What if the problem of poverty is that it’s profitable to other people?

Let me rephrase these biased questions with the opposite bias (well actually I think my version is fair...):

"What if the leftist discourse on poverty is just wrong? What if the problem isn't greedy capitalist profiteers tricking the downtrodden out of their hard earned money? What if the problem was a self-perpetuating cycle where short term lack of resources lead to the inability to make long term plans, or take advantage of opportunities? What if changes in the technology and the economy meant that skills and education are required that large sections of the population do not have?"

The problem is complex and takes no sides. The poor are unskilled with money because of their environment, upbringing, relationships, and situation; and also because of inherent features. The rich are rich because of their luck, circumstances, upbringing, and situation; and also because of inherent features. The combinations of all of those factors and the interaction between them defines the problem, not any one aspect. This you must understand first.

So yes, absolutely, one of the problems of poverty is that it's profitable to other people; because the poor are powerless to stop it, and the rich are powerful and easily take advantage to the extent they can under their laws and morals. That is the reality, and arguing otherwise reveals our collective immaturity in terms of understanding systems and complexity—the true root cause of our unfair and unbalanced society. Instead of seeing reality, we are often limited by our human capacity and biases that don't help us understand the world—much less respond to in a constructive way.

So let's talk about the systems that influence us all—the article is about one of those systemic problems, and it's fascinating and evidential. It's a good discussion, and it's the right one to have, and I'm always sad that discussions of poverty or inequality devolve into talk of individuals and what they should or should not do. Let's keep our eye on the ball and talk about the whole, and the productive construction of a society that works better.

Not really. It depends on the country. Some third-world countries have most of the population in poverty, so in that case capitalists can make a lot of money from poor people and have no incentive to do otherwise.