The Busy Person’s Lies

That view that it it's "terribly depressing to be broke" and all the despair the poor in America feel because they can create no value could only be thought up by us smug hacker news software creators. I know first hand that much of the poor are content to live off the government, never had any aspirations and ultimately don't need much to survive and be content enough. They don't know what they don't know and therefore they don't suffer from the despair of not being the next Steve jobs. That was never on their list. They are truly ignorant enough to be content with video games. I'm not talking everyone but this probably is the majority. Things work and all you need is to be able to hold a minimum wage job for a few years at a time and when you get fired you can take a few years off while another friend or family member is on deck, meanwhile you're contributing food stamps the whole time, 6 months of an unemployment check, money from a few scams here and there, electricity bill deductions and many other such benefits you can get if you are below the poverty line. These are all meaningful contributions you can contribute well past the 6 months of paid unemployment. You have to understand you also have old people in the household collecting social security at $1k per month. There are not only other people not working, but other non-workers coming up with money and resources. It becomes just as normal for a working-age male to not be working as grandma. After all we aren't talking 1 person or couple cramped into an over priced San Francisco apartment. In short, the family doesn't need as much money and everyone bands together, and can go for a very long time bringing in very little money. And though totally in the hands of the "public" health care system whose bills they will never pay if they get into an accident, they are more than content with tv and stolen movies/shows via apps like "ShowBox" until that happens, and even after. They have near zero ounce of fight in them for anything more, certainly not to be the prolific CEO or CTO of a tech company. That's far out of their field of vision. I am one that believes to not aspire to something is not healthy. So for now ignoring the other psychological issues surrounding the more privileged all feeling disproportionate pressure to be somebody, I'll just say the opposite extreme we are discussing now is worse and it's out of ignorance. An ignorance most here can't understand or have forgotten. A true "ignorance is bliss" syndrome. To us it may look like that as a result they are content to live in squalor. The truth is the squalor of those living standards have risen. It all just feels normal to them. What I call "poverty trap sweet spots" certainly do exist in America.

Reminds me of the WSJ's infographic of tax-hike impacts and the forlorn expressions on their faces.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/944732/original.jpg

"to not know if you can do anything other people see as valuable"

1. I have never met a rich person that could offer me anything other than a loan. Someting they don't like to do.

(I live in Marin County. The place your founder will end up if successful. These people can't change a tire. They are as useful as the proverbial wart on a toad. They have one ability most poor don't have; they are masters at taking money from the poor/middle class and getting in their bank account. They are also masters at hiding their lack ethics/morality--for the most part. Some are born rich. Some have high barriers to entry--like a medical degree, in a dubious speciality. The drug dealing Psychiatrist come to mind? My neighbors would be the first to perish in a catastrophe. I honestly wonder what skills they offer society. They always fall back on we provide the jobs. Jobs that usually don't have a future, and turn the poor into working poor. Many work for for profit housing, for profit education, and for profit medical system.(All services that I feel shouldn't have a profit motive.) They are Titans in the financial world. So few provide livable jobs. Many destroy jobs, for their own enrichment, But the majority? I can't figure out what in the hell they do. I know their wives, and kids are misserable.

2. I have never met a poor person who couldn't fix my car, repair my house, repair my website, etc. I don't think I have ever met a poor person that didn't have more skills than my neighbors. They just don't know how to capitalize on them. Or, will never be given the opportunity to capitalize on any of their skills, or good ideas. They will always be at the mercy of the people with money. Usually a a seed fund consisting of a few thousand dollars on a credit card at 29%.

Some days, it enrages me. I do know this, I haven't found one who I could stomach being friends with. It's not out of envy either; I just don't like the hypocrisy, and really question their ethics, and morality.

I often picture Chea Guevara riding that motorcyle, looking at the disparity of wealth; and feel his rage.

My rage has been brewing for years.

I don't have a point, other than the wealthy, at least my neighbors, don't possess viable skills. 99% would be living pay check to pay check, or homeless, if not for that understanding wealthy father, who usually really helped out that aimless kid who just returned from Europe and still couldn't figure out what they wanted to do. And all the second chances that most of us only get one--if we are lucky.

Ask yourself this; how many bad ideas from the wealthy are we forced to listen to? They have the platform, but their ideas always leave out a few pertinent variables; like it will take a lot of seed capital to do, along with a free house, a free workspace, free legal advice, and Insurance. Their ideas always seem lofty. An idea only a wealthy dreamer could begin to pontificate about?

That is shockingly out of touch.

Poor, working poor, lower middle class, they're all crude definitions for people who are struggling. Arguing over who is more or less struggling or deserving is to play the oldest rich person's game of fight-for-scraps.