it's a choice and it's one we should be grateful for the freedom to have because doing all the hard work it takes to become successful is not for everyone.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Soooooooo, why are you a poor?

 

[quietmike]

The overwhelming majority of poor in the US are poor due to bad life choices and/or laziness.
If you finish school, get a job, get married, and have kids, in that order, your chances of ever living in poverty are in the single digits.

 

[walldog]

You stay on 'massa' government's tit for generation after generation and keep voting for the political party that holds you down.....yep, that's the way to stay poor.

 

[MtnCreek]

Give a poor person money and watch how fast they get rid of it.

Oh shits, got some money in my pocket, better get rid of that shit RIGHT NOW!

 

[EddieNFL]

Not sure they "want" to be poor. Ask a poor if he would take a million dollars if offered. In many, I think the lazy gene overpowers the motivation gene. Some poors are poor because they aren't intelligent enough to progress beyond menial employment. Not a dig, just a fact. If I were smarter, I would live in a larger house and drive a Denali, not a Tundra.

 

[Wading]

The mentally poor are always thinking of women and luxury while the people who STAY rich are thinking how to build, achieve, generate, produce and expand. This is the way. A lot of them are always on social media watching how Kim k and her family squander money and they want to do the same. No Plan, No target, no aim but they want to be successful and stay that way forever. What a dream based on falsities.

 

[SSG69]

They don’t want any responsibility. They may have the right idea! Lay around and fuck while someone else makes sure you have food to eat and a roof over your head!

 

[EddieNFL]

The mentally poor are always thinking or women ...

I guess I'm partially mentally poor (assuming you meant "thinking of")

 

[Wading]

I guess I'm partially mentally poor (assuming you meant "thinking of")

I am no doctor but you seem fine to me my good sir, Plus i bet you live in a big house with lots of guns and ammo.

 

[Fig]

90% is drugs/alcohol.

Not everyone defines happiness as working hard and/or making lots of money. Our poor here are fat, live in AC, drive cars, and have cell phones. They’re rich by most of the world’s standards, and they live better than kings compared to 200 years ago.

There’s nothing wrong with being poor, unless you want to take what someone else has earned. Then they should be lined up and shot in the face

 

[SSG69]

I guess I'm partially mentally poor (assuming you meant "thinking of")

Yep, you have anxiety. Let’s get you signed up for benefits

 

[MtnCreek]

Yep, you have anxiety. Let’s get you signed up for benefits

What does the crabs pay?

 

[johnnycat]

I'm gonna follow this thread but I'm interested in what @TheGerman has the say.

I think what you are saying is...if you want that SR25 bad enough you will work hard enough to get it?

 

[candyx]

When people are comfortable they exist where they are and rarely make changes. Intelligence or the lack of it is also a key element if your poor or not and lastly your up-bring if your parents don't direct you in becoming something other then a bum.

Then you have government policies mostly democratic that are designed to keep you poor by giving you welfare to stay home and live a meager existence just so you vote for them so they retain power. Affirmative Action Polices took away any chance for you to succeed on your own to live the American Dream by offering you jobs base on skin color and gender not your qualifications.

I'm no means poor by far but I worked my ass off for everything i'v have earned but I feel poor when I see people who made it to the next level.

So I must be a Poor at times myself......

 

[deersniper]

Only reason to be a poor in today’s world is if you have some true health problem or got screwed over in a divorce and are now an indentured slave. Piles of people are on disability that could be working somewhere.


There are a lot of dumb lazy people out there. We have been taking from the smart productive people and giving to the shit people so they can breed like rats. All while telling the smart productive people that the earth is over populated. They have 0-2 kids while the rats have 4-10.



Anyone who has to work with or hire people that are below the college/trades educated level can see all this. Poor decisions. Drug use. Too lazy to show up. Etc.

 

[remaction]

At 17, I knew if I was to ever have the things I wanted that I needed a plan because nobody was going to give me, or leave me, anything. Being poor was not an option. I had to set goals, revise goals, and stick to the plan for what I wanted, when I wanted it, and where I wanted to be at 60 years old. I turn 60 in a couple of weeks and by gosh, things worked out. Funny how that works...

