Watched the first few minutes of it.

POPPYCOCK!

I'm sure there are poor people all over the world. Right now it's a bit difficult for all of us - it's called the world recession. Let's face it, there will always be the haves and haves not. There will always be challenges for counties all over to deal with people who can't afford a haircut. And all the rest this program suggests as being 'poor'.

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flaming balloons

Guy, I think it is generally understood that there is severe poverty in many parts of the world, I suppose for the BBC, it is disconcerting to see poverty (note the distinction between poverty and severe poverty) extant in the 'richest country in the world'. There are 'have nots' in the US. I suspect a source of concern for some of the 'haves' is that as the disparity increases (as it has for the past 30 years), the potential for an increasing underclass, perhaps driven by the same sense of 'I'll take care of it' individuality and willingness to take matters into their own hands, presents an environment of potential violence.

That is to say, if enough of the poor actually banded together and decided the time had come to take action, things might get a tad ugly.

It seems your view, is one of 'let them have at it, I'm well prepared to deal with them. My view is less inclined to the potential for violence -- but I can understand the motivation.

I'll just make my point by asking this. Why doesn't the BBC go somewhere like north/central Africa, or south/central America, or some places in the far east to show what *real* poverty is?

Ok, I watched the whole thing and took notes as I was watching it. But instead of me giving a blow-by-blow, I'll just say I didn't see any real poverty in this documentary. I did see a lot of bias.

Because they don't define things the same way faux news does, they are fair and balanced.

Thank you Galaxy, I was going to mention the "worried about a haircut" thing.

Yes, that one does stick out. Then again nanny state laws may make it a felony for anyone without a cosmetology license to cut hair.

I'll just make my point by asking this. Why doesn't the BBC go somewhere like north/central Africa, or south/central America, or some places in the far east to show what *real* poverty is?

I see you ascribe that "real" poverty is measured on an absolute scale and not a scale relative to the culture the poor person is in. Just so everyone understands this, if they have a tent and not a stick and mud hut, they are automatically rich.

The only thing wrong with this otherwise spot on piece was the impression that this is a new thing. This has been going on since the time Washington was President.

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I agree with Gary on this well balanced article.

It was interesting as the US is the richest country in the world, but there is a growing disparity between the super rich (many being luck) and the increasing numbers below subsistence which has been increasing over the last 20 years.

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It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

If you look at the personal wealth of the 'super rich' today, and the personal wealth of the 'super rich' 100 years ago, adjust for inflation, you will reach a very different conclusion...

Same goes for the poor.

As an example, John D. Rockefeller would be worth $663.4 billion in 2007 dollars...

Or the richest man alive today, even... (The current richest man in the world has only $74 billion)

So cheer up, the rich are getting poorer too, if that's what makes you happy!

As for the poor... Well, at least the poor i see using food stamps and Louisiana Purchase assistance cards in the grocery stores today; they are driving $65,000 dollar Mercedes Benz's and screaming on their Iphones, that i wouldn't dream of budgeting on my honest wage...

Odd thing about all those destitute poor... they all seem to have X boxes, a roof over their heads and mercs / cadillacs.

except the homeless of course... But then, the homeless always have been there, always will be there, and would be there again tomorrow if you gave them a house today, now wouldn't they?

I pass very few cadavers or starving children / street urchins anywhere i go in this nation, and the few places i have run into people who would qualify as truly, honestly destitute, (backwoods Kentucky, Cajun land, Louisiana), the people are far too proud to accept any handouts.

They'd rather starve.

I respect that, and them.

GO head with your bad, toothless selves!

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As for the poor... Well, at least the poor i see using food stamps and Louisiana Purchase assistance cards in the grocery stores today; they are driving $65,000 dollar Mercedes Benz's and screaming on their Iphones, that i wouldn't dream of budgeting on my honest wage...

Odd thing about all those destitute poor... they all seem to have X boxes, a roof over their heads and mercs / cadillacs.

All true. What was left out is The Poor seem to always have a cig in their mouths/hands. Smoke 'em if you gots 'em, and they Always have them, no matter what.

The Poor People(LOL) quoted above are considered Super Rich where there is "True" Poverty, where a Well-Stocked Grocery Store is The Local Sanitation Dump.

DiningInParadiseDullnando

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May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!

