The "Poor" in America, What a Fucking Joke

[festeringZit]

Statistics released yesterday by the Heritage Foundation show that 30 million Americans are living in “poverty,” according to the US Census Bureau. Wow, that’s a pretty sizable number … until you remember that what it means to be “poor” in America has become a colossal joke. How did this happen? It happened with Lyndon Johnson. He was looking for ways to expand government social programs. So he went to Social Security Administration and asked them to come up with a definition of poverty. He made it clear – we need a definition that will enable us to expand our social welfare programs. So the Social Security Administration came up with a definition that is so absurd that we can inflate to unbelievable heights the supposed number of people living in poverty in the US. These statistics are based on 2005 figures, but after reading the study you can conclude that these figures are pretty similar to our current economy.

• The typical “poor” household in America has a car

• 78% of “poor” households in America have air conditioning

• 64% of “poor” households in America have cable or satellite TV .. most have two TVs, along with a DVD player and VCR

• Most “poor” households in America with children have a gaming system such as an Xbox or PlayStation

• 38% of “poor” households in America have a personal computer

• Most “poor” households in America have a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. They also have other household appliances such as a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker.

• The typical “poor” American has more living space than the average European.

• The typical “poor” American family is able to obtain medical care when needed.

The average “poor” household in America claims to have sufficient funds to meet all essential needs. What they are struggling to afford is air conditioning and cable TV, not food.

 

[Willie99]

our poor are amongst the richest poor people in the world

been making that argument for years

 

[russ1945]

Speaking of jokes:

"Back in the 80's, Richard was also a five-time Jeopardy champion and a semi-finalist in the Tournament of Champions. Not too shabby," President Obama said as he announced the nomination of Richard Cordray to run the consumer bureau on Monday.

"That's why all his confirmation -- all the answers at his confirmation hearings will be in a form of a question," Obama said to silence.

"That's a joke," he reminded the audience.

His whole term has been a job and no one is laughing either.

 

[barman]

I'm pretty sure that the guys who start Topics like this have full refrigerators and cupboards and sleep every night in complete climate control.

 

[rolltide]

i see the cable tv note above and it brings me to a recent interaction.

i was helping out a friend with interviewing for a replacement warehouse associate a few weeks back. We had an interview lined up with a fairly decent candidate...he wasn't a complete yinzer (tough to find in PGH for 9/hr gig), had several years of warehouse experience, but was laid off last year with a company that dropped their PGH manufacturing plant. Anyway, while we were chatting i learned he had a child and was on his own but never made any money (8-10/hr) so would certainly qualify as "poor" especially being unemployed for the past 9 months.

anyway, he emails me (yeah, has a computer...) the night before the interview that his cousin called him with a 1-day only chance to pour some concrete and make $100 that day. The reason, as he stated, was he needed that $100 to "pay the cable bill this month".

of course we didn't reschedule his interview

dumb and poor, just like Idiocracy

 

[Willie99]

RT, you a recruiter?

 

[rolltide]

yeah, own a firm here in pgh. mostly med device (all disciplines) and director through C-level but do my fair share of accounting and finance too. that gig was helping out a buddy that owns a fabrication shop. much prefer sticking with the professional gigs as they're pretty likely to pass a drug test at least.

 

[Willie99]

my Husky booster partner retired (young) from People Management, an executive recruiting firm. Dude used to to fly around the country interviewing surgeons and high level business managers. Made a killing there for a while, still services one or two companies on the side.

Interesting line of work. Booming when times are good, and doing outplacement for large companies when times are rough

Kinda of a built in safety net

Props

 

[ScottL]

Now maybe according to the OP the definition of poverty has changed. My Dad had to walk 6 miles to school in bare feet, uphill both ways. But nevertheless it's no fucking joke:

60 Minutes Video: Hard Times Generation - Homeless & Hungry In America


http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358670n

 

[Seymour]

I'm pretty sure that the guys who start Topics like this have full refrigerators and cupboards and sleep every night in complete climate control.

Yep, but he got that climate control by working

 

[hehateme82]

waiting in line for their welfare check, playing "west coast hustle" on their iphone 3. i've seen it a million times.

 

[superbeets]

 

[PointGiven]

everything you named the 'poor' have can all be sold and bought for pennies on the dollar on craigslist.com

they're poor because they have no assets

in other words

their moms or pops didnt leave them a nest egg puff_>>

 

[paftraft]

Mississippi has the lowest median per capita income in the country. I just heard yesterday it also has the most overweight people percentage wise in the country, so their is ample evidence that even the poorest in this nation are well fed.

 

[fletchisrhsm]

Mississippi has the lowest median per capita income in the country. I just heard yesterday it also has the most overweight people percentage wise in the country, so their is ample evidence that even the poorest in this nation are well fed.

Dont confuse "well fed" and fucking poison. It says alot when you can go to a McDonald and buy a 1/4 lb of meat bread and lettuce tomato and any other condiments you want for about 1 dollar, Thats not well fed, your a fucking ticking time bomb. Its kinda like our fiat system. Sure we are all doing well but sooner or later you reap what you sew and the chickens come home to roost. People in this country are so ignorant (not necessarily you, chief) when it comes to nutrition in this country it is absolutely terrifying to think what we will look like 40 years from now.

 

[mplastered]

40 years from now, I'm pretty sure I'll be ashes by then.

 

[rolltide]

their is ample evidence that even the poorest in this nation are well fed.

not sure if i'd call canned meat, high fructose corn syrup, and aspartame-laced cola as being well fed but it's certainly an inexpensive way to keep full

 

[Willie99]

better than being an middle class Ethiopian

 

[ScottL]

If Willie's avatar were to take his index finger and thumb on his left hand and move them toward each other until the tips touched...... "Ethiopian Headlock"

 

[TomGshotput]

I don't get the joke at all

Would it be more funny or less funny if Americans were worse off than those in other countries