How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019)

Re:How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019) by harimau777 on Monday April 05, 2021 @10:54AM (#26699828)

There's a couple of problems with it:

- In many of the most important areas, e.g. home ownership and choice of career, the poor in America have gotten poorer.

- Due to America's lack of campaign finance reform, extreme wealth allows the rich to buy off the government.

- Even if the poor get somewhat richer, that doesn't mean they got as much richer as they would in a more equitable system.

- Inequality becomes a problem if the rich control so much of a resource (e.g. housing) that there is not enough available for the poor.

- Inequality creates a power imbalance which can allow the rich to abuse the poor and/or make them unaccountable to society.

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Re:How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019) by ctdonath on Monday April 05, 2021 @11:05AM (#26699984)

You confirm my point.

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Re:How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019) by tenebrisalietum on Monday April 05, 2021 @12:28PM (#26701082)

If trust-fund babies can coast through life without working, and those are taking over everything, when the poor still have to put in 12 hour days to live, even if they have it better than the past--that's not jealousy, that's simply asking why does person X have to work so hard when person Y doesn't under a system that supposedly claims all men are created equal.

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Re:How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019) by throwaway98797 on Monday April 05, 2021 @01:32PM (#26701937)

all men are created equal under the law.

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Re:How do we know the history of extreme poverty? (2019) by jjeaff on Monday April 05, 2021 @03:13PM (#26703287)

Except we know having money gives you enormous advantage under the law. So we either have to fix the law or fix some of the inequality.

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