 

[Mwalex]

Most of us are where we are due to decisions. Being a poor can be cause and effect. If you have no issues with the long game, putting in sweat equity and investing in yourself being a poor becomes a slim chance. If those things scare you the a poor you shall be.

It is also a matter of how “poor” is defined.

 

[Powder_Burns]

Ever read ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’?

 

[oneshot86]

Give a poor person money and watch how fast they get rid of it.

Oh shits, got some money in my pocket, better get rid of that shit RIGHT NOW!

Burns a hole right in their pocket

 

[Rocketvapor]

No mortgage, no car note, my truck rims are payed for, retired on fixed income, military health insurance supplements my Medicare, spend only what money I already have (missing out of all those free miles )
Stimulus check is still on the fridge door (good for a year).
Yup, I'm poor.
Those that lost their jobs were likely the first cut because of poor performance anyway.

 

[goosed]

I'll agree that I think it's important to first define being poor...

I bought my first house (3 bed, 2 bath n 3 car) in suburbia when I was the sole income and making less than $35,000. Was I poor back then? Probably... sure felt house rich and money poor.

I remember the first time our house hold income broke $70,000. She looked at me and said maybe that's why life seemed so easy this year, we've finally made it... Even though we thought that was turning point to living on easy street at that point, was I still poor?

Hell, even today I don't make the $200k+ plus that some here claim is barely surviving and I certainly don't meet the standard set by others here who are shocked that not everyone views $20k+ rocks as costing peanuts... does that mean I'm still poor?

To me as long as you can afford to have all your needs (not wants) met every day without needing or asking for any help from uncle sugar tits or anyone else you're doing just fine. Too many today think they need a handout cause they aren't keeping up with the Jones. It's really kinda pathetic... to me those are the real poors

 

[roamin]

Not sure they "want" to be poor. Ask a poor if he would take a million dollars if offered. In many, I think the lazy gene overpowers the motivation gene. Some poors are poor because they aren't intelligent enough to progress beyond menial employment. Not a dig, just a fact. If I were smarter, I would live in a larger house and drive a Denali, not a Tundra.

Of course they want to be poor we are responsible for every situation in our lives. Just because a poors would accept a million dollar hand out doesn't change anything especially since no ones handing out a million dollars to any one individual thus if you want a million bucks that's not the way to get it.

 

[roamin]

Ever read ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’?

Yes. The content of some public speakers should be mandatory in high school. Jim Rohn is my personal favorite.

 

[Lunchbox27]

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will bitch that he now has to work for it and want what is free.

 

[Maggot]

The overwhelming majority of poor in the US are poor due to bad life choices and/or laziness.
If you finish school, get a job, get married, and have kids, in that order, your chances of ever living in poverty are in the single digits.

This^^^.

I was doing really well and make a couple bad financial choices (one investing with someone who I had made a lot of money with in the past and then got ripped off for a big part of my retirement savings) and now find myself, while far from destitute, in very shaky circumstances. Im far from lazy but 'choices' got me.

 

[isofahunter]

Welcome to this side of the fence.

 

[Ankeny]

It is also a matter of how “poor” is defined.

I agree. I often get pissed to the max with some of the comments made on this forum about "the poors". So WTF is a "poor" anyway? I have a brother who has given more to society, to his his extended family, and to others that are in need, than one can imagine. Yes, those are/were his personal choices. It just kind of pisses me off that people who have given so selflessly in terms of sweat and money are often times ridiculed for not having a pot to piss in.

On the flip side, if the "poors" are people who are fit to work but sit around on their nuts all day smoking cigarettes, drinking lukewarm beer, while binge watching an old TV series on Netflix, all on the government dime, then fuck them.

 

[oneshot86]

Boy, talk about someone who takes a joke literally.
Lighten up francis

 

[candyx]

I agree. I often get pissed to the max with some of the comments made on this forum about "the poors". So WTF is a "poor" anyway? I have a brother who has given more to society, to his his extended family, and to others that are in need, than one can imagine. Yes, those are/were his personal choices. It just kind of pisses me off that people who have given so selflessly in terms of sweat and money are often times ridiculed for not having a pot to piss in.

