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Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

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Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I don't disagree the 'real' poor can choose the alternative and agree with GP, I think you also have a very fatalistic view of 3rd world poor. I have family living in the '3rd world' and even there the poor have phones. Sure they are 20 dollars, 10 year old models running android 5.0 or something, but they still check facebook and whatever. They aren't probably blogging but they also read websites/blogs

Have you been to Africa? Or even rural India? The fact that you have access to HN means that: 1. You are able to afford to connect to HN 2. Are privileged enough to be able to read it 3. Your family also has the ability to do 1 if not 2 And let's assume for a minute they do have phones and an internet connection, which in itself is an egregious assumption(the real poor are the ones who don't even have phones). What a…

Not rural india but africa yes. Family there. Not all countries are bad, but I saw some that are quite horrible. Saw people 'bathing' in puddles in the street as to not pay for water. Saw slums where 6-7 live to a zero-bedroom 'house' (I wouldn't call that a house in most parts of the world). Family works with local schools and institutions to make sure kids have food.

But I can say, even in those situations, most has a cheap-ass phone with internet. Sure, not 5g to watch HD movies or whatnot, but they could talk with people and go to facebook

As for rural india, it seems they have more internet users than urban india: https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/internet-usage-in-r...

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#42

>> At one time while I was homeless, relatives helped me deal with some of my financial drama >> I was able to resist such pressures and make decisions for myself, including moving my bank account at a later date on terms that made more sense for me, because I had some maneuvering room in the form of food stamps and knowing where I could get a free meal or free clothes. Food stamps didn't cover some essential nonfood…

Before I read Doreen’s sibling comment, it seemed pretty clear to me the context within which the article was written.

Of course she isn’t talking about solving global poverty, she’s talking about being poor in the USA, with access to services.

If everyone had to constantly preface everything they said with the context within which they were about to say it, that would swiftly get tiring.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#43

>> At one time while I was homeless, relatives helped me deal with some of my financial drama >> I was able to resist such pressures and make decisions for myself, including moving my bank account at a later date on terms that made more sense for me, because I had some maneuvering room in the form of food stamps and knowing where I could get a free meal or free clothes. Food stamps didn't cover some essential nonfood…

I'm the author. I'm disabled and the primary provider for my family of three, which includes two disabled sons. I absolutely didn't want to be poor. I'm still poor and I hate every minute of it. I wish desperately that I had more money and I am doing all in my power to resolve my problems and this has been true for years. "First world problem" or not, being homeless in a first world country is still a very real probl…

Thanks so much for the article.

I won’t get into it, but I have life experience that allows me to understand where you are coming from.

Thanks for sharing a unique perspective, here.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm the author. I'm disabled and the primary provider for my family of three, which includes two disabled sons. I absolutely didn't want to be poor. I'm still poor and I hate every minute of it. I wish desperately that I had more money and I am doing all in my power to resolve my problems and this has been true for years. "First world problem" or not, being homeless in a first world country is still a very real probl…

> So homelessness is literally killing people. Correlation does not imply causality. I'm pretty sure that an individual's real estate portfolio doesn't play any role in the equation if they experience a health problem that they are unable to treat. Lack of access to healthcare, that's available in pretty much all civilized nations, would do a whole lot of good to bump up life expectancy among the US's homeless popula…

Edit: tone.

There are obvious direct effects that real estate ownership has on health. Homes provide protection from extreme heat and cold. They provide protection from.rain and pollution. They provide a relatively clean environment

Most homeless people are forced into the equivalent of leaving their bed sheets out for people to walk over all day long, then wrapping themselves up tightly in those bed sheets each night, while also eating food that has been thrown away.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm the author. I'm disabled and the primary provider for my family of three, which includes two disabled sons. I absolutely didn't want to be poor. I'm still poor and I hate every minute of it. I wish desperately that I had more money and I am doing all in my power to resolve my problems and this has been true for years. "First world problem" or not, being homeless in a first world country is still a very real probl…

I am not discounting the fact that you have problems in your life. I know what it means to be poor because I have been poor in a 3rd world country . >> People who experience homelessness have an average life expectancy of around 50 years of age, almost 20 years lower than housed populations There are kids literally dying because they don't have access to healthcare. >> formal education on the topic of homelessness Th…

What would Doreen have to do or say to satisfy you?

Jus to be clear:

No one is suggesting children dying of a combination of malaria and protein energy malnutrition just need to surf reddit and gather coupons.

So what is it, exactly, you’re taking issue with?

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not discounting the fact that you have problems in your life. I know what it means to be poor because I have been poor in a 3rd world country . >> People who experience homelessness have an average life expectancy of around 50 years of age, almost 20 years lower than housed populations There are kids literally dying because they don't have access to healthcare. >> formal education on the topic of homelessness Th…

I dunno why your being so harsh. It's not a competition on who who had the most dreadful circumstances. FYI, the average life expectancy in Papua New Guinea is 64. Homelessness, even in a first world country, is objectively a bad situation to be in regardless. I am thankful to the author for sharing her reality with me. I appreciate her lucidity which is a huge asset I think.

>> Ultimately, I concluded that being able to choose wasn't really about money per se but was about maneuvering room. Yes, having sufficient resources helps, but making choices in life and exercising free will is not directly related to how much or how little money a person has. It helps if you have some confidence you won't starve or otherwise experience catastrophe, but that isn't about money per se.

I am not being harsh just highlighting the fact that there are a lot of implicit assumptions being made in the article wherein most of the population of the world in poor countries simply don't have the freedom to do so.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not discounting the fact that you have problems in your life. I know what it means to be poor because I have been poor in a 3rd world country . >> People who experience homelessness have an average life expectancy of around 50 years of age, almost 20 years lower than housed populations There are kids literally dying because they don't have access to healthcare. >> formal education on the topic of homelessness Th…

What would Doreen have to do or say to satisfy you? Jus to be clear: No one is suggesting children dying of a combination of malaria and protein energy malnutrition just need to surf reddit and gather coupons. So what is it, exactly, you’re taking issue with?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23948028

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#48
I'm 31 and have never had a job. I started freelancing when I was 18 - more by necessity than by choice - and continued doing that throughout my six years of college.

There is something to be said about having "unordinary" experiences - it cuts you off from your peer group. My part-time freelancing through college meant that I was often too busy to do the things college kids do - party, join bands, etc.

Later, when I started freelancing full-time, my friends would talk about their bosses, applying for jobs, building up careers, etc. and I would just nod my head and attempt to understand but I couldn't. I've never had bosses - or even bad clients - and my idea of career has basically evolved into a series of gradually better/bigger gigs and projects.

I'm very independent person and can get by perfectly fine being completely alone. But I imagine that someone more extroverted and social than me would have felt a little too alienated living a life so different than their peer group.

When the pandemic struck earlier this year, a couple of my key clients dropped their budgets or held off on decision making. So I took that time as a "break". This devolved into eating too much, working out too little, and sleeping at odd hours - all great stuff for a week or two, but extremely grating after a month.

It's a romantic idea - a life without boundaries or bosses - but it's not something everyone is cut out for, nor is it something I would recommend everyone to follow.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I don't disagree the 'real' poor can choose the alternative and agree with GP, I think you also have a very fatalistic view of 3rd world poor. I have family living in the '3rd world' and even there the poor have phones. Sure they are 20 dollars, 10 year old models running android 5.0 or something, but they still check facebook and whatever. They aren't probably blogging but they also read websites/blogs

Have you been to Africa? Or even rural India? The fact that you have access to HN means that: 1. You are able to afford to connect to HN 2. Are privileged enough to be able to read it 3. Your family also has the ability to do 1 if not 2 And let's assume for a minute they do have phones and an internet connection, which in itself is an egregious assumption(the real poor are the ones who don't even have phones). What a…

This smacks of some kind of

No True Poor Scotsman.

If you expect one lone blogger to address the entire gamut of poor at every scale up to and including global poverty...

Your going to be disappointed.

You might want to give steelmanning a spin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man#Steelmanning

Try responding to the strongest possible interpretation of what someone says.

Re: Independently Poor: A Twist on FU Money – a.k.a. “FU, Money”

#50

Alexander: Greetings, I am Alexander of Macedon. If you be the philosopher they call the Dawg, let me know your wish, and I shall grant it. Diogenes: Before your shadow fell on me, I had been lying in the sun. Step aside a pēchys or two, and I'll resume. In The Dispossessed , the anarchist Shevek is surprised to find that his political polar opposite, Atro, has a kindred soul: > "In some ways he was totally incompreh…

Is that you, amanfrommars?

https://forums.theregister.com/post/search/?q=amanfrommars

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