3 ms·
Relative economic standing != absolute economic standing. Statistical measures of poverty are set in terms of being able to afford the basic necessities of lif
by bleepblorp 6y ago
Relative economic standing != absolute economic standing.
Statistical measures of poverty are set in terms of being able to afford the basic necessities of life, such as food, housing, medical care, transport, education and communications. Relative standing is irrelevant.
Further, having 10 times more income (or wealth) than subsistence farmer in sub-Saharan Africa is meaningless if your cost of living is 1000 times higher than that of a subsistence farmer in sub-Saharan Africa. Poor Americans aren't paying sub-Saharan African prices; they're paying American prices, and that means their income does not go very far.
- Guthur 6y agoPeople don't have access to food? Sounds like that would be a self correcting problem if remotely true. The problem with asking the government to fix this in some way is that you'll most likely ensure the absolute floor of the pricing with be set higher. It's all those beautiful first world regulations we set out subsiding the price paid that ensure pricing is high, not capitalism. I'm not saying remove them but if we can not recognise the the true source of the problems it's hard to improve it meaningfully.
- t-writescode 6y agoDid you intentionally or unintentionally paraphrase Ebenezer Scrooge just then? If unintentional, perhaps you should consider your life and behavior in view of the three ghosts referenced in that novella.