On the flip side, if the "poors" are people who are fit to work but sit around on their nuts all day smoking cigarettes, drinking lukewarm beer, while binge watching an old TV series on Netflix, all on the government dime, then fuck them.

Sat on my nuts a few times man did it hurt....

 

[theLBC]

what is poor?

despite what we all want to believe, everyone does not have the same opportunities to succeed.
that is more often because of choices the parent(s) make, and not because of some systemic control over their futures.

 

[lightman]

I won't try to change your mind because I mostly agree. The United States of America was once called "The Land of Opportunity" for a reason. There are jobs out there even now. Sure, hard working guys have a bad run of luck sometimes. Life happens! But you get up and move on.

 

[theLBC]

what is poor?

despite what we all want to believe, everyone does not have the same opportunities to succeed.
that is more often because of choices the parent(s) make, and not because of some systemic control over their futures.

and that isn't to say that there are no systemic hurdles for poor people, particularly in democrat controlled cities.

you might believe every child has the same opportunity to succeed, but then you are probably not forced to send your child to a school that only graduates <25% of the kids that attend them, year after year after year.

 

[10ring'r]

I think it has taken us generations to get to where we are today. Point being, once welfare started to be a "thing", in this country and more and more was dolled out, we as a society, got complacent. Welfare was supposed to be a "hand-up, not a hand-out". I grew up (in my formidable years) in a run-down trailer house, in the middle of Oregon farm country and started working the farm when I was 10. Family wasn't rich, by no means, but, dad worked, mom took care of the home/us and I went to school and all the way up until I graduated, school prepared me for life, including getting out in the work force. I never knew of "welfare", the whole time I was in school. It was never taught or discussed. Now and this started in the 80's, when I was stationed in Ca., that my kids were taught "The System" as early as Jr. High. WTF??
Our priorities have diminished and why our kids are as lazy as they are, plus, mom and dad aren't kicking them out of the house, so, they can make a life for themselves. WE, as parents, have created this. We have been too easy on a couple of generations and we are "reaping what we sow".
I've made decent money in my lifetime, not rich, but, sure as hell not poor either. I look back at some of the spending I've done and thought, could I have been "wiser", sure, could I have "Invested" better, sure. You get out of life, what you put in, period. It's how it's supposed to work. That's what makes this Country as great as it is. IF you keep making bad decisions, over and over, don't expect your life to get any better and sure as hell, don't blame someone else, for your own stupidity, or what you don't "have". Just say'n. Mac

 

[roamin]

what is poor?

despite what we all want to believe, everyone does not have the same opportunities to succeed.
that is more often because of choices the parent(s) make, and not because of some systemic control over their futures.

The premise of this thread is applicable regardless of what socioeconomical percentage of society you define as the poor. That premise is that we want every situation in our lives to be the way it is because that's how it is. I know that because if we didn't want it to be that way then it'd be another way.

You are correct not everyone has had the same opportunities to succeed. Those that came before us at earlier times in history didn't have the benefits of modern technology, infrastructure, or transportation to name a few of the reasons why it's easier for us than it has been for anyone at any point in history before. We also live longer now than in previous history giving us more time. See it doesn't matter what means one comes from with their parents because there is enough opportunity that anyone can succeed if they want to.

 

[Redmanss]

I agree. I often get pissed to the max with some of the comments made on this forum about "the poors". So WTF is a "poor" anyway? I have a brother who has given more to society, to his his extended family, and to others that are in need, than one can imagine. Yes, those are/were his personal choices. It just kind of pisses me off that people who have given so selflessly in terms of sweat and money are often times ridiculed for not having a pot to piss in.

On the flip side, if the "poors" are people who are fit to work but sit around on their nuts all day smoking cigarettes, drinking lukewarm beer, while binge watching an old TV series on Netflix, all on the government dime, then fuck them.

You're totally misreading the "poors" tongue-in-cheek dialogue on here. They're directed at those who do nothing but talk shit about top shelf brands, having never run them and declaring 'sour grapes', so because of their refusal to invest good money into good gear, they're relegated to "the poors". It has nothing to do with their income level or lifestyle, it has to do with their shit talking attitude while they have zero clue on what they're speaking of.