Guy Navarro wrote:

I'll just make my point by asking this. Why doesn't the BBC go somewhere like north/central Africa, or south/central America, or some places in the far east to show what *real* poverty is?

archangel wrote:

As for the poor... Well, at least the poor i see using food stamps and Louisiana Purchase assistance cards in the grocery stores today; they are driving $65,000 dollar Mercedes Benz's and screaming on their Iphones, that i wouldn't dream of budgeting on my honest wage...

BBC wrote:

America can't fully admit it's poverty and it's certainly not dealing with it

Well done for confirming the BBC's summary of the situation.

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I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

Guy Navarro wrote:

I'll just make my point by asking this. Why doesn't the BBC go somewhere like north/central Africa, or south/central America, or some places in the far east to show what *real* poverty is?

archangel wrote:

As for the poor... Well, at least the poor i see using food stamps and Louisiana Purchase assistance cards in the grocery stores today; they are driving $65,000 dollar Mercedes Benz's and screaming on their Iphones, that i wouldn't dream of budgeting on my honest wage...

BBC wrote:

America can't fully admit it's poverty and it's certainly not dealing with it

Well done for confirming the BBC's summary of the situation.

Cherry pick much?

You must work in a cherry orchard.

Take this from someone who has spent the last 40 years living here.

Poverty today is middle class compared to the poverty i saw in my youth.

I visited houses that were the literal definition of shanties, when i was a child, playing with other children.

About the worst you will manage today is a trailer, or 'luxurious mobile home unit', as we refer to them down here.

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Guy Navarro wrote:

I'll just make my point by asking this. Why doesn't the BBC go somewhere like north/central Africa, or south/central America, or some places in the far east to show what *real* poverty is?

archangel wrote:

As for the poor... Well, at least the poor i see using food stamps and Louisiana Purchase assistance cards in the grocery stores today; they are driving $65,000 dollar Mercedes Benz's and screaming on their Iphones, that i wouldn't dream of budgeting on my honest wage...

BBC wrote:

America can't fully admit it's poverty and it's certainly not dealing with it

Well done for confirming the BBC's summary of the situation.

Cherry pick much?

You must work in a cherry orchard.

Take this from someone who has spent the last 40 years living here.

Poverty today is middle class compared to the poverty i saw in my youth.

I visited houses that were the literal definition of shanties, when i was a child, playing with other children.

About the worst you will manage today is a trailer, or 'luxurious mobile home unit', as we refer to them down here.

I recommend you watch the show linked in the OP before talking about the "worst you will manage today".

If the quote I posted was an example of cherry picking, would you prefer I'd used:

Odd thing about all those destitute poor... they all seem to have X boxes, a roof over their heads and mercs / cadillacs.

? If you don't want me to work the orchard, stop planting the trees :-)

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I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

/shrug

whatever.

It's obvious the English get some sort of self-gratification in trying to portray America as somehow inferior to the UK, particularly in the genres of wealth /class / sophistication...

But this is nothing new, it has been this way ever since that embarrassment they suffered at the hands of those poor, destitute serfs, who had the audacity to crawl out of their shanties and bite the hand of English lords in 1774.

So long as they feel more comfortable thinking of America, (who has twice bailed their butt out of the proverbial wringer, and acted as their insurance policy, allowing their army to reduce to 10% of its size just 50 years ago), as their poor cousin Rube, so be it.

I'll sleep just fine, regardless. (we have AC in our shanty, and if worse comes to worst, i have 8 class III full-auto firearms to keep me warm)


8)

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But this is nothing new, it has been this way ever since that embarrassment they suffered at the hands of those poor, destitute serfs, who had the audacity to crawl out of their shanties and bite the hand of English lords in 1774.

Do you mean 1776?

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I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

But this is nothing new, it has been this way ever since that embarrassment they suffered at the hands of those poor, destitute serfs, who had the audacity to crawl out of their shanties and bite the hand of English lords in 1774.

Do you mean 1776?

Nope, i meant 1774. That's when martial law was declared and the British sent troops to American soil, in regimental strengths; which would have been a declaration of war, had they not considered it their territory.

The war started in April, 1775, at Lexington and Concord. They finally got around to drafting and signing a document in `76

But you knew that, right?

How's them cherries?

You have to be careful with cherries... They have pits!

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I visited houses that were the literal definition of shanties, when i was a child, playing with other children.

