Special K Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 We call it the treadmill, it's culturally ingrained within their sub-culture. They see visions of the good life, but most have never seen the life it takes modeled sufficiently, or they don't see how that life can be realized in their own life. We live in a day where instant change is almost assumed whether weight loss, fitness, or economic status and sure we all "know" it's stupid to anticipate quick change but with those living on the treadmill the extra effort their putting in doesn't make a difference soon enough to validate the continued effort because the nickle and dimes just don't seem to add up fast enough. So the little things, the things that can be enjoyed today get celebrated. Total side note, but a couple years ago I attended a workshop called "Bridges Out of Poverty." It was an interesting workshop (although several hours too long, lol) based on the book Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities. The book discussed the different mindsets held by people within the various socioeconomic groups and the workshop attempted to establish some directives specific to public health and how we could help impoverished families and communities bridge the transitional gap between poverty and middle class. Anyway, I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but I know you minister to people of all social classes and thought I'd throw that out there for ya if you were ever interested in checking it out to read a little more about the subject Anyway, I agree with you to a large extent about the "treadmill" theory, but another thing to think about is within that culture different things are seen as "successful" and garner respect among peers in that respective socioeconomic class. For those who live in poverty, immediate gratification and material items/looks are the primary things those people place importance on because their mindset is so focused on the present. These short term "highs" are what that class places value on and what people primarily aspire to. So in many cases something is given, oh it may not be silver platters and tryst funds, but the cumulative affect of generational influence cannot be denied. You know, I thought it was creepy that my grandparents set up a "tryst fund" for me when I was a little girl. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it is now I'm of age to access it! jk It seems you are acting surprised that there is no long term thinking in people who do not know where their next meal is going to come from. Maybe being hungry and focusing on the next meal is the reason for that. I wouldn't say that's really the primary, or even secondary or tertiary cause of this social/cultural mindset here in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Yeah, at least you can sell a boat to get some of that back when you can't afford it. We just sold a boat that's been for sale for 3 years(paid off, we moved away from the coast & it's too big for rivers/lakes)...back to the dealership we bought it from, and their payments to us are almost a month behind. It's not easy to sell a boat, and apparently not easy for boat dealerships to stay afloat, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 We just sold a boat that's been for sale for 3 years(paid off, we moved away from the coast & it's too big for rivers/lakes)...back to the dealership we bought it from, and their payments to us are almost a month behind. It's not easy to sell a boat, and apparently not easy for boat dealerships to stay afloat, lol. Boat- A hole in the water you throw money in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 So in many cases something is given, oh it may not be silver platters and tryst funds, but the cumulative affect of generational influence cannot be denied. Now, is that reason for those born in cyclical poverty to give up on change? Hardly, but it certainly is going to require an adjustment in realistic expectations on both sides; for those in poverty, and on behalf of those who are trying to help. IMO, we (gov't society) do things that ease poverty but not really do an effective job giving them the skills to get out of it. Again, I think it's a middle class mindset to believe that once one is shown how to do it that they'll be able to take it and run. The exceptions can but clearly not everyone. It's simple things that would help the turnaround greatly: how to make a budget, how to stick to a budget, how to set and wake-up with an alarm clock, manners, punctuality—you need a finishing school of sorts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 I grew up in a small town where a lot of people were on welfare. This lady's story is not similar to the life those people led. We always wondered how the welfare people could afford satellite dishes and ATVs. They got by just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 IMO, we (gov't society) do things that ease poverty but not really do an effective job giving them the skills to get out of it. Again, I think it's a middle class mindset to believe that once one is shown how to do it that they'll be able to take it and run. The exceptions can but clearly not everyone. It's simple things that would help the turnaround greatly: how to make a budget, how to stick to a budget, how to set and wake-up with an alarm clock, manners, punctuality—you need a finishing school of sorts. Well said...and we've gotta go a little backwards, because without a place to live, electricity for said alarm clock, shower, clean clothes, etc., it's hard to even think about the public transportation one might need to navigate to get to a job interview...sorry, didn't mean to derail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 We just sold a boat that's been for sale for 3 years(paid off, we moved away from the coast & it's too big for rivers/lakes)...back to the dealership we bought it from, and their payments to us are almost a month behind. It's not easy to sell a boat, and apparently not easy for boat dealerships to stay afloat, lol.Meanwhile, aparently getting rid of a kid seems pretty easy, so there should be no excuse for these poor people because they could save themselves an estimated $13,000 per year by ridding themselves of their economic commitments otherwise known as children.http://www.reuters.com/investigates/adoption/#article/part1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 IMO, we (gov't society) do things that ease poverty but not really do an effective job giving them the skills to get out of it. Again, I think it's a middle class mindset to believe that once one is shown how to do it that they'll be able to take it and run. The exceptions can but clearly not everyone. It's simple