Here's a perfect example: When it comes to the poors, I'm one when it comes to cars and trucks. I believe one has to be a fucking idiot to pay $80k for a vehicle that isn't going to make them at least $40k back in the first year of ownership and finish paying for itself soon thereafter. Audis, BMWs, Raptors, along with anything above XLT grade trim on a truck, are for morons, and I won't roll a new vehicle off the lot and take that value hit when I can pay 40% less while letting someone else do it for me, and still get 15-20 years of use out of said vehicle. Never mind I can easily afford those vehicles, I just refuse to put my money into one. But at the same time, you won't see anything less than a Nightforce on one of my rifles. I'm a poor in auto discussions, and just another richie in LR discussions.

 

[theLBC]

I think it has taken us generations to get to where we are today. Point being, once welfare started to be a "thing", in this country and more and more was dolled out, we as a society, got complacent. Welfare was supposed to be a "hand-up, not a hand-out". I grew up (in my formidable years) in a run-down trailer house, in the middle of Oregon farm country and started working the farm when I was 10. Family wasn't rich, by no means, but, dad worked, mom took care of the home/us and I went to school and all the way up until I graduated, school prepared me for life, including getting out in the work force. I never knew of "welfare", the whole time I was in school. It was never taught or discussed. Now and this started in the 80's, when I was stationed in Ca., that my kids were taught "The System" as early as Jr. High. WTF??
Our priorities have diminished and why our kids are as lazy as they are, plus, mom and dad aren't kicking them out of the house, so, they can make a life for themselves. WE, as parents, have created this. We have been too easy on a couple of generations and we are "reaping what we sow".
I've made decent money in my lifetime, not rich, but, sure as hell not poor either. I look back at some of the spending I've done and thought, could I have been "wiser", sure, could I have "Invested" better, sure. You get out of life, what you put in, period. It's how it's supposed to work. That's what makes this Country as great as it is. IF you keep making bad decisions, over and over, don't expect your life to get any better and sure as hell, don't blame someone else, for your own stupidity, or what you don't "have". Just say'n. Mac

i think the problem with welfare is that it has lacked enough incentive or help to get off it, hence we now have 3 generations of women in the same families, with multiple children and fathers, that have never had a job in their lives.
that is grandmother on welfare that never worked.
her daughter(s) on welfare that have never worked.
and her daughter(s) on welfare that have never worked, with kids not old enough to have kids yet.

the dems give them just enough to survive and vote.

 

[BufordTJustice]

I've always thought "poor" was a character flaw, being short on funds ,"broke",was a temporary inconvenience. Sometimes lasting indefinitely!

 

[candyx]

 

[roamin]

I've always thought "poor" was a character flaw, being short on funds ,"broke",was a temporary inconvenience. Sometimes lasting indefinitely!

I don't think poor is character flaw it's just a choice. Hard work is not for everyone.

 

[JbBooks]

Give a poor person money and watch how fast they get rid of it.

Oh shits, got some money in my pocket, better get rid of that shit RIGHT NOW!

“Comfortably broke” is the phrase your looking for, it doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or a hundredthaire, you’re gonna have the amount of cash on hand that you’re comfortable living with.

 

[BufordTJustice]

I don't think poor is character flaw it's just a choice. Hard work is not for everyone.

It's not? Dang! Most of the work I do is hard...even the easy stuff!

 

[roamin]

It's not? Dang! Most of the work I do is hard...even the easy stuff!

Don't confuse working hard on the job with working hard on yourself to learn skills that bring value to the marketplace and thus pay more.

 

[candyx]

When they sentence you to serve hard labor do they pay you more then the other convicts ?

 

[10ring'r]

i think the problem with welfare is that it has lacked enough incentive or help to get off it, hence we now have 3 generations of women in the same families, with multiple children and fathers, that have never had a job in their lives.
that is grandmother on welfare that never worked.
her daughter(s) on welfare that have never worked.
and her daughter(s) on welfare that have never worked, with kids not old enough to have kids yet.

the dems give them just enough to survive and vote.

