Another interesting aspect of "poor people with kids" is downward class mobility. I'm in excellent short term financial shape now, but I'm only one major medic

Another interesting aspect of "poor people with kids" is downward class mobility. I'm in excellent short term financial shape now, but I'm only one major medical problem or legal problem or financial problem or work problem away from being in the same boat as these folks. Due to long term permanent economic decline for people in my socioeconomic class (not 1%), plus extensive ageism, the odds of my ending up at walmart / home depot while my kids are teens is actually pretty good, in fact its nearly certain at some point in my future, assuming I don't die at a very young age or immigrate somewhere civilized. A STEM degree in SV or Manhattan might save you, maybe, but 99% of the population isn't there and isn't STEM, so their local conditions, however nice, are completely irrelevant when discussing national policy. Any time you have, say, 20M McJobs and 40M applicants, its not going to suck just for the 20M not currently working, but its going to suck for all 40M. Come in to work at 3:30am and stop complaining or I'll find someone more cooperative. You're now on 24x7 pager duty and you will respond in 5 minutes and begin working within 30 minutes or be fired.