A survey result that is – to me at least – shocking: half of Americans believe that it’s perfectly OK for some people to be poor.
And by political affiliation:
(source)
More in the annals of heartlessness here.
A survey result that is – to me at least – shocking: half of Americans believe that it’s perfectly OK for some people to be poor.
And by political affiliation:
More in the annals of heartlessness here.
Was there a definition of poverty that went with the questionnaire? Many people, especially in the US, see poverty as a relative term – i.e., you are considered poor if you are in the bottom quartile of the wealth curve. If so, then by definition 25% of the people must be in it.
Is it OK that some people have to do with second hand cars or public transport, and live in rented apartments in the 3rd floor of a walk-up building, while a few others drive Porsches and have second homes in the Hamptons? Maybe yes…
If on the other hand, as you imply, they are OK with a certain set of people being absolutely poor – having no homes, no insurance, no jobs and not enough calories / day to eat, while others have luxuries they dont need – that is certainly heartless of them.
Well, there’s no denying that many of the poor in the US belong to the latter category. They exist. Poverty is – at least in part – absolute destitution. Hence, if poverty is ok to some, then absolute destitution is ok. Hence heartlessness.
Reblogged this on urbanperegrines.