There are poor people who don't work. There are workaholics who don't work, I know a few. Why? Because of mental illness, particularly depression. Poverty is a

There are poor people who don't work. There are workaholics who don't work, I know a few. Why? Because of mental illness, particularly depression. Poverty is a cause of mental illness. Even if you manage to stay healthy, being poor is still stressful and exhausting. Exhaustion is easily confused for laziness. People who are poor because they don't work generally don't work because they are poor. > So no poor person is ever to blame for their situation? As a matter of fact, they aren't. Even if they are poor just because they're lazy, you have to ask why. Is laziness genetic? Can't blame someone for their genes. Bad upbringing? Not their fault either. Not working on their attitude? Blaming them for being too lazy to do that would be a circular argument. So what do you want to blame them for? That doesn't mean incentivizing people to work is wrong. But being poor is not a moral failure.