The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem • Hacker News Board

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#21

Post by wahsd » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:30 PM UTC

odonnellryan wrote: post #14

jamesblonde wrote: post #6

This video from Anaheim (California) is reminiscent of travelling around Dehli (from 39' in - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF7hWzqdPDk ). The level/amount of poverty in this video is shocking.

Probably worse in CA, but this exists on some level in every state. Here in NJ we have the same exact thing, just not along a bike path.

Funny enough, it only exists in places that are led by Democrats and liberals or are affected by Democrat and Liberal policies. But please prove me wrong. I just need one indisputable example and I will eat crow regardless of whether one exception doesn't make the rule.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#22

Post by mikejb » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:30 PM UTC

balthasar wrote: post #2

Americans are slowly becoming more radical as a reaction to economic pressures. With each side's policies alien to the other, compromise becomes impossible. Eventually one side will have to win out and then things will get very interesting.

Interesting isn't the word I'd use, but I understand what you mean. I really hope that a third party will start to grow. Whilst it may have benefits, I think the two-party-system feeds a lot into the "with me or against me" concept.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#23

Post by sbarre » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:30 PM UTC

aluhut wrote: post #4

I don't see a reason why the U.S. can't in this article. Or did I miss something? It worked pretty good even when they've been in the open. Recently we had a topic here where people were reporting about homeless people being carried out of the cities. It seems to me that the U.S. got quite comfortable with their poor. Probably even working as an negative incentive for the (still) employed. Don't forget the American D…

I think the end of the article is where the author(s) make the case for looking to help at home as much or more than abroad.

"The U.S." in this case is not the government or institutions, but rather the people who are willing and able to help others, and how the traditional "help poor countries" wisdom should be revisited and perhaps changed to "help poor people".

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#24

Post by frgtpsswrdlame » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:32 PM UTC

https://outline.com/STFZAv paywall bypass

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#25

Post by afandian » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

obeardly wrote: post #5

Poverty is not a problem. It is the default state. Instead of asking what causes poverty, we need to ask what causes wealth. We also need to realize that being poor is not a good/bad thing. Again, it's the default state.

> Infants starving is not a problem. It is the default state. Instead of asking why infants starve when they aren't fed, we need to ask why adults eat. We also need to realize that infants starving is not a good/bad thing. Again, it's the default state.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#26

Post by randomdata » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

sevensor wrote: post #13

obeardly wrote: post #5

Poverty is not a problem. It is the default state. Instead of asking what causes poverty, we need to ask what causes wealth. We also need to realize that being poor is not a good/bad thing. Again, it's the default state.

> being poor is not a good/bad thing This is a silly line of reasoning. As more people grow wealthy, we find more ways to systematically mistreat those who have not. It's not just that the poor started poor and stayed that way, it's that the rest of us find ways to make things even harder for them as our comparative wealth grows. Being poor is most definitely a bad thing.

The fact remains that everyone starts with nothing. The parent questions why some are able to flourish, while others continue with nothing indefinitely.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#27

Post by dictum » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

anovikov wrote: post #8

yorwba wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being the default doesn't make it not a problem. In fact, poverty being the default is a problem in itself. I'd prefer it if the default were not having to worry about the future, and I think most poor people would agree.

I think being not poor and not worrying about the future is a bit contradictory for everyone except the very small part of top 1% who are independently wealthy. Probably under 0.1%. Poverty is a stable, default state, everything else requires constant effort and standing the competition.

> standing the competition

I'm not sure what you meant by standing, but while competition may be a requirement for generating and amassing greater wealth, it's not a requirement to keep people from poverty.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#28

Post by mrarjen » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:34 PM UTC

odonnellryan wrote: post #14

jamesblonde wrote: post #6

This video from Anaheim (California) is reminiscent of travelling around Dehli (from 39' in - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF7hWzqdPDk ). The level/amount of poverty in this video is shocking.

Probably worse in CA, but this exists on some level in every state. Here in NJ we have the same exact thing, just not along a bike path.

Yea, I read that most homeless seem to head to CA because it's where the money is...

Here in NL we have some homeless, but also lots of government systems in place to offer housing and incentives to possibly work or get schooling.

In the end this is actually cheaper, as to prevent crime and what not. Not sure how this would work in the US.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#29

Post by brohee » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

wildmusings wrote: post #20

mschuster91 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Eventually one side will have to win out and then things will get very interesting. Well things are pretty violent already, with the deadly class war the police is fighting against the population (~1k in 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/police-shoo... ) plus the countless arrests, macing, tasering and other violent actions of police against peaceful demonstrators, plus all the violence committ…

Police fighting a class war? The vast majority of those 1000 deaths are unambiguously from the justified use of force, in self-defense and the defense of others. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of violent and bad people out there.

There are countless youtube videos of police arresting violent individuals in Europe where they would just be gunned down in the US.

If you want another comparaison, look up dog shooting in the US and in Europe, unless you really believe dogs are somewhat more dangerous in the US, the inescapable conclusion is that American cops enjoy the power trip of gunning down living creatures...

And why shouldn't they, it's almost risk free for them, which is the root of the issue.

Re: The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem

#30

Post by maxxxxx » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

obeardly wrote: post #5

Poverty is not a problem. It is the default state. Instead of asking what causes poverty, we need to ask what causes wealth. We also need to realize that being poor is not a good/bad thing. Again, it's the default state.

I am not sure what we should take from your statement.

Let's go one step further and declare that being dead is the default state. The time when we live is so short compared to the time we are not born yet or dead that it is insignificant.