cordycord

CordyCord

Anyone who has seen my other posts knows that I am joking.

No one can point to one cause for an entire populace. If I had to throw a blanket at the problem, I'd say poverty is more cultural than racial. Speaking broadly, the culture down in Louisiana is slower, and doesn't necessarily stress education or a strict work ethic.

Lainey

The old expression "children learn what they live" may apply here.

If a child grows up with a parent (s) who's not a worker, simply makes do, constantly expects help from outside sources, it's possible he/she won't strive for more, and the cycle continues.

It also depends on what your definition of poor is. We were not poor like the folks we have been seeing on TV, but a hurricane in our Massachusetts city could have put us in a bad situation, as there was no "extra" money for disasters of any sort. I was one of six. Eight people, one bathroom, hand me down clothing.My parents bought a small home, on a small lot in an area of the city that went downhill in the 20 years they were there. There was always food, but not much in the luxury dept. My Dad was a hard worker who would often tell people he retired never having earned 10K in a year. My Mom stayed at home with us until financially there was no choice but for her to work.

Vacations were something other people did. We went to an amusement park for the day, and were happy with that. Once we were old enough to work, we were expected to work and pay for our own clothing, extras, and social activities.

We paid for our driver's license and drove the one family car we had. (Dad was a brave man). Those of us who ended up with braces on our teeth had that done as adults and paid for it ourselves. Any education beyond the small Catholic High school was not in the budget.(My Dad made arragements for the "time payment plan" to keep us at that school). Those that continued on in school, did so as adults, paid for it themselves while working full time at the same time.

Am I complaining? Not at all. We knew we did not have the material things others had, and there might have been some wishful thinking, but no dwelling on it. We got a sense of values, knew the meaning of having to work for what you want, and that only served us well. I think those of us that had children passed the same values on to them as well. We really weren't poor at all.

And yes, my siblings and I all have way more material possessions, better jobs for the most part and more financial security than my parents ever had, so I guess some would say we have done OK.

Matt_in_VA

And could not agree more.

I grew up in a first generation American familily (not Polish American, not African American or Irish American, or German American) blue collar family. I had a middle class up bringing in the the 50 and 60's.

A few years ago going after his death , and going through my father's papers I was amazed and shocked to learn how little he earned in his life. But, yet he provided for us with a middle class life style. I grew up with two cars (that he paid cash for). In 1962 he paid cash for a summer home in up state New York. Granted it was purchased for back taxes after the person had died.

He unfortuanately earned "just too much" to preclude me from going to Queen's Colleage ;-(

I worked hard to rise above my lack of formal education. By educating my self. I now earn a substanstial income that is above the national average and enabled me to buy an S2000.

But, I will use Colin Powell ( as the perfect example) as someone that is the epitome of of what is possible in America. He was born in Harlem, NYC and worked hard.

Harpoon

Blame the entitlement system we have that provides absolutely zero reward for poor people to work themselves out of poverty.

That's the short answer. The long answer is to read Atlas Shrugged or the Fountainhead.

ralper

There But For Fortune
Phil Ochs (4th stanza added by Noel Paul Stookey)


Show me a prison, show me a jail,
Show me a prisoner whose face has gone pale,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why,
And there but for fortune, may go you or I.

Show me the alley, show me the train,
Show me a hobo who sleeps out in the rain,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.

Show me the whiskey stains on the floor,
Show me the dunken man as he stumbles out the door,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, may go you or go I -- you and I.

Show me the famine, show me the frail
Eyes with no future that show how we failed
And I'll show you the children with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I.

Show me the country where bombs had to fall,
Show me the ruins of buildings once so tall,
And I'll show you a young land with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.
You and I,
There but for fortune, go you or go I -- you and I.

Harpoon

So, you'd say it all comes down to luck?

ralper

Not all, but certainly some of it.

Matt_in_VA

No reaction to this comment?

Harpoon

Crickets...

You quoted yourself? Does that mean you have balls or guts?

cordycord

Colin Powell and Bill Clinton. Also Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, John Edwards. And then look at all the 1st generation immigrants who work their a$$ off, and end up wealthy.

If I can shorten up Robs poem, you could also say it's nice belong to the "lucky sperm club". Or, it's that lucky sperm that lands you in a wealthy family, in a wealthy country.

Here's a little controversy starter: Anyone with a brain and an good amount of drive can make $100k per year. It's not easy, but possible for anyone willing to work for it.