About the worst you will manage today is a trailer, or 'luxurious mobile home unit', as we refer to them down here.

A man with blinders on. The poor I see on a daily basis would love to have a shanty. They have a cardboard box, if the cops don't take that away from them.

BBC wrote:

America can't fully admit it's poverty and it's certainly not dealing with it.

That 100% applies to you.

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If you are referring to the homeless...

Give them your home.

You can earn more. You seem to have spare money to feed squirrels...

I guarantee your home will be gone, and they will meet you on the street tomorrow.

If you are not referring to the homeless...

Where do you live?

Louisiana is supposedly among the poorest states in the nation.

I don't see anyone living in cardboard boxes, nor having them taken away by police... We do have a guy who sleeps on the bus stop near my home. He weighs about 400 pounds.

He won't take any assistance, you can't talk to him, he just sits there and chants.

He won't respond, nor take money, nor acknowledge you in any way... just chants.

He never holds signs, nor any of the 'fake' bum stuff. He's a real honest to god true bum. disappears during the day, shows up again at dusk.

The city recently put up a cover over that bus stop.. even though in 14 years i have never seen anyone there but him... I suspect he is the reason it got put up... It's a major intersection, where practically no one would ever be walking.

He seems to be doing well on his bus stop, given his weight... I suppose we could taser him, strap him to a gurney and haul him off to some facility where he would be 'cared' for...

But would that really make his life 'better?'

What, exactly, do you propose we do for people who want nothing from us, to improve their situation?

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Where do you live?

Blinders. Can't even read the signature in my post.

But would that really make his life 'better?'

Perhaps a drug pump filled with a lifetime supply and a lifetime battery so he would never have to worry again about having or taking his medicines. Then you could teach him how to fish, as the proverb goes.

What, exactly, do you propose we do for people who want nothing from us, to improve their situation?

Why do you ass/u/me that he wants nothing from us? Just because he won't talk to you? Perhaps you have that malodorous scrooge odoriferant about you and he simply wants you to go away.

As to people in general, they don't want a hand out, they want to be useful. Teach them to do a job they can be proud of. It really is that simple.

Blinders, that is what is wrong with America.

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"Blinders. Can't even read the signature in my post."

Didn't really care, it was rhetorical. You aren't statistically important.

If you died tonight, nothing would change.. Anywhere.


"Perhaps a drug pump filled with a lifetime supply and a lifetime battery so he would never have to worry again about having or taking his medicines. Then you could teach him how to fish, as the proverb goes."

To the best of my knowledge he doesn't take drugs, he is too consistent to be a drug abuser. Drug abusers run out of drugs and have to run off to get more. This guy doesn't do that, i think he is just naturally touched. Actually i think he does fish, a bit. His grocery cart has a pole and bucket in it. So no need to teach.

"Why do you ass/u/me that he wants nothing from us? Just because he won't talk to you? Perhaps you have that malodorous scrooge odoriferant about you and he simply wants you to go away."


I assume nothing, i have attempted to talk to him, he doesn't respond.

Perhaps you could come down off your prissy high-horse long enough to try to speak to him yourself, that is, of course, if a fall from that height wouldn't kill you outright, you snooty prude you...

You really speak to people like that? Or only from behind a keyboard?

Just curious if you ever actually would dare to speak like that to someones face...

I doubt it, somehow.

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To the best of my knowledge he doesn't take drugs

That might be the issue ... he needs some. Of course Mr. Blinders can only think of the recreational kind.

you snooty prude you

ROTFLMAO, but you'll never know why.

Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand
I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hiding
You must help me if you can?

Doctor, my eyes, tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long

'Cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams
People go just where they will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it's later than it seems

Doctor, my eyes, tell me what you see
I hear their cries, just say if it's too late for me

Doctor, my eyes, cannot see the sky
Is this the price for having learned how not to cry

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"That might be the issue ... he needs some. Of course Mr. Blinders can only think of the recreational kind."

Mr. blinders doesn't believe there are anything but the recreational kind, when it comes to the human mind...

I can accept that some people are and will think differently from myself, but maybe that's too 'blind' for you.

I can accept people for what / who they are.

Every try that?

Didn't read your poetry

i only like Japanese Haiku.

Man's poetry.

Wielding his blood sword,
A hero who fights with pride,
And slays with honor.

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