You are correct and is why this whole "welfare" thing, is just one big perpetual lifestyle. It just keeps going and going, just like the Energizer Bunny. Grandma sits around and bit^$es, daughter sits around and bit*&es, so on and so forth(could be grandpas, fathers, sons, too). One big circle-jerk. Instead of doing something to change/better their life, they just bit*^.
As I described in my post, I grew-up close to poverty level and I knew I wanted to be better off than my parents were, so, I did something about it, I F'n got an edumacation and went to F'n work. And as they say...The rest is history! Everyone can do the same thing as I did, because, I'm sure as hell not special. My advice...Get the best education(stay in school, instead of just hanging out bang'n(dual meanings to this)) that you can and get the F to WORK! Mac

 

[theLBC]

You are correct and is why this whole "welfare" thing, is just one big perpetual lifestyle. It just keeps going and going, just like the Energizer Bunny. Grandma sits around and bit^$es, daughter sits around and bit*&es, so on and so forth(could be grandpas, fathers, sons, too). One big circle-jerk. Instead of doing something to change/better their life, they just bit*^.
As I described in my post, I grew-up close to poverty level and I knew I wanted to be better off than my parents were, so, I did something about it, I F'n got an edumacation and went to F'n work. And as they say...The rest is history! Everyone can do the same thing as I did, because, I'm sure as hell not special. My advice...Get the best education(stay in school, instead of just hanging out bang'n(dual meanings to this)) that you can and get the F to WORK! Mac

maybe, but if you go to a school where 75% of kids don't graduate, and democrats in control won't let anyone give you a chance to go to a charter school or private school in the neighborhood with your tax dollars, your odds aren't looking so good.
and this is why democrats love failure factories and vehemently defend them. they pump out votes.

if obama did one great thing during his presidency, he proved without a doubt that you can't fix failure factory public schools with more money.

the biggest secret of his 2 terms might not be that he spied on trump.
it is that he spent $9 billion on a small number of these chronically failing schools, and no amount of money could improve them.
he completely disproved the democrat argument that these schools, families and communities suffer because conservatives refuse to give them enough money to turn things around. the only thing that improved test scoring was to replace the teachers and principal of the school and create a brand new school environment, essentially shutting down the failure factory.
make sure you never let a democrat use funding to defend a failing public school.

 

[goosed]

When they sentence you to serve hard labor do they pay you more then the other convicts ?

I believe hard labor sentences no longer exists in this country outside of movies.

You might get a "day for a day" deal as part of your sentencing where each day you work counts as an extra day towards your sentence (also known as "good time served"), but forced labor is generally frowned upon for some reason these days.

 

[candyx]

I believe hard labor sentences no longer exists in this country outside of movies.

You might get a "day for a day" deal as part of your sentencing where each day you work counts as an extra day towards your sentence (also known as "good time served"), but forced labor is generally frowned upon for some reason these days.

I wonder if they brought that back would it lower the rate of crime knowing that your going to be working your ass off for nothing.

 

[theLBC]

I wonder if they brought that back would it lower the rate of crime knowing that your going to be working your ass off for nothing.

don't they get paid? they should, jmho.
letting people out of prison without any money is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Milo 2.5]

I don't think poor is character flaw it's just a choice. Hard work is not for everyone.

I think you have made the simplest synapsis of complex situation that I have ever read.
JFC, there are extremely hard working immigrants that cross the border to pick crops most white people could or would not do and yet still remain poor by earnings standards. Demographics play a huge role, as does education, etc...
Lot of people work for others in decent paying paying jobs end up on the poorer side just because of economy shifts. Living their whole lives not willing to stick their necks out because of risk factor or financial backing.
How about inner city folks who haver never traveled more than 5 miles from their birth place, there is so much that has failed these types, and yes, maybe the biggest one is themselves. But either they don't have the education or trust the education they did receive, or have the guidance(parents) to help them succeed.
Yes, we have bill gates and jeff bezos who made it big time, but most of the uber rich in our country were born into it.
My wife and I worked for others our whole working career, we never really struggled, but not until we were both 46-47 and we were totally debt free did it dawn on us that we were on the downhill slide. We were not going upgrade housing, still up in the air about a 2nd residence in a nicer winter climate. I guess what I am saying, until I was 50, it had never dawned on me just how well off we were. I turn 62 in 3 weeks, and have been retired for 7 yrs almost to the date.