things that would help the turnaround greatly: how to make a budget, how to stick to a budget, how to set and wake-up with an alarm clock, manners, punctuality—you need a finishing school of sorts. Schools should teach such things,ours here do to a degree. Not everyone can take them and run,but most can do more than sit or crawl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 starvation is not the real problem here,and any real study will show that....even with SNAP being reduced to normal level Obesity is 10x the problem worrying over the next meal is more a problem for those caught in sudden change than the truly poor I am not talking about "starvation".And yes, obesity is a part of the same problem of not providing enough support and not supporting right things. Don't get me wrong, hunger still beats starvation. Bad nutrition is better than no nutrition. I grew up in a small town where a lot of people were on welfare. This lady's story is not similar to the life those people led. We always wondered how the welfare people could afford satellite dishes and ATVs. They got by just fine.And there you have it! Some people got satellite dishes and ATVs, mother****ers!! See? That proves there is no problem with social support nets, poverty, lack of opportunity ladders, food deserts, unequal access to services, access to education, or any stuff like that. Move along, nothing to see here. The lazy bums are doing just fine cuz some of em got ATVs. I agree with the people who say we need to do a better job of taking care of less fortunate: helping, teaching, compassionating. Not just giving them scraps and hoping they go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 And there you have it! Some people got satellite dishes and ATVs, mother****ers!! See? That proves there is no problem with social support nets, poverty, lack of opportunity ladders, food deserts, unequal access to services, access to education, or any stuff like that. Move along, nothing to see here. The lazy bums are doing just fine cuz some of em got ATVs. I wasn't trying to make any particular point. If I had to make a point, I would point out that there are many people (or at least there were when I was a kid) who sit on their ass and get along just fine. There are other who work two jobs and can't make ends meet. There is something obviously wrong with that. There is just too much wealth in this country for things to be in this condition. You can calm down now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 You've been played ....SUCKER http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2013/11/that_viral_poverty_thoughts_es.php You see, Linda Walther Tirado, or "KillerMartinis," as she's known on her Kinja screen name, wrote this brain-grating essay, and it's all about being subjected to the pitfalls of poverty. Linda's not actually poor, though, nor was she raised in what most would describe as poverty. Unless you consider a boarding school education as a marker for poverty, anyway. The inferences on what it's like to be poor -- from the roach-infested living quarters to the lack of wholesome food -- would almost be laughable, if they weren't such freakin' gross stereotypes written by a person who has never experienced true poverty. That little fact takes it from laughable to infuriating. What's also infuriating is that Linda -- who is panhandling for $100,000 worth of donations on GoFundMe -- wrote this piece, and the comments and rebuttals to it, while masquerading as a "poor person," but has now decided to clean up the mess by copping to her past as a person from a much different background. The real Linda owns a home, thanks to some pretty generous parents. Her LinkedIn profile states she's been a freelance writer and political consultant since 2010, and has worked in politics since 2004, a claim backed by 27 decent connections. She's married to a Marine, has met President Obama while interning for a politician (who obviously wasn't disgusted by those rotten teeth), and has plenty of time to visit Las Vegas on vacation. And blog about her privileged life on Wordpress. She speaks both German and Dutch, and has a well-rounded political blog that ended in 2011. It's also a blog where she quite plainly references being paid to win races. She didn't cop to any of that in her generalized disclaimer, though. She simply stated the following on her GoFundMe page, conveniently tucked away at the bottom: "How is it that someone with such clarity and evocation has any right to assert that they are poor? It is likely untrue. Well, it is and it isn't. You have to understand that the piece you read was taken out of context, that I never meant to say that all of these things were happening to me right now, or that I was still quite so abject. I am not. I am reasonably normally lower working class. I am exhausted and poor and can't make all my bills all the time but I reconciled with my parents when I got pregnant for the sake of the kids and I have family resources. I can always make the amount of money I need in a month, it's just that it doesn't always match the billing cycles." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Well I guess that means she is probably wrong about everything. Does anybody have authentic information about this stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Because sometimes even when you take precautions $%#¥ happens....I've got a smart ass and insulting comment to insert here but I'm gonna skip it. I love how you have chosen to dismiss the whole thing because she's pregnant. That's what abortions are for. Most "rich" people I know, work their asses off. Most people who are lazy and rich were born to it and wouldn't not have it without their parents working for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Want to purse the American Dream? Move to (socialist) Denmark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Want to purse the American Dream? Move to (socialist) Denmark. They do accessorize well from what I hear Darling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 That's what abortions are for.Like I said earlier if people have kids and then lose their jobs then they can just give their kids away, it's really easy. All they have to do is sign over guardianship to so eone else. But hey killing the kids only costs 25 cents so your plan works too. Most "rich" people I know, work their asses off. Most people who are lazy and rich were born to it and wouldn't not have it without their parents working for it.I know a TON of poor people who work their asses off, in fact they work 100 times harder than the desk jockies who get paid much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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