A thought experiment on poverty

[ribozyme]

Another myopic point of view.
There are so many assumptions necessary to believe this particular piece that it is hard to believe anyone could hold it.

Envy does not propogate from being exposed to anothers prosperity.

How does it propage? How can one be envious of things that they have no knowledge of and are not exposed to. Envy is a natural emotion and humans desire relative status. One way of supressing that is to isolate people.

 

[rlg94086]

I would prefer a society where peace will guide the planets,
And love will steer the stars

Let the sun shine in, my friend, let the sun shine in.

I think you may be in th wrong forum Bob. Surely, you are speaking about pre-invasion Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Please go to the WOT forum and re-post.

 

[vz71]

How does it propage? How can one be envious of things that they have no knowledge of and are not exposed to. Envy is a natural emotion and humans desire relative status. One way of supressing that is to isolate people.

Do not mistake the conditions that allow for an emotion with the cause of the emotion.

 

[mapleoak]

I think you may be in th wrong forum Bob. Surely, you are speaking about pre-invasion Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Please go to the WOT forum and re-post.

He was talking about lemmings, the quest of kulkulkan, and the age of empires!

 

[RWMorris]

Option 1 is impossible. There will never be a society with no charity; someone will always care enough to help. There will never be a society with no poverty, especially if you use that absurd definition by Mark Thoma.

…TV is necessary if you want to, say, keep up with the political debates …

Sarcasm to follow:

What if I want to keep up with my rich neighbor? Alas, I’m too poor. Wait, I have a right! And you, all of you must help me!! Send all non-tax deductible cash donations to me!!! Now!!!

 

[Newbie2]

How does it propage? How can one be envious of things that they have no knowledge of and are not exposed to. Envy is a natural emotion and humans desire relative status. One way of supressing that is to isolate people.

Sure…and another way is to walk around with a blindfold.

A better way would be to view possesions in the proper context…that they are temporary, that they are gifts given, and that you cannot take them with you.

Yes, easy to say if one has them, but I know many people who are extremely wealthy who would be just as happy if they had very little or nothing. I

 

[stinkcat_14]

but I know many people who are extremely wealthy who would be just as happy if they had very little or nothing. I

Of course, I know several wealthy people who are plagued with the problem of envy. I know some lower income people who are quite content.

 

[vz71]

It would seem our friend here has an incorrect view of envy.

This would explain a lot. When one starts to view a difference between those with luxury and those without as a bad thing, a positive view on socialism is the natural consequence.

 

[vern_humphrey]

It would seem our friend here has an incorrect view of envy.

This would explain a lot. When one starts to view a difference between those with luxury and those without as a bad thing, a positive view on socialism is the natural consequence.

Anytime someone says, “Rich people (by which he means anyone who earns more than himself) should pay more,” that person is speaking from envy.

 

[goofyjim]

My ideal society would be on without money so there would be no way to measure poverty or charity in that respect. I would share what I have and there would be no way for any government instiution to tax me or church to expect me to donate financially.

 

[rlg94086]

My ideal society would be on without money so there would be no way to measure poverty or charity in that respect. I would share what I have and there would be no way for any government instiution to tax me or church to expect me to donate financially.

Customer: Wow, that is a nice suit, Mr. Armani. I really like the material…how much?

Tailor: That will be two chickens and a cow.

 

[vz71]

My ideal society would be on without money so there would be no way to measure poverty or charity in that respect. I would share what I have and there would be no way for any government instiution to tax me or church to expect me to donate financially.

At my kids soccor games, the officials don’t allow score to be kept.

Trust me, the kids know the score.

If you believe removing money will prevent people from measuring wealth, I believe you are mistaken.

 

[Caesar517]

My ideal society would be on without money so there would be no way to measure poverty or charity in that respect. I would share what I have and there would be no way for any government instiution to tax me or church to expect me to donate financially.

If you are reffering to simply removing national currency, the barter system is ready to take up the slack.

If you envision a utopian society, the problem is that it doesn’t work on a large scale. Fallen human nature sees to that.

 

[vern_humphrey]

At my kids soccor games, the officials don’t allow score to be kept.

Trust me, the kids know the score.

If you believe removing money will prevent people from measuring wealth, I believe you are mistaken.

Many years ago, I attended a course at the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg. Among other subjects, we studied the culture of the indiginous people of Viet Nam – the “Montagnards.”

The instructor mentioned one tribe that “measure their wealth in tom-toms and jars. A wife will cost a dozen tom-toms.”

A hand went up at the back of the room and someone asked, “How much is that in jars?”

 

[summasix]

My ideal society would be on without money so there would be no way to measure poverty or charity in that respect. I would share what I have and there would be no way for any government instiution to tax me or church to expect me to donate financially.

My ideal society would be one that had an undying faith in Christ and lived according to His will. Why not tranquilize two birds with one anesthetized butterflydart?

 

[Ridgerunner]

This reminds me of the old “choice” games we used to play as kids; e.g. “Which woud you rather eat, a hair sandwich or a bowl of fingernail soup?” Some were much earthier.

I think I would dispute the necessity of having a tv. Some years ago, one of my kids spilled a glass of milk into the tv set. That was the end of it. Couldn’t afford a new one just then, so we did without, then did without, then did without, then discovered the daily paper and the public library, and went years without tv. Eventually, we did buy a used one, because it didn’t seem to make sense to spend much on something having so little utility. But I’m not sure it did us any good to do even that.

 

[bilop]

Some fcats about the poor in America.

The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

— Forty-six percent of all poor households own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and porch or patio.

— Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

— Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.

— The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and other European cities. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)

— Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.

— Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television. Over half own two or more color televisions.

— Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.

— Seventy-three percent own a microwave oven, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132956,00.html

God Bless

 

[goofyjim]

You know the fact is noone on earth has the definitive answers. We all just have opinions. To denigrate one with the other is just plain nonsense and childish.

 

[ribozyme]

Some fcats about the poor in America.

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132956,00.html

God Bless

How many do not have access to health care besides the emergency room?

 

[vern_humphrey]

How many do not have access to health care besides the emergency room?

Very few. My wife and I are right now helping a woman who is a high-risk pregnancy. She’s in the hospital and will stay there for the next six weeks. And she can’t pay for it.

But she will get the best of treatment.