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"Stupid poor people. They should learn to stay in their lane. Leave the good things in life to the folks who deserve it." You have a point, but it comes acro

"Stupid poor people. They should learn to stay in their lane. Leave the good things in life to the folks who deserve it." You have a point, but it comes across as insensitive when you fail to account for the uneven playing field most folks are struggling against. As a former "let them die" libertarian, I think I've come to the place where I realize it's not so clear cut. We have an economic system with non-linear results. Being wealthy usually makes you more wealthy with less effort than it takes to escape poverty. After being financially devastated by a divorce, I am humbled and understand why people pursue short-term pleasure. Life is short and often brutal. I don't fully blame people who use whatever means available to find comfort, pleasure and happiness. Yes, I know wealth is not a sustainable path to those things, but it definitely works in the short term.

mercer 6y ago
I'm happy to read this comment! I have leaned libertarian (and still do to an extent) when it comes to many things, but I've never quite identified with the more right-wing 'individual responsibility' / 'poor people are a result of their own choices' perspective. my personal experiences and having had many close friends who grew up poor or in otherwise very shitty situations make it so clear to me that a lot of the good choices I make are profoundly influenced by my direct surroundings (both physical and social), as well as an upbringing that, while poverty-line, was excellent. My parents and extended family were great role models, and much as I might grumble about problems in our educational system, it was still pretty good. I was 'funneled' into having friends that also were more of a good than bad influence. As I entered my twenties and explored the world, I met many people who weren't so fortunate. And as frustrating as it was at times to observe their 'bad choices', knowing the full and often painful story of all the stuff they didn't have growing up (role-models, time to just self-learn, a safe environment, etc.) made me more empathic than judgmental. That's not to say that I believe nobody has their own responsibilities, or that bad behavior can just be excused by blaming parents or whatnot. Rather, it's complicated and I've been lucky enough to not be able to fully understand (many of the) the complications.

mercer 6y ago

I'm happy to read this comment! I have leaned libertarian (and still do to an extent) when it comes to many things, but I've never quite identified with the more right-wing 'individual responsibility' / 'poor people are a result of their own choices' perspective. my personal experiences and having had many close friends who grew up poor or in otherwise very shitty situations make it so clear to me that a lot of the good choices I make are profoundly influenced by my direct surroundings (both physical and social), as well as an upbringing that, while poverty-line, was excellent. My parents and extended family were great role models, and much as I might grumble about problems in our educational system, it was still pretty good. I was 'funneled' into having friends that also were more of a good than bad influence. As I entered my twenties and explored the world, I met many people who weren't so fortunate. And as frustrating as it was at times to observe their 'bad choices', knowing the full and often painful story of all the stuff they didn't have growing up (role-models, time to just self-learn, a safe environment, etc.) made me more empathic than judgmental. That's not to say that I believe nobody has their own responsibilities, or that bad behavior can just be excused by blaming parents or whatnot. Rather, it's complicated and I've been lucky enough to not be able to fully understand (many of the) the complications.