Re:The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent
by dalke on Sunday October 14, 2012 @04:49AM
(#4651046)
"Why the downvote?" I think I can answer part of that. Some people think that if a person owns a TV, mobile phone, fridge, etc. then they must by definition not be poor. After all, 50 years these were considered luxury goods, or for the case of mobile phone, only available as operator assisted radio phones.
They don't know that poverty is defined by a different measure; the Orshansky poverty thresholds. This is a relatively absolute measure based not on what one owns but on access to food and housing. And as you say, there are many Americans who own a car, and a CD player, and a personal computer, yet do not know if they'll have enough money to be able to eat for the month.
They don't know that poverty is defined by a different measure; the Orshansky poverty thresholds. This is a relatively absolute measure based not on what one owns but on access to food and housing. And as you say, there are many Americans who own a car, and a CD player, and a personal computer, yet do not know if they'll have enough money to be able to eat for the month.