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Is life in the U.S hard or do we have it pretty good?

Thoughts?

  • Life here is easy. If you put in effort and act responsibility you will be successful.

    Votes: 16 43.2%

  • Life here is a somewhat of a challenge but with hard work you can find success.

    Votes: 5 13.5%

  • Life here is difficult. Only lucky people find true success.

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • Something else

    Votes: 13 35.1%
  • Total voters
    37
D

dex4974

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When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
 
Poor in America means you own a car, have air conditioning in your apartment, a PS4 with a 50" TV, indoor plumbing, and so on.

About half of poor people own their own houses.


Being poor in Mexico is a whole different thing.
 
Americans have a very skewed notion of what "poor" is. Go travel the world a bit and you'll see what true poverty and destitution is.
People who tend to succeed, no matter their provenance, are those with opportunity, discipline and drive.
 
swing_voter said:
Poor in America means you own a car, have air conditioning in your apartment, a PS4 with a 50" TV, indoor plumbing, and so on.

About half of poor people own their own houses.


Being poor in Mexico is a whole different thing.
Click to expand...

Even Mexico has it pretty good by global standards. I think a lot of Americans have absolutely no concept of how privileged they are. Our poor live like the upper class in a lot of poor countries. Even our homeless have it fairly good by global standards.
 
Acadia said:
Americans have a very skewed notion of what "poor" is. Go travel the world a bit and you'll see what true poverty and destitution is.
Click to expand...

Traveling in South America and seeing what some people are happy with/strive for really opened my eyes to just how much we have.
 
dex4974 said:
When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
Click to expand...


I try to remember that our "poor" people here in the U.S. are considered rich in most places around the world. Anecdotal story - I've seen a couple of panhandlers at intersections in the last week. Presumably, they are jobless and possibly homeless and would fit into the U.S. definition of poor. Not one was underweight or appeared under fed.
 
Part of our “troubles” can be blamed on our creature comforts. People get complacent, fat, happy and lazy.
 
Rexedgar said:
Part of our “troubles” can be blamed on our creature comforts. People get complacent, fat, happy and lazy.
Click to expand...

They also expect a lot for little effort and have a tendency to live outside of their means.
 
dex4974 said:
When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
Click to expand...

It depends on who you are and where you grew up.
 
Having trinkets does NOT make one less poor. Poor, is not being able to run your AC. Poor, is not being able to fix or register your car. Poor, is not being able to utilize your health ins.
Poor is relative to the COST OF LIVING. CERTAIN items, that dont fit with the paltry rest, dont make one much less desperate.

Survival in America, is a dead run. Which is why the MAJORITY of persons cannot come up with 400 dollars, in an emergency.

We are about to embark upon a GREATER OR EST depression. Throngs of people will be out on the street. Desperation, will lead to BAD DECISIONS.

What people in general do, and in particular right wingers, is they scapegoat. Reagan created a whole sport of bagging on all those beneath you.

What should be shameful, is pointed to as pride. Most of the judgmental people have NEVER had to make bad decisions, to survive. Most were set up by parents.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
It depends on who you are and where you grew up.
Click to expand...

Who you are has a lot more to do with were you end up, not where you grew up.

I know a few dozen college educated losers who can't get it together.

I know high school drops out's that run their own businesses.
 
dex4974 said:
When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
Click to expand...

It is bad decisions often compounded by laziness or inaction to make their life better that is the problem because there is sooo much opportunity in this country that only failure to take advantage of it can hold you back.
 
Guyzilla said:
Having trinkets does NOT make one less poor. Poor, is not being able to run your AC. Poor, is not being able to fix or register your car. Poor, is not being able to utilize your health ins.
Poor is relative to the COST OF LIVING. CERTAIN items, that dont fit with the paltry rest, dont make one much less desperate.

Survival in America, is a dead run. Which is why the MAJORITY of persons cannot come up with 400 dollars, in an emergency.

