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Just like the rich didn't get rich entirely because of their own abilities, poor people didn't get poor because they chose to. Placing the poor people in an env

Just like the rich didn't get rich entirely because of their own abilities, poor people didn't get poor because they chose to. Placing the poor people in an environment where there are better education, better healthcare and better career opportunities always results in better financial decision making. So the society bears most if not all responsibilities. How can we eliminate poverty if it's entirely personal responsibility? Let me quote Mandela on this: >Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is manmade, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.

logicchains 7y ago
>Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. This is absurd. Man in nature has no house, no car, no money, no tools, no storehouse, he can eat only what he can catch, kill or forage for. Everything we have in civilisation was built by people working hard to escape the poverty and brutality of nature.
- theseadroid 7y ago
  Yes. But no one is poor if everyone is poor. Poverty is a relative term. It's basically inequality in disguise.
  - geggam 7y ago
    Man is created with equal rights but not equal talents or intelligence. If there is any luck in life its the genetic lottery.
    - theseadroid 7y ago
      We can go into the debate of how much inequality is healthy for a society to encourage innovation and hard work. However in many parts of the world and even U.S. I would say many talented and intelligent people didn't even get the chance to work hard to earn something because the society didn't provide them such a chance. Your personal experience is moving but the reality is many people are rich not because they worked hard and many poor not because they were lazy. Those (extreme) inequalities are a result of injustice. If a society is too unfair, that will surely discourage people to contribute to the society.
      - geggam 7y ago
        When society gets too unfair the poor have a way of equalizing the social status. Typically via violence. History shows us this.

logicchains 7y ago

>Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. This is absurd. Man in nature has no house, no car, no money, no tools, no storehouse, he can eat only what he can catch, kill or forage for. Everything we have in civilisation was built by people working hard to escape the poverty and brutality of nature.

theseadroid 7y ago
Yes. But no one is poor if everyone is poor. Poverty is a relative term. It's basically inequality in disguise.
- geggam 7y ago
  Man is created with equal rights but not equal talents or intelligence. If there is any luck in life its the genetic lottery.
  - theseadroid 7y ago
    We can go into the debate of how much inequality is healthy for a society to encourage innovation and hard work. However in many parts of the world and even U.S. I would say many talented and intelligent people didn't even get the chance to work hard to earn something because the society didn't provide them such a chance. Your personal experience is moving but the reality is many people are rich not because they worked hard and many poor not because they were lazy. Those (extreme) inequalities are a result of injustice. If a society is too unfair, that will surely discourage people to contribute to the society.
    - geggam 7y ago
      When society gets too unfair the poor have a way of equalizing the social status. Typically via violence. History shows us this.