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Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

bloomberg.com

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Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#21

Post by chrisco255 »

kartan wrote: post #6

> Luckily, there is just such a concept: It’s called material security. This is really important. There are people that are one paycheck away from not being able to afford rent and basic necessities. I have lost my job in the past. I was calm and just enjoyed the time while I was looking for a new job. I have money saved. For a lot of people that will have been an extremely stressful situation. That kind of stress is…

Honestly, the availability of cheap credit has made me worry a bit less about getting slammed with some unexpected expense. That's not to say that I don't put money away for retirement and rainy days...but credit cards do make it easier to float if you suddenly find yourself unemployed.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#22

Post by iainmerrick »

kryogen1c wrote: post #8
tristor wrote: post #2

I hoped for a lot more out of this article. In the end it leaves us with no conclusion and no real substance for their argument. It's likelier than not that what is proposed is true, but fundamentally all they've done is make idle speculation.

Couldn't agree more, lost interest here: >Psychologist Abraham Maslow believed that safety ranked second only to food and shelter as a basic human need. Someone who has food and a roof over their head today, but doesn’t know whether they will tomorrow, should be considered poor. I find this premise extremely unsatisfying and non-obvious to say the least. Life is dangerous. There's no such thing as safety. Everyone's…

Life is dangerous. There's no such thing as safety.

Do you at least agree that there are very dangerous places to live, such as war zones? Most people live in safer places than that and it’s a good thing we do.

From there, I’d argue that there’s a spectrum. Living in a war zone or next to a live volcano is extremely dangerous and stressful. But there are other ways to live that are only slightly dangerous, like living somewhere with gang violence, or no health care system, or with no savings. And some people live in areas with very low crime and violence, have good access to health care, and have ample savings or other safety nets. If you’re lucky and/or wise enough to live like that, you’re safer and better off.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#23

Post by chrisco255 »

tracer4201 wrote: post #18

>A reasonable, common-sense definition of poverty should include not just an absolute measure of material deprivation and a relative gauge of a person’s situation compared to the rest of society. It should also strive to measure how secure people feel — in their homes, their health, and their jobs. I generally agree, but this has potential downsides. A good friend of mine from college comes from a very conservative f…

I come from a very conservative family. Nobody's insecure about non-whites having the ability to vote. They might be worried about the fact that some demographics vote like 95% Democrat, but that's just a concern about blind loyalty to party and identity politics.

But agree with your sentiment. Insecurity in general is a very loose term. Some people are prone to believe the sky is falling and there's little that government can do to rectify that.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#24

Post by 51lver »

LateRuin wrote: post #19
kryogen1c wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn't agree more, lost interest here: >Psychologist Abraham Maslow believed that safety ranked second only to food and shelter as a basic human need. Someone who has food and a roof over their head today, but doesn’t know whether they will tomorrow, should be considered poor. I find this premise extremely unsatisfying and non-obvious to say the least. Life is dangerous. There's no such thing as safety. Everyone's…

[flagged]

As is, your statement serves only to lump the parent's opinion into a bucket that is easier for you to judge.

What's your actual point?

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#25

Post by chrisco255 »

FakeComments wrote: post #12
prolikewh0a wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is mainly due to the drug epidemics isn't it?

You’re both right if the drug epidemic is partly fueled by economic woes, as it seems to be.

Previous generations had it way worse than us and they didn't have the suicide rates we have today. There's some things missing in modern society that I feel have faded with time, including family unity, community, ethical education (via church or similar), etc. It was reported recently that loneliness is on the rise in the U.S. and with that, I would expect that these health problems continue to rise as well.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#26

Post by lotsofpulp »

chrisco255 wrote: post #21
kartan wrote: post #6

> Luckily, there is just such a concept: It’s called material security. This is really important. There are people that are one paycheck away from not being able to afford rent and basic necessities. I have lost my job in the past. I was calm and just enjoyed the time while I was looking for a new job. I have money saved. For a lot of people that will have been an extremely stressful situation. That kind of stress is…

Honestly, the availability of cheap credit has made me worry a bit less about getting slammed with some unexpected expense. That's not to say that I don't put money away for retirement and rainy days...but credit cards do make it easier to float if you suddenly find yourself unemployed.

I’ve never heard anyone refer to 20%+ interest as cheap credit until now.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#27

Post by ianmcgowan »

skh wrote: post #15
sovietmudkipz wrote: post #3

This comment post is going to be pure speculation. I think the numbers in this article are right. Over the past 75 years, relative poverty has grown at a dramatic pace. Sure, everyone's quality of life has improved across the board but relative poverty is the important metric. In the past 15 years more and more of a household income is tied up in basic needs; bills and rent/mortgages are consuming higher percentages…

What is interesting to me is that it is a Biblical principle to have jubilee years and in my experience some of the most ardent opponents of debt forgiveness are right wing Christians. The fact is that we all subsidize each other. Poor people in major cities tend to use public transportation more than others and thus their taxes subsidize road building. I don't have children and subsidize k-12 education for those tha…

Personally, I want a Star Trek or Culture type of society, not Blade Runner or Neuromancer. I don't get the collective fury that some undeserving person might, gasp, be getting something for free. A rising tide lifts all boats, so let's fund that fusion, AI and nanotech research and really get that tide moving up...

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#28

Post by zackify »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #26
chrisco255 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, the availability of cheap credit has made me worry a bit less about getting slammed with some unexpected expense. That's not to say that I don't put money away for retirement and rainy days...but credit cards do make it easier to float if you suddenly find yourself unemployed.

I’ve never heard anyone refer to 20%+ interest as cheap credit until now.

He probably meant for 1-2 months, so that you can use your card today, but it wont be on the statement for a month, and due 20 days after that or something.

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#29

Post by xadhominemx »

chrisco255 wrote: post #23
tracer4201 wrote: post #18

>A reasonable, common-sense definition of poverty should include not just an absolute measure of material deprivation and a relative gauge of a person’s situation compared to the rest of society. It should also strive to measure how secure people feel — in their homes, their health, and their jobs. I generally agree, but this has potential downsides. A good friend of mine from college comes from a very conservative f…

I come from a very conservative family. Nobody's insecure about non-whites having the ability to vote. They might be worried about the fact that some demographics vote like 95% Democrat, but that's just a concern about blind loyalty to party and identity politics. But agree with your sentiment. Insecurity in general is a very loose term. Some people are prone to believe the sky is falling and there's little that gove…

> Nobody's insecure about non-whites having the ability to vote

Actually they are, and go so far as to pass laws specifically to suppress non-white votes https://twitter.com/haroldpollack/status/1051657219899617280

Re: Poverty in America: Greater Than Statistics Indicate

#30

Post by SaltyBackendGuy »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #26
chrisco255 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, the availability of cheap credit has made me worry a bit less about getting slammed with some unexpected expense. That's not to say that I don't put money away for retirement and rainy days...but credit cards do make it easier to float if you suddenly find yourself unemployed.

I’ve never heard anyone refer to 20%+ interest as cheap credit until now.

This only really works if you have good credit and can get a 6 mo. or 1 yr. 0% interest. Also, pay that money off before you start paying the juice or get hit with a larger fee.

But it's definitely still a gamble.

Edit: 'Only' maybe too strong as there are other scenarios that would work.

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