4 ms·

Classic. Poor people just aren't working hard enough!

by petemill 7y ago

billions 7y ago
How did you get the computer you're writing on, if not by the method described above?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- lucideer 7y ago
  (not op but) parents supported me through a high quality education, in the safe wealthy western country they brought me into, helped me to develop social skills, and provided a stable upbringing which—all combined—gave me the confidence, comfort and skills to navigate the labour market, secure a well-paying job, and eventually use my wages to purchase this computer.
  - billions 7y ago
    Sound like you got there exactly by the method described above.
    - mikepurvis 7y ago
      Um, but the point is that most of that is stuff he had no control over. The Econ 101 fantasy of "work hard, get ahead" doesn't apply if being a straight white male born into a middle class western family means you're starting 80% of the way to the finish line.
      - billions 7y ago
        Please keep your prejudices out of this. How did hunter-gatherers get ahead?
        dang 7y ago
        Would you please stop posting in the flamewar style to HN, and stop using HN for ideological battle? Those are things we're trying to avoid here and you've unfortunately been doing them repeatedly. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
        mikepurvis 7y ago
        A combination of hard work and good luck. But of course, it was a lot harder to inherit massive wealth in those days. :)
        jodrellblank 7y ago
        I can suggest that fishermen don’t get ahead through working harder, but more through being near a livelier bigger body of water with plants more suitable for fashioning into fishing lines. Hunter gatherers - by being the son of the chief and getting chosen for the most instruction and preferable kills? By not having raids of people stealing everything you gather? By hoarding a secret fund of very desirable plants which they guard jealously to retain status? By being more attractive?
mikepurvis 7y ago
Yup, easy rebuttal to that one is just looking at how insanely hard some poor people work, while still struggling to succeed: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/books/review/stephanie-land-maid.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/books/review/stephanie-la... The more insidious version of this is arguing over whose labours have more "market value". And there's something to that, but I can't get away from the feeling that it's deeply unfair how a software professional can coast for weeks on the occasional flash of insight or burst of productivity, while a housecleaner works two full time jobs and still is one unexpected car repair from insolvency.

Classic. Poor people just aren't working hard enough!

billions 7y ago

How did you get the computer you're writing on, if not by the method described above?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
lucideer 7y ago
(not op but) parents supported me through a high quality education, in the safe wealthy western country they brought me into, helped me to develop social skills, and provided a stable upbringing which—all combined—gave me the confidence, comfort and skills to navigate the labour market, secure a well-paying job, and eventually use my wages to purchase this computer.
- billions 7y ago
  Sound like you got there exactly by the method described above.
  - mikepurvis 7y ago
    Um, but the point is that most of that is stuff he had no control over. The Econ 101 fantasy of "work hard, get ahead" doesn't apply if being a straight white male born into a middle class western family means you're starting 80% of the way to the finish line.
    - billions 7y ago
      Please keep your prejudices out of this. How did hunter-gatherers get ahead?
      - dang 7y ago
        Would you please stop posting in the flamewar style to HN, and stop using HN for ideological battle? Those are things we're trying to avoid here and you've unfortunately been doing them repeatedly. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
      - mikepurvis 7y ago
        A combination of hard work and good luck. But of course, it was a lot harder to inherit massive wealth in those days. :)
      - jodrellblank 7y ago
        I can suggest that fishermen don’t get ahead through working harder, but more through being near a livelier bigger body of water with plants more suitable for fashioning into fishing lines. Hunter gatherers - by being the son of the chief and getting chosen for the most instruction and preferable kills? By not having raids of people stealing everything you gather? By hoarding a secret fund of very desirable plants which they guard jealously to retain status? By being more attractive?

mikepurvis 7y ago

Yup, easy rebuttal to that one is just looking at how insanely hard some poor people work, while still struggling to succeed: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/books/review/stephanie-land-maid.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/books/review/stephanie-la... The more insidious version of this is arguing over whose labours have more "market value". And there's something to that, but I can't get away from the feeling that it's deeply unfair how a software professional can coast for weeks on the occasional flash of insight or burst of productivity, while a housecleaner works two full time jobs and still is one unexpected car repair from insolvency.