We are about to embark upon a GREATER OR EST depression. Throngs of people will be out on the street. Desperation, will lead to BAD DECISIONS.

What people in general do, and in particular right wingers, is they scapegoat. Reagan created a whole sport of bagging on all those beneath you.

What should be shameful, is pointed to as pride. Most of the judgmental people have NEVER had to make bad decisions, to survive. Most were set up by parents.
Click to expand...

Leave it to a liberal to be all doom and gloomy when everyone in this country has so much!
 
dex4974 said:
When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
Click to expand...

Can be both, can be neither. There are a lot of factors that can intersect to create any one individual's situation in life, good or bad.
 
There's exceptions to every rule, but see it this way.

If you begin with things stacked against you then it's going to require you to make more right decisions to overcome and bad decisions can be magnified. The opposite side if you begin with many advantages then at the very least can more easily overcome bad decisions and more likely need fewer good decisions to be successful.

You often hear a story of someone who overcame their obstacles to become successful which can be inspiring but for everyone of those there's hundreds of those who became successful just because they're born with or began with some advantage. Just having good parents or a strong role model can make a big difference in outcomes.
 
dex4974 said:
When people are poor is it more often because of a series of bad decisions or is it because of a stacked deck?
Click to expand...

Life is far better here than any communist country. Please name a communist country where you think life is better than in the US. I will be waiting with breathless anticipation.
 
Moderate Right said:
Life is far better here than any communist country. Please name a communist country where you think life is better than in the US. I will be waiting with breathless anticipation.
Click to expand...

Chill.
 
dex4974 said:
Even Mexico has it pretty good by global standards. I think a lot of Americans have absolutely no concept of how privileged they are. Our poor live like the upper class in a lot of poor countries. Even our homeless have it fairly good by global standards.
Click to expand...

And just about every poor person is walking around glaring at what seems to be the latest, greatest smart phone - version 115.3 or whatever. :roll:

Even homeless people can be seen laying on benches with smart phones in their hands. Too bad they can't use what it costs for those stupid phones and apply it toward a decent wardrobe, some soap, deodorant, and get a freaking job!
 
Guyzilla said:
Having trinkets does NOT make one less poor. Poor, is not being able to run your AC. Poor, is not being able to fix or register your car. Poor, is not being able to utilize your health ins.
Poor is relative to the COST OF LIVING. CERTAIN items, that dont fit with the paltry rest, dont make one much less desperate.

Survival in America, is a dead run. Which is why the MAJORITY of persons cannot come up with 400 dollars, in an emergency.

We are about to embark upon a GREATER OR EST depression. Throngs of people will be out on the street. Desperation, will lead to BAD DECISIONS.

What people in general do, and in particular right wingers, is they scapegoat. Reagan created a whole sport of bagging on all those beneath you.

What should be shameful, is pointed to as pride. Most of the judgmental people have NEVER had to make bad decisions, to survive. Most were set up by parents.
Click to expand...

If people were to spend less on trinkets, gadgets, the latest phones, the latest computer upgrades, Netflix subscriptions and the like, they would easily have 400 dollars or more in emergency funds.
 
Indie guy said:
If people were to spend less on trinkets, gadgets, the latest phones, the latest computer upgrades, Netflix subscriptions and the like, they would easily have 400 dollars or more in emergency funds.
Click to expand...

I think a big money saver would be young people learning how to cook at home.
 
swing_voter said:
Poor in America means you own a car, have air conditioning in your apartment, a PS4 with a 50" TV, indoor plumbing, and so on.

About half of poor people own their own houses.


Being poor in Mexico is a whole different thing.
Click to expand...

In a lot of countries where poverty is rampant, a lot of people are able to survive because of their community economies, where people help each other out to the extent that they are willing and able. I do not know how extensive this is in Mexico, but here in the States, community economies tend to be small and not well connected with each other.

Combine that with the weak social safety net that most states have, and life becomes brutally difficult for most poor Americans